INDIANAPOLIS — The responses have been in hushed tones, the type usually reserved for humbling, season-ending losses just like the one the Knicks suffered on Saturday in a 125-108 beatdown by the Indiana Pacers that dashed New York’s hopes of constructing the NBA Finals.
However as downtrodden because the Knicks have been with the outcome — a 4-2 collection loss within the Japanese Convention finals — their stars expressed optimism for the longer term.
Requested how assured he was that this core, in its first 12 months collectively, may take the following step towards a title, Knicks captain and All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson did not hesitate.
“The utmost confidence — overconfident, significantly,” he mentioned. “There’s not an oz of any kind of doubt. I am that assured with this group.”
Brunson mentioned Saturday there have been “lots of people saying we could not do numerous issues, numerous negativity” across the Knicks’ marketing campaign, which started with excessive hopes following the workforce’s blockbuster trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Cities in the course of the offseason.
New York obtained off to a sizzling begin however slowed significantly in the course of the second half of the common season, with the beginning lineup — the NBA’s most used — getting narrowly outscored over the ultimate 3½ months. The Knicks did not encourage a ton of confidence towards elite competitors throughout that span, going 0-10 towards the league’s three 60-win groups.
However with 4 large comeback wins within the playoffs — three of which got here after trailing by 20 factors and one after trailing by 14 — New York made believers out of a lot of its critics in taking down the Detroit Pistons throughout a hard-fought first-round collection then beating the defending champion Boston Celtics in six video games as an enormous underdog.
The Knicks entered the Japanese Convention finals with Indiana because the favorites, however they have been undone within the opener after blowing a 14-point lead with just below three minutes to play at Madison Sq. Backyard. Tyrese Haliburton despatched that one to time beyond regulation with a buzzer-beating jumper that bounced excessive above the rim earlier than falling via. The Knicks would quickly be in a 2-0 collection gap.
New York recovered, nonetheless, chopping its collection deficit to 3-2.
However the Knicks in the end made far too many errors in Sport 6, together with 18 turnovers that Indiana become 34 factors, to have an opportunity any actual probability on the street.
It was an uncharacteristic sport for New York, however Indiana repeatedly sped up the Knicks all through the collection.
“They clearly performed effectively and performed quick,” mentioned New York wing Josh Hart, who acknowledged that he struggled to search out his footing as a contributor after transferring to the bench halfway via collection. “The turnovers have been robust for us.”
There might be countless offseason analyses of this Knicks roster, which is undoubtedly prime heavy. About 93% of the workforce’s wage is dedicated to the highest six gamers within the rotation: Brunson, Cities, Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson. (No workforce had much less bench scoring and fewer bench minutes than the Knicks in the course of the common season.)
However Cities and Brunson every mentioned they felt as if they might construct on their first season collectively as teammates.
“You watch Jalen from afar within the West, and then you definately see what he is executed for town,” Cities mentioned. “It is much more loopy in particular person. I do not say it evenly: It is a blessing and an honor that I get to play with Jalen Brunson.”
The gamers mentioned the workforce’s high-level work ethic, as demanded by coach Tom Thibodeau, means that the Knicks can put themselves again on this late-season dialog within the years to return.
“Nobody sees the kind of folks we now have, the employees we now have,” Brunson mentioned. “That is what provides me the arrogance, and I am OK with that. I do not care what folks take into consideration us on the skin. I do know what we have.”
