6:38pm: It’s official. Robinson will start and Hart will come off the bench tonight, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets.
11:57am: The Knicks are “leaning toward” inserting center Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup for Sunday’s Game 3 in Indiana, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Robinson would replace wing Josh Hart in the starting five.
ESPN’s Shams Charania confirms the Knicks are giving “serious consideration” to the idea of benching Hart in favor of Robinson ahead of the pivotal game (story via Chris Herring of ESPN.com). New York lost both games at home to open the Eastern Conference Finals and finds itself in a 0-2 hole ahead of Sunday’s contest.
As Herring observes, the Knicks have gone with their usual starting group of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns for the entire season and playoffs when they’ve all been healthy, so this could mark the team’s first major lineup change of 2024/25.
Despite playing the most minutes of any five-man group this postseason and advancing past Detroit and Boston, the starters have struggled during their time together on the court and have had much more success when Robinson and/or Miles McBride are mixed in.
Replacing Hart with Robinson would slide Towns, who has struggled defensively against the Pacers, from center to power forward, Begley writes. Reserve big man Precious Achiuwa is a candidate to receive more playing time if Robinson moves into the starting lineup for Game 3, Begley adds. An impending free agent who appeared in 57 regular season games (20.5 minutes per contest), Achiuwa has barely seen any action in the playoffs, averaging just 4.8 MPG while appearing in five of the team’s 14 postseason games.
When asked about the potential lineup change, Hart said he believes he’s a starter and had a great year, but he also has no issue if head coach Tom Thibodeau decides to bring him off the bench (Twitter video link via Knicks Videos).
“I can’t sit here and preach about sacrifice and getting out of our own personal agendas and all that and then, a decision like that is made, then be mad at it and not want to sacrifice and not want to do that,” Hart said. “That’s not the kind of person that I am.”
Hart added that the Knicks need to improve in multiple areas to claw their way back into the series, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.
“Yeah, I think we need something drastic in terms of our energy and effort, our competitiveness,” Hart said.
After averaging 13.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.8 BPG in helping New York reach the ECF (12 games; 37.1 MPG), Hart has averaged 7.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.5 BPG through two games against Indiana (36.5 MPG). The Knicks have been outscored by 14 points during his time on the court in the series, whereas Robinson is plus-six in 50 minutes.
Indiana is the best TEAM, well, along with OKC (which I don’t see play much). I mean the Pacers play as a team instead of ISO. Our ball-dominant Celtics couldn’t beat this TEAM of Pacers during the season and we’ll have to just see if the ball-dominant Knicks can.
Chubby Brunson and fat kat kept up well with the pace and they still lost g1. It’s been over ever since.
It makes a lot of sense, never understood why the Knicks didnt explore more the double big lineup
Not so proud now?
A plus six. Super impressive.
Pretty easy to see that Thibs is getting out coached right now.
Thibs getting out coached big time, he’s in capable of making immediate in game changes. The starting 5 is dead by the 4th quarter…. McBride, Achiuwa should have played off the bench more minutes , fresh legs to keep up with Indy’s deep bench. I’ve been talking with my buddy since last year that Hart is better suited coming off the bench… Sorry, but they’ll never win with Thibs as coach, even though Knicks just extended him…. Seriously, Jeff Van Gundy, a teriffic defensive coach, and modern thinker should be brought back. You need a veteran coach with this group. As a Oldtime Knicks fan , I’m venting, Indy’s for real, especially with the confidence gained in winning game 1, besides taking 2 at the crazy Garden, impressive. …
Thibs once again destroying any chance his team has from his idiotic minutes handling.
I guess no one here or in the media watched gm1. Knicks missed 3 FTs that would have won gm in regulation. Did you miss that part ??
Knicks gave up a 9 pt lead with a min left in game. Did you miss that too.
None of that happens without the Pacers never giving up play. Pacers never win this gm1 without the Knicks F .. ing up. …. Thats reality
Pacers took gm2 and deserve to be up 2. But you win that first gm like a playoff team should. And all this end of the world scenarios are not around.
Thibs doesn’t trust his bench. He is paying for that now. Achiuwa and Shamet should be getting mins. Just to help give breathers. It is what it is.
McBride and Mitch have to play well. Cause those two will get mins. Towns goes for 34 n 15 and we won’t talk about changing anything. All about one fame now. We know how we got here. So this the chance you have to change the outcome.
Time to man up ……
there’s a definite connection between fatigue and missing free throws / decision making errors, so as much as people want to blame the players, Thibs has to shoulder some of the blame for G1
Sucks to see Knicks getting handled. Good thing I don’t gamble. I had them boys going all the way.
I don’t get how the Knicks have had this roster all year and still don’t know how to use it.
They had the 5th best record in NBA 52-31.
Thats 82 gms, won two series Pistons and Celtics.
Real response ….. is Pacers have exploited it in TWO games .
51-31
Time for double bigs.
