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Knicks Playoff Notes: Karl-Anthony Towns' fourth quarter, rotation shakeup huge in Game 3 win

INDIANAPOLIS – Around 10 pm on Sunday, some of you were probably putting Karl-Anthony Towns in the trade machine. Maybe it was for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Maybe Kevin Durant.

Other Knick fans were cursing Tom Thibodeau’s coaching or Jalen Brunson’s turnovers.

Things looked bleak at the time.

The Knicks were 12 minutes away from a 3-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals and probably a few days away from the start of their offseason.

And then, improbably, Towns saved the Knicks’ season.

Towns’ 20 points in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter gave the Knicks life in a game where they looked stuck in the mud.

When Towns started scoring, the Knicks were down 10. When he hit a 30-foot three pointer with 5:07 to play, New York led by four and had a clear path to win No. 1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

They sealed the win with a big basket from Brunson, huge rebounds and clutch free throws from Josh Hart.

But none of it would have mattered without Towns’ 20 points.

“Fourth quarter is different. It’s a whole ‘nother game,” he said afterward. “Forget that last game and those last three quarters and just focus on giving yourself a change to win the game.”

THE RIGHT ROTATION MOVES

Thibodeau shook up the lineup ahead of Game 3, inserting Mitchell Robinson and moving Hart to the bench.

He also changed his rotation, giving minutes to Landry Shamet and Delon Wright ahead of Cam Payne.

After the game, Thibodeau didn’t go into great detail when asked to explain the decisions.

“Whatever gives your team the best chance to win. I know you try to put everything into a box. I don’t work that way,” Thibodeau said in response to a question about his rotation. “People think, ‘I want a low-scoring game.’ No, I just want more point than they have. I don’t care if it’s low scoring, high scoring, medium scoring. I just wanna win. That’s the bottom line.

“Whatever gives us the best chance to win, that’s what we’re gonna do. And so, that’s what I felt was gonna give us the best chance to win tonight’s game, so that’s why we did it.”

The Knicks starting lineup had been outscored by 29 in the first two games of the Pacers series.

They were a +1 in 14 minutes on Sunday.

The Knicks’ original starting lineup – Brunson, Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Hart – was a +9 in 3:30 in the game.

Whether you agree with Thibodeau’s moves or not, you can’t say they didn’t lead to success on Sunday night.

With Miles McBride in foul trouble, Thibodeau went to Wright and then Shamet.

Shamet had been out of the rotation since early in the Detroit series. Wright hadn’t played regular minutes in roughly seven weeks. But both players contributed to the Knicks’ fourth-quarter comeback.

McBride had nine points and a steal in 14 second-half minutes.

New York outscored Indiana by 12 with McBride on the floor in the second half.

“Coach did a great job with moving things around and we figured it out,” he said.

HART TO HART WITH THIBS

Hart had a huge contested rebound of a Myles Turner missed three with 20 seconds to go. The Knicks led by two at the time. Hart drew a foul on the rebound and hit both of his free throws to give New York a two-possession lead.

He was everywhere in the fourth quarter, finishing with five rebounds (two offensive), two assists and one steal. He also hit all four of his free throws.

Not bad for a bench player.

After the game, Hart said that he played a significant role in Thibodeau’s lineup decision.

He’d been thinking about the lineup change since late in the Boston series when he was having a tough time against Luke Kornet. When it was time to make the switch, Hart was fully on board.

“It was kind of my decision. I was comfortable with it,” Hart said after the game. “It was something that I’ve had in the back of my mind and I’ve always been wiling to do. Down two (games against the Pacers), especially with how (Robinson) played last game, that was something that we had to do. And obviously that’s a group decision that really boils down to Thibs and myself (agreeing on it).”

The decision obviously worked out well on Sunday.

The same can be said for Thibodeau’s decision to bring Brunson back in the game with 1:37 to play and the Knicks up by two. New York played for the previous five minutes with Brunson on the bench with foul trouble. Brunson also wasn’t producing for much of the game (he was 4-for-14 with three turnovers and one assist through three quarters).

But Brunson came in the game and hit a huge runner with 1:17 to go. The shot gave the Knicks a two-point lead that they would hold onto for the rest of the game.

“I knew we had to have him down the stretch,” Thibodeau said afterward.

And he knew the right time to get him in the game. After two tough games to open the series, Thibodeau deserves credit for the way he coached in Game 3.  

