2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[Moranis]

With the additional injury to Anunoby, if the Pacers could just string together enough good plays to win ONE game, they might end up winning by attrition & injuries

Yep. Knicks now down:

- Randle (2nd best player)
- Anunoby (3rd best player)
- M Robinson (starting caliber center)
- Bogdanovic (high end bench scorer)

Three of their best forwards. That is why they only have guards and centers to play now.

The loss of Anunoby is a huge win. Gives Indy a real chance of coming back in this series.

to be fair though, when your coach plays guys 42-48minutes a game, this is what happens. Knicks better hope this doesnt go 6, becuase this team is going to be beat to hell and tired if they face boston

They didn't in the regular season though. In fact Tatum played more mpg than anyone on the Knicks and the C's obviously had way more blow outs than the Knicks. 

[Birdman]

Pacers-Knicks going 7 games..but Carlisle is livid saying small market teams needs be given a chance to win ouch!!! He gotta get fined lol

[celticinorlando]

Pacers will win Game 3 setting up a series defining game 4.

Think Brunson played through the pain but that was all adrenaline. Let's see what happens today and a quick turnaround tomorrow.

As for OG...I think he might be done for some time.

We need a long 7 game series so if the Knicks do win they are beat up and out of gas. This is why I hope the Cs can take care of Cleveland quickly. Rest for everyone.

[jambr380]

Knicks fans chanted "We Want Boston" after their Game 2 win over the Pacers.

Looks like everyone has Boston circled on their hitlist.

Knicks can only compensate for their current lack of overall talent with aggressiveness.
On the plus side, it could benefit the Cs to play an aggressive team that plays D, is excellent in the 4th, O-rebounds well, and won’t let up. NY will create stressful moments for Celtics fans and they have requisite hatable characters. All that will create some adversity that could be good for the Cs.  The downside is increased likelihood of injury. Tired, aggressive teams wil play physically and desperately, especially if there is a talent discrepancy. While injuries can happen against anyone I think it’s more likely v. a team like the Knicks.

All that said, the Cs still have talented team to get past in Cleveland.  It’s far from over and I hope the players stay focused - tonight’s a big game.

Yeah, I was going to say something similar. I think the Heat were supposed to provide the same kind-of intensity - and in some ways they did - but the Knicks are a better version of that. If we play a team like the Wolves in the Finals, we are going to need some practice going in. It will help us learn poise under pressure and with so much physicality.

[Birdman]

Charlotte hires Charles Lee…congratulations

[Phantom255x]

The Knicks have played a ton of close games. So you can certainly say they are battle tested. On the other hand, I also wonder how they'd look if a team actually punched them in the mouth and blew them out. How would they respond after that?

I'm not discrediting what NY has done, but PHI really choked two of the games (Game 2 and 4) and IND has also clearly looked rattled late in the last two games. I know we question Boston's ability in close games especially Tatum, but I still feel we should have a leg up on NY in terms of experience in those moments. That's where some of the smarter guys like Jrue, White and Porzingis can hopefully shine for us.

But ultimately, I love our group of White/Jaylen/Holiday outplaying Brunson/Hart/Divencenzo, and then as long as Tatum isn't a puddle we should be good. And that's not even counting Porzingis IF he returns, he's easily the best frontcourt guy between both teams and Knicks lost Robinson for the season.

[Moranis]

The Knicks have been down double digits in all 8 playoff games. You cannot beat good teams doing that.  See Denver vs. LA and Denver vs. Minnesota as examples. If Denver is going to comeback, they can't fall down early in game 3. They have to get out to a fast start.  Similarly, the Knicks can get by falling down to the flawed/injured Sixers and less skilled Pacers, but if they start that way against Boston, Boston will crush them.

[Yuckabuck33]

The Knicks have been down double digits in all 8 playoff games. You cannot beat good teams doing that.

You can if the zebras help you. Game 1 was totally handed to the Knicks by refs.

[liam]

The Knicks have been down double digits in all 8 playoff games. You cannot beat good teams doing that.

You can if the zebras help you. Game 1 was totally handed to the Knicks by refs.

The NBA is telling the Refs to keep this story line going and they are...Rick Carlisle is right. He was on the losing end of that Dwyane Wade series where Wade shot more free throws than anyone I've ever seen.

[tonydelk]

Indy needs to make this a series.  No help from the refs will make it tough but I expect a differently called game in Indy.  NYK's starters are playing heavy minutes.  I'd like the C's to get some rest while NY is tired.  Brunson is a beast.  OG was such a good addition for them.  Losing Randle and Bogdan will make it tough for the Knicks to come out of the east but that team plays tough.  They are what Miami tries to be but without the dirty play.  On the other hand they are a bunch of floppers and get a ton of calls they shouldn't. 

[Moranis]

The Knicks have been down double digits in all 8 playoff games. You cannot beat good teams doing that.

You can if the zebras help you. Game 1 was totally handed to the Knicks by refs.

the fouls called and foul shot attempts are fairly close and that includes the technical foul shots and all of the take fouls at the end of both games.  There isn't really a discrepancy.  Yes the refs missed some calls, but they missed some benefiting the Pacers also.  The Knicks are winning because the Pacers simply aren't good enough and aren't winning the hustle plays.  As TJ McConnell said "We're not going to sit here and blame the officials. We have to be better. It's just that simple. They smashed us on the boards again tonight and just brought more energy than we did. We have to fix that." Or how about Tyrese Haliburton, "At the end of the day, we got outplayed...They outplayed us. Let's not pretend like the refs are the reason we lost. We just got to better."

They are right. They just didn't play as hard as the Knicks. The rebounds through 2 games are 84 to 66. That's the difference

[dannyboy35]

 I will be on the edge of my seat  hoping the Celts win it all but the league is a joke again. Pure theatre. Crooked.

[keevsnick]

The Anunoby injury is VERY concerning for the Knicks. He was going full speed at the basket then very clearly pulled a hamstring. if you have to leave a game with a leg muscle injury you are most likely going to miss some time. I'd be surprised if he's back in this series, and expect he'll miss at least some time in the ECF if the Knicks advance. He appeared barely able to flex the leg after the injury.

For the Celtics its big. The Knicks being up 2-0 means that either the Celtics get a very injured Knicks team or a Pacers team after a long (6 or 7 game) series.

[Who]

Pacers-Knicks going 7 games..but Carlisle is livid saying small market teams needs be given a chance to win ouch!!! He gotta get fined lol

Reminding me of the Bucks and 76ers in 2001. The Bucks feeling the NBA refs worked against them to make sure they wouldn't make the Finals because Philly was the bigger market / draw than them.

[keevsnick]

Pacers-Knicks going 7 games..but Carlisle is livid saying small market teams needs be given a chance to win ouch!!! He gotta get fined lol

Reminding me of the Bucks and 76ers in 2001. The Bucks feeling the NBA refs worked against them to make sure they wouldn't make the Finals because Philly was the bigger market / draw than them.

The Western conference has Minnesota, OKC and Denver ll in the second round none of whom are exactly "big" markets. In the East Indy beat Phili round 1, so that's weird if the NBA wants "bigger" markets to advanced.

Denver won a title last year. SAS got Wemby in the lottery. If the NBA is rigging stuff in favor of big markets then they are doing an awful job at it.