Josh Harts best skill is rebounding which Robinson easily replaces as it’s his best skill also.
Robinson gives them a better defender and rim protector which they need whereas Hart can make an impact off the bench alongside McBride and Precious
It’s not going to do anything, Knicks are gassed after Thibs exhausting them, Pacers are not only fresh but have been on fire since January and haven’t let up.
Pacers are winning the title this year, put $100 on it now and thank me later.
I agree the whole team has to accept blame. But then you cone out gm2 with a stinker. I give Pacers credit for playing gm2. Blowing gm1 is why they are here. Like Pacers jumped on them. This game Knicks have to jump on them. No room for error now. We will see their true character now lol …..
Knicks gonna get swept bro?
Man, it was just last week you were on here FREAKING out like a child over a second round win.
Don’t worry bro, it probably wont be another 52 years before the Knicks win.
Actually, it probably will.
They might pull Game 3 out!
It’s not like whoever started it will play the most. If this starting 5 gives them the energy right away they need it’s great. If not, you can easily make a change. Starting means nothing, it’s who is there when it matters.
It doesn’t matter, Knicks aren’t built to be here, this is the Celtics rightful spot, the Celtics/Pacers series goes 7, the Knicks upset a better team, so now they are out of their element like their name was Donnie vs the real final boss team, a truly-elite, not-fake good team, like the Pacers.
Knicks are frauds. Like, did you all really think KAT is gunna win a ring in this league? Jalen is great but the rest of this team ain’t it and shame on you for acting like it is.
GhostofThomasHamilton
May 25, 2025
Knicks gonna get swept bro?
Man, it was just last week you were on here FREAKING out like a child over a second round win.
Don’t worry bro, it probably wont be another 52 years before the Knicks win.
Actually, it probably will
☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️🤡🤡🤡🤡
All the Clowns here who think sweep. Don’t know ball or didn’t watch the first two gms. Its fine to be a hater. But being an A .ole is so much better ….
There is so much Shush coming out you mouths. That your Hershey highway must be jealous lol
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You called it the other day, Al. You said to win they’d need a big game from KAT. They got it. One game at a time.
20 pts in 4 Q …. He plays scared at home lol.
Needs to fix that. One more
GhostofThomasHamilton
May 25, 2025
Knicks gonna get swept bro?
Man, it was just last week you were on here FREAKING out like a child over a second round win.
Don’t worry bro, it probably wont be another 52 years before the Knicks win.
Actually, it probably will.
————————————-
I don’t freak out about anything. You think by posting lies you are throwing smack around. I doubt you knew a Pacers player before this series. I’m going to make you look worse than Knicks made Celtics look. You can troll all you want. Its going to take you 52 yrs to ever be right ……..
Clowns always clown themselves ….. my ten yr old got a name for you lol “Payaso” …
Go get your broom Payaso. You and the clown, Marty can sweep the board for knowledge
Haaaa ha hahahohu huuuhuhooho hohaaa haaaHAAAahaaa ohhhh hehehi hoooi hiu huhihuhohuuha haaha haha haheheho haa
Yup yup
link to youtu.be
Looootttta trash talking here from the Knicks haters. At least the sweep is off the table. Let’s see how it all shakes out.
Knicks won this with D. And Thibs playing his bench.
Which means his starters were fresher to close out. Team D is what he’s about. Won it tonight. Still need the next one ………. one more
Brunson — 30:31 mins
OG —- 37 mins
Towns — 33 mins
Bridges — 37 mins
McBride — 15 mins ….. big mins
Wright — 13:20 mins ..…. big mins
Shamet — 11:23 mins ……
Hart —- 34 mins
Mitch — 29 mins
9 deep for Thibs is a Huge change …. I don’t get what he’s got against Precious though.
McBride needs more minutes. He drives the Pacers nuts on D and can keep up with their pace. Give Brunson and Hart an extra 5 each on the bench during the game for the final minutes.
I think best thing was they were fresher in 4 Q.
D Wright was big. Im shocked he played him
I thought the announcer got confused when he announced Wright entering the game.
Agreed, it’s important they remain fresh for the 4th. Rick Pitino used to use his bench extensively because he wanted defensive pressure all the time. Thibs expects the same, but expects it from the same players. The foul trouble early in the game may have been the best thing to happen to them. Whoever wins Tuesday winds the series.
Wins *
No team in NBA history has ever won a Conference Finals series after losing the first two games at home and trailing 0-2. This means no team has ever erased a 0-2 deficit in the Conference Finals after being down 0-2 in the series and losing both of the first two games at home. While teams have overcome 0-2 deficits in other playoff rounds, the Conference Finals has proven to be a particularly tough hurdle.
Its Yogi time ——- going to take a miracle to win this series. But we can win two in Indiana. Just like Indiana won two in NY. Just one more for all the Haters …..
Indiana will choke. He’s not the most overrated for no reason.
Thibs is a bad coach tho.