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Karl-Anthony Towns had one focus late in Knicks' Game 3 come-from-behind win: 'Whatever it takes'

The Knicks needed someone to step up offensively on Sunday night. 

Time and time again this season that person has been Jalen Brunson -- there’s a reason he won the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award -- but this time it was someone else’s turn to put the team on their back. 

After a rough first two and a half frames at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Knicks found themselves struggling to get into a groove and trailing the Indiana Pacers by double digits late in the third. 

Finally, Miles McBride came off the bench and put together a 7-0 scoring run of his own to get them back within single digits heading into the fourth. 

New York ran with that momentum from there and Karl-Anthony Towns completely took things over offensively -- dominating during an incredible scoring run in which he put the team square on his back.

“He made some tough shots for us,” Josh Hart said. “He showed his ability to get to the rim, his ability to post-up, his ability to space the floor. He’s a tough matchup for anybody in the league when he has it going like that -- it’s great for us.”

The most notable bucket during that stretch was a monstrous slam on Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, which gave the Knicks their first lead since early in the first quarter -- and they went on to pull out the come-from-behind win. 

Towns became just the second player in franchise history to put together a 20-point quarter in the playoffs. 

“My teammates were just putting me in spots to succeed and I wanted to capitalize on the opportunity,” Towns said. “All of us were just doing whatever it takes to win the game and put ourselves in a position to get back in the game -- shoutout to the locker room.”

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Karl-Anthony Towns' fourth-quarter surge helps Knicks pull out massive 106-100 Game 3 win over Pacers

The Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 106-100 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night.

Here are some takeaways...

- Looking to shake things up with the starting five struggling, head coach Tom Thibodeau inserted Mitchell Robinson into the lineup in place of Josh Hart for the first time in the playoffs. The big man made a quick impact with three early boards and two buckets, and Hart was the first man off the bench, as expected.

The Knicks were also forced to reach even deeper into their rotation early, as Miles McBride came off the bench and picked up three quick fouls, so reserve guard Delon Wright saw his first non-garbage time minutes of the playoffs.

New York did hold Indiana to low shooting percentages all-around in the opening frame, but they struggled from the field as well and found themselves trailing by four after one -- it was the first time they've lost the opening quarter this series.

- The Knicks then opened the second with a lineup that featured Wright running the point and Landry Shamet on the wing and the Pacers were able to take advantage of it -- adding onto their lead behind some strong play by the pesky TJ McConnell.

Things went from bad to worse for New York over the closing few minutes of the half -- both Jalen Brunson (four) and Towns (three) were forced to the bench as they fell into foul trouble and Indiana's high-powered offense piled on down the stretch.

The lead stretched out to as much as 20, but a late 8-2 run helped get it back down to 13 at the break.

- With the rest of the Knicks' offense struggling to get going, OG Anunoby was doing what he could to provide a spark coming out of the locker room, but the Pacers offense had an answer each time. They suffered a big blow a few minutes later, as Aaron Nesmith needed assistance off after suffering an ankle injury.

The lead was pushed back up to as many as 18 points but New York finally put together a run late. Seeing action for the first time since the first quarter, McBride scored seven straight points of his own to help get them back within single digits heading into the final frame.

- New York carried that momentum into the opening minutes of the fourth -- they tightened things up defensively and Towns was finally able to get into a rhythm, putting together a string of big buckets to cut the lead all the way back down to three.

Moments later, the big man jammed down a monstrous slam on Andrew Nembhard and converted the free throw, giving the Knicks their first lead since the first quarter -- they wouldn't be able to get that over five points as the teams went back-and-forth trading buckets.

- As always, Brunson knocked down a late lay-in to give the Knicks a two-point advantage. Hart then came up with a massive rebound on the other end and knocked down a pair of big free throws, helping New York put away the massive Game 3 victory.

- Towns scored 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and he reeled in a game-high 15 boards. Brunson had a relatively quiet night in the scoring department, finishing with just 23 points. Anunoby knocked down six of his nine shot attempts to finish with 16 of his own.

Game MVP: Karl-Anthony Towns

Towns stepped up and put together a huge fourth-quarter surge when the Knicks needed it the most.

Highlights

Whats next

The Knicks and Pacers face off in Game 4 of this series on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.

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Could Mario Hezonja return to NBA? Multiple teams reportedly interested.

The last time we saw Mario Hezonja on an NBA court was in the bubble, when the former No. 5 pick was coming off the bench for the Trail Blazers. Since then, he has been in Europe playing in Greece and Russia before spending the past few seasons with Real Madrid. Just last summer he inked a five-year contract with the Spanish powerhouse, but the contract has an NBA out clause.

And there is interest from several NBA teams, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

Hezonja, 30, spent five seasons in the NBA after being drafted by the Magic, but the 6'8" forward's game never rounded out as hoped. He didn't space the floor well from 3, and his offense was more straight-line drives than anything else.

That growth in his game may have come in Europe. He shot 39.2% from 3 last season for Real Madrid, averaging 13.6 points and 4.9 assists a game this past season. Hezonja also averaged 30.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a couple of steals a game for Croatia in the 2025 EuroBasket qualifiers (Croatia did not make the cut).

It's something to watch. Hezonja's NBA buyout clause is for around $850,000, Urbonas reports, which is about the going rate for an NBA buyout in Europe.

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Knicks reportedly considering starting Mitchell Robinson, moving Josh Hart to bench for Game 3

New York’s starting five is why they are down 0-2 in this series, they are -29 through two games against the Pacers with a -42.9 net rating and a 155.1 defensive rating.

That has led to calls for a stubborn Tom Thibodeau to shake things up, and it sounds like he will for Game 3, moving Mitchell Robinson into the starting five and Josh Hart to the bench. It's a change that has been speculated about, and Shams Charania of ESPN says Thibodeau is considering.

This would move New York toward a two-big lineup, reminiscent of how he thrived last season in Minnesota next to Rudy Gobert. The Knicks have a +10.2 net rating this postseason when Robinson and Towns share the court. The new starting five have played just seven minutes together so far this postseason.

When asked after Game 2 about possibly making a change, Thibodeau said, "We always look at everything." He has been slow to make a change despite the fact that this starting five — Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Hart, and Towns — has struggled throughout the playoffs (-50 through 14 games) and dating back to January.

Desperate times, however, can force even Thibodeau to make a change.

Whether it is enough down 0-2 in a series and heading to Indiana is another question, but it feels like something the Knicks need to do.

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Knicks leaning toward putting Mitchell Robinson in starting lineup for Game 3 of Eastern Conference Finals against Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Knicks are leaning toward putting Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, per SNY sources.

The Knicks' starting five of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns has been outscored by 29 points in the first two games of the series. The lineup has been outscored by a total of 50 points in the postseason.

After the Knicks' Game 2 loss to Indiana on Friday night, Tom Thibodeau said, "we always look at everything," in response to a question about changing the lineup. New York is down 0-2 to the Pacers after losing the first two games at home.

If the Knicks were to insert Robinson in the lineup, Hart would play Game 3 off the bench.

New York would also need to fill Robinson’s role off of the bench. Precious Achiuwa is the most logical candidate.

Robinson has been a force inside during the postseason. Entering Game 3, Robinson had an 18 percent offensive rebounding rate. The next-highest offensive rebounding percentage among players in the conference finals is the Minnesota Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert at 10 percent.

The Knicks' net rating with Robinson on the floor is +8.6. He's averaging 20 minutes per game.

Moving Robinson to the starting lineup would shift Towns to power forward. It would give the Knicks a similar alignment to the 2023-24 Timberwolves. On that team, Towns played mostly power forward alongside Gobert at center.

CP The Fanchise of KnicksFanTV earlier reported that the Knicks were strongly considering a lineup change ahead of Game 3. I don't know if the Knicks are fully committed to a lineup change. But if their thinking prior to tipoff on Sunday remains the same as it was on Saturday, Robinson will start at center.

This move would allow New York to play Hart and Miles McBride together off the bench. Hart can handle the ball and has been shooting well from the perimeter. Entering Game 3, Hart is shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc. He shot 33 percent in the regular season.

Of course, any lineup move comes with inherent risk. But New York is facing long odds in the Eastern Conference Finals. Only six of the 82 teams to lose the first two games of a conference finals came back to win the series.

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Knicks vs. Pacers Game 3 Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and best bets for May 25

On Sunday, May 25, the New York Knicks (51-31) and Indiana Pacers (50-32) are all set to square off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Indiana took Game 2, 114-109 in Madison Square Garden to go up 2-0 in the series. Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 39 points for the Pacers, while Jalen Brunson poured in 36 for the Knicks. All five starters scored double-figures for Indiana, while four of New York's eight players failed to score more than six points.

The Knicks are currently 24-17 on the road with a point differential of 4, while the Pacers have a 8-2 record in their last ten games at home.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.

Game details & how to watch Knicks vs. Pacers live

  • Date: Sunday, May 25, 2025
  • Time: 8:00PM EST
  • Site: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
  • City: Indianapolis, IN
  • Network/Streaming: TNT / Max

Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.

Game odds for Knicks vs. Pacers

The latest odds as of Saturday night:

  • Odds: Knicks (+113), Pacers (-134)
  • Spread:  Pacers -2
  • Over/Under: 223 points

That gives the Knicks an implied team point total of 111.03, and the Pacers 112.07.

Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Knicks vs. Pacers game

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes Jalen Brunson to score 30-plus points and the Knicks to win:

"Much like Minnesota versus Oklahoma City in Game 3, I expect New York to win and look dominant doing so. However, Indiana when down, is never out of it, which is why this series will be so entertaining. I like the Knicks +2.5 and ML, plus a sprinkle on the Knicks win margins of 11-20 and 21+.

Jalen Brunson has scored 43 and 36 points in this series and will need another Superman-type of effort in Game 3. With Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson possibly switching spots in the starting lineup and Karl-Anthony Towns getting benched for a majority of the fourth quarter in Game 2, the one constant we can rely on is Brunson to get buckets. He's 2-0 to the Over and I can see 3-0, so Brunson Over 29.5 and 30-plus are in my pocket."

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Knicks & Pacers game:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Indiana Pacers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Knicks at +2.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 223.

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Knicks vs. Pacers on Sunday

  • The Pacers have won their last 4 matchups against Eastern Conference teams
  • The Pacers' last 3 home games versus the Knicks have gone over the Total
  • The Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog
  • The Knicks are 4-1 against the spread in their last 5 road games

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

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Timberwolves thrash Thunder to cut decifit

Anthony Edwards slam dunks the ball
Anthony Edwards grabbed nine rebounds and six assists [Getty Images]

The Minnesota Timberwolves thrashed the Oklahoma City Thunder 143-101 to claim their first win of the NBA Western Conference play-off finals.

Anthony Edwards scored 30 points and Julius Randle 24 at Target Center in Minneapolis as the Timberwolves set a club record for points scored in a play-off game.

They trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, which continues at the same venue on Tuesday at 01:30 BST.

"I was super happy about the physicality and energy we brought," Edwards said.

"Being down 2-0, it's all about bringing energy, and we brought high energy."

Oklahoma's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was this week named the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and who scored a combined 69 points in the first two games, managed only 14.

"We got punched in the mouth," he said.

"We just didn't have it. They had the sense of urgency knowing if they go down 3-0 it's going to be pretty tough.

"It's about getting back up; it's about responding. That's what the next challenge is."

The Timberwolves have lost only one of their past 11 games at Target Center.

The winners of the Western Conference finals will play the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.

The Pacers lead 2-0 before game three in Indianapolis at 01:00 BST on Monday.

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Edwards, Timberwolves strike back with 143-101 win to cut Thunder’s West finals lead to 2-1

MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Edwards had 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists in just three quarters to lead the re-energized Minnesota Timberwolves in a 143-101 victory over Oklahoma City on Saturday night in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals that cut the Thunder’s lead in the series to 2-1.

Julius Randle added 24 points and rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. had 15 points in 13 minutes to highlight a big boost from the bench for the Wolves, who caused all kinds of cracks in the Thunder’s NBA -best defense after struggling to solve it in the two lopsided losses on the road.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting with four turnovers, subbed out with a 38-point deficit and 4:25 to go in the third quarter as Thunder coach Mark Daigneault conceded on a night when his team was never closer than 22 points after early in the second quarter.

Game 4 is in Minneapolis on Monday night.

The travel north and venue shift triggered a sharp drop in shooting for the Thunder, who made exactly half of their attempts from the floor over the first two games and went just 12 for 40 in the first half on Saturday.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the newly minted NBA MVP, went more than 13 minutes of game time between baskets while the Target Center crowd loudly booed him on every touch and taunted him at the line with the chant, “Free throw merchant!” in a nod to the popular notion he draws an inordinate amount of fouls.

The Thunder fully expected a strong response from the Wolves after opening the series with two lopsided wins. This was a bone-jarring counterpunch from the opening tip that kept the crowd roaring all the way through the finish, without any of the half-quarter meltdowns that doomed them in Oklahoma City.

Randle, who had his first off night of this postseason in a Game 2 performance so disjointed he was benched for the fourth quarter, had his fire back — and his signature fadeaway.

Edwards rediscovered his 3-point shot, going 5 for 8 after shooting just 1 of 9 in Game 2. He gave the quick-handed, ball-pressuring Thunder a taste of what it’s like to play against themselves with a couple of relentless of loose balls he turned into breakaway dunks.

Outscored 69-37 in the third quarter over the first two games, the Wolves didn’t even leave the door open a crack for the Thunder to start a second-half comeback. Edwards, tightly guarded by Isaiah Joe in the corner, found enough space to drive along the baseline and spin an up-and-under reverse layup off the glass for a 79-52 lead.

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As LeBron James celebrates All-NBA at age 40, agent Rich Paul says he doesn't know star's plans

Extending the record he already owned, on Friday LeBron James was named to an All-NBA team for the 21st consecutive year. He appreciates the magnitude of that accomplishment.

It's almost irrational to think LeBron would walk away into retirement after a season where he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds a night, was named All-NBA and got to play with his son. However, after 22 seasons anything is possible.

"I don't know. I don't have an answer to that," LeBron said after the Lakers were eliminated. "Something I'll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and just kind of talk through it and see what happens. Just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. I don't know the answer to that right now, to be honest. So, we'll see."

Does his agent and friend Rich Paul have any insight? No, Paul said on the Rich Eisen Show.

"I have no idea, zero. Normally our process is, kind of weigh everything and see how he's feeling and all those type of things... Same process it's been for the last I don't know how many years... He'll come around to what he's thinking at some point and we'll kind of go over some things and go from there."

The expectation in league circles is LeBron will return for at least one more season (and almost certainly with the Lakers, there is no real traction with the idea he could bolt back to Cleveland or another destination). He not only played at a high level this season, but also he was energized playing with his son, Bronny, and then found another gear after the Luka Doncic trade. The Lakers are just a move or two away from contending and Lebron would love a fifth ring. Plus, with the All-Star Game in Los Angeles this year, this could be a celebration of his career. The Lakers will give him whatever he wants to stay.

Which he almost certainly will do, but nobody knows anything for certain yet, including his agent.

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Down 0-2, Knicks' problems start with their starters

Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, two All-NBA players, are the headliners. OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart are all high-level, two-way NBA starters.

On paper, the New York Knicks roll out a contender-level starting five — and coach Tom Thibodeau leans hard into this group, playing them 21.5 minutes a night through the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals.

That lineup is also getting outplayed. Badly. They are -29 through two games against the Pacers, a series where the Knicks as a team are -8. The starting five has a -42.9 net rating and an atrocious 155.1 defensive rating.

Because of this starting five, the Knicks are down 0-2 to the Pacers, having dropped both games in Madison Square Garden.

Indiana isn't doing anything different tactically than nearly every other team has done: Guard Towns with a wing because he isn't going to punish them in the post, and put a rim-protecting center on Josh Hart and leave him open to shoot 3-pointers. When opponents have the ball, they target Towns and Brunson in pick-and-rolls. It's a strategy teams have used against New York all season and there is no reason to change it up — it's working.

The Knicks have looked better with their starting five broken up and Mitchell Robinson on the court. Miles McBride is also having a strong series off the New York bench.

Is it time to break up the Knicks' starting five?

"We always look at everything," Thibodeau said as a non-answer to that question.

Thibodeau is stubborn and stuck with this group when it wasn't working well in the first two playoff series — they were just +3 in six games against Detroit and -24 in six games against Boston. The starting five's problems go back further than that, this lineup was an unimpressive -9 from Jan. 1 through the end of the season.

The starting five puts the Knicks in a hole to start every game — it was 19-9 in Game 2 Friday — and then New York spends a chunk of the game just trying to get back in it. That lineup is shooting just 29.6% from 3 against the Pacers, which isn't helping the comeback cause, but even when they close the gap, it's time and energy spent to have to do it.

The players get it. Here is a collection of their postgame quotes (via James Edwards at The Athletic and Dan DeVine at Yahoo Sports.

"Collectively, we gotta get it together," Brunson said. "That's really it.

"We're just putting ourselves in a deficit, and I told you how we can't keep doing that," Towns said after the Game 2 loss. "It's not every time we're gonna be able to fight back and find ourselves with a win, so, you know, just gotta execute and be more disciplined."

"I think it's a defensive thing," Bridges said. "Sometimes you're so in that you have to go back and watch the game, but we just have to talk to each other off the jump. We have to be physical off the jump. I think, maybe, we're playing a little too soft in the beginning of the halves."

When Mitchell Robinson was out the first half of the season recovering from ankle surgery, Thibodeau commonly said the team was playing without its starting center. It may be time to put words into action and start two bigs, Robinson and Towns. That duo is +27 for the playoffs (in 106 minutes) and +3 against the Pacers through two games.

Whatever the answer, New York has 48 hours to come up with one that works, because if they go down 0-3 to the Pacers, they can start booking tee times in Cancun.

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Draymond claps back at Knicks fan for Warriors Cancun diss

Draymond claps back at Knicks fan for Warriors Cancun diss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There’s not much you can get past Draymond Green.

As Green joined TNT’s NBA playoff coverage following the Warriors’ second-round exit, the Golden State veteran had a unique interaction with a fan during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden.

“Cancun! Cancun! How was Cancun?” the Knicks fan shouted at Green.

The man continued to repeat himself before Green shared a slick response.

“Can you afford to go?” Green said before walking away.

The Warriors’ rollercoaster 2024-25 NBA season came to an end after falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the Western Conference semifinals.

Meanwhile, New York, after defeating the Detroit Pistons in the first round and reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, is down 0-2 in their quest to the 2025 NBA Finals. The Knicks will have their hands full as the series now is headed to Indiana.

And for the sake of that fan, he better hope the Knicks can turn things around, or his team will be joining Green and the Warriors in Cancun.

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Draymond drops hilarious four-word response to Kerr's center remarks

Draymond drops hilarious four-word response to Kerr's center remarks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green will do anything to help the Warriors win, but the Golden State veteran is tired.

After logging countless minutes as the Warriors center in their small-ball starting lineup during the 2024-25 NBA season, Green was grateful to hear his coach Steve Kerr say he’s uncomfortable doing the same next campaign.

“As far as what Steve said, God bless his heart,” Green said in response to Kerr’s comments on the latest “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis” episode. “It was real because playing the 5, it’s hard. And I’m always down to do it, as you know, like any challenge you throw my way, I’ll take on the challenge, but it’s hard battling every night guys who outweigh me by 60 to 80 pounds, and they’re four inches or five inches, seven inches taller than me. It does take a toll.”

Green, 35 and fresh off his 13th NBA season, was responding to Kerr saying in his end-of-season press conference that he doesn’t want the power forward starting at center in 2025-26.

“I don’t want to start next season with Draymond as our starting 5,” Kerr said Friday. “I think it’s doable for the last 30 games like we did this year, but you see the toll it takes on him. He’s talked about it too.” 

The Warriors will seek other options this offseason, and Green couldn’t be more grateful for Kerr’s part in the decision. Even though Green earned All-Defensive First Team honors in the role and was a finalist for NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season, he believes Golden State can upgrade at the position while providing him with a deserved reprieve.

“… I’m saying, I don’t think people understand the toll of and what anchoring the defense requires; that means every possession I have to put myself in a position to stop a fire, to help stop something,” Green continued. “It takes a lot. But I always say I’m cut out for whenever our organization needs to go to it, I’m right here. Let’s do it. I ain’t never going to complain about it.

“But I agree with Steve — if we can have a different starting center, and at some point if we need to go to [me starting], cool, but it’s a lot, and as I get older and older in this league, it becomes tougher and tougher. These guys get younger, more athletic, and like I said, I think I’m more than capable of hanging with the young guys and athleticism. But it does take its toll.”

Like Green, Dub Nation and NBA analysts alike have called for the Warriors to get bigger. Now that Golden State appears poised to do so, Green’s physical well-being should benefit — and that could mean the world for his game.

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Watch Steph incredibly hit 14 threes in 30 seconds in MrBeast video

Watch Steph incredibly hit 14 threes in 30 seconds in MrBeast video originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The NBA world has come to realize that disrespect only fuels and motivates Steph Curry.

One young high schooler learned that the hard way during a competition with the Warriors superstar in a MrBeast YouTube video.

Demarrion, who is the top shooter at his high school, issued a subtle dig at Curry just before the contest. Demarrion was asked who he likes more out of Curry and Los Angeles Lakers megastar LeBron James, to which he responded that his preference was James.

“Oh, you’re a LeBron guy,” Curry responded.

“You shouldn’t piss him off before you go against him,” MrBeast warned.

“I like it,” Curry said, with a cryptic smile on his face.

Curry then proceeded to knock down 14 3-pointers in 30 seconds.

Demarrion was given double the amount of time to make as many 3s as he could, and if he beat Curry’s 14, he would win $100,000.

But the Petty King was victorious, as Demarrion made just nine shots in one minute.

Tough luck, kid.

As the winner, Curry was rewarded with the $100K to give to the charity of his choice, which of course, he chose his Eat. Learn. Play Foundation.

And Demarrion deserves some credit for fueling Curry even more.

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Will Tom Thibodeau shake up Knicks' struggling starting five? Something needs to change as pivotal Game 3 awaits

For most of the past five months, the Knicks have played well in spite of their starting lineup.

The starting five's net rating from Jan. 1 to the end of the regular season was -1.4. But the Knicks went 28-21 in that span and finished the year with 51 wins.

In their first two playoff series, the Knicks' starting five was outscored by a combined 52 points. But the team executed when it mattered against the Pistons and came back from 20-point deficits twice against Boston en route to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Knicks haven't been able to mask the starting five issue against the Pacers. Indiana has abused New York's starting five in the first two games of this series. The Pacers have outscored the lineup by a combined 29 points. The Knicks lost the first two games of the series by a combined eight points.

It's clear that something needs to change entering Game 3 in Indiana.

Is it as simple as subbing Miles McBride for Josh Hart or inserting Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup?

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is never going to tip his hand to the media. So his answers to questions about the Knicks starting five aren't exactly brimming with insight.

"We've just got to keep looking at it, just got to be better,” Thibodeau said late Friday night after New York's Game 2 loss.  

The starters trailed Indiana by 10 points just seven minutes into the first quarter. Robinson and McBride entered off the bench and helped erase the Pacers lead.

The starting five was a -6 to open the second half. So it was outscored by a combined 16 points to start the first quarter and second half.

What is the prevailing issue?

"I think we just have to talk to each other off the jump," said Mikal Bridges. "I think maybe we just play a little to soft in the beginning. I'm not sure."

FRIED IN FOURTH

The starting five's struggles weren't the only reason why the Knicks lost Game 2.

They started the fourth quarter with their double-big lineup, featuring Karl-Anthony Towns and Robinson with Cam Payne at point guard. That group was outscored by nine points in the first three minutes of the quarter. A tie game turned into a nine-point Pacer lead by the time Jalen Brunson checked back in.

Thibodeau went away from Towns for a 6:30 stretch of the fourth, which tells you what he thought of his center's play against Indiana.

In all, the Knicks were outscored by 20 with Towns on the floor in Game 2. I don't like using single-game plus/minus as to assess a player because it can be misleading. But the team's struggles on defense were apparent during Towns' minutes.

After the loss, Hart was asked for his thoughts on what New York needed from Towns.

"We need him to be aggressive offensively. We need him to be locked in and communicate defensively," Hart said. "That's all we need from him. We need him to communicate at a high level. Offensively, be aggressive, get to his spots, get deep post position, and use his talent offensively. Defensively, be locked in, communicate at a high level and be an anchor for us."

MORE MITCH OR MCBRIDE?

Thibodeau played McBride and Robinson for the majority of the first half. New York outscored Indiana by 10-plus points when one of those players was on the floor.

McBride was less effective later in the game and Robinson seemed to tire late in the fourth quarter. But it's hard to ignore their total impact on the game. They made up for the starters' poor first quarter. It was telling to me that when Hart was asked about Robinson, he mentioned that Robinson should be playing more often.

"Man, he's huge. He's someone who does just everything. Offensive rebound, defensive rebound, he can guard on the perimeter, guard in the post. He's a big X factor for us," Hart said. "We have to figure out ways -- I think he played 30 minutes -- figure out ways if he can play more. We're great with him on. We all got to be willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team."

The Knicks obviously face long odds to win the series. Only six of the 82 teams to trail a conference finals 0-2 came back to win. New York's comeback will have to start on Sunday in Indiana. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. If Thibodeau decides to go with the same starting five and it produces the same result, the second-guessing of the coach will only grow louder.