Knicks Rumors

Knicks Notes: Starting Five, Communication, Brunson, More

May 23rd, 2025 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

After suffering one of the worst late-game collapses in NBA playoff history on Wednesday, the Knicks weren’t willing to simply flush that game without taking a closer look at how they let that Pacers comeback happen, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Head coach Tom Thibodeau and multiple Knicks players spoke on Thursday about the need to learn from Wednesday’s mistakes.

“It was just (those) last five minutes, learning from it, just owning up to it and knowing what we have to do better,” Mikal Bridges said. “Obviously, we want that game back. But it’s a seven-game series, so come out, be better, but hopefully finish the next game.”

As devastating as the Game 1 loss was, Bridges described the team’s vibes on Thursday as “good” and said the energy level was “pretty high.” Thibodeau, meanwhile, expressed confidence in his club’s ability to not let the momentum the Pacers gained with their dramatic overtime win carry over to Game 2.

“I think that’s the playoffs, that’s the challenge,” Thibodeau said. “You always have to reset. There’s gonna be a lot of emotional highs and lows and you’ve gotta be able to take a punch and you’ve gotta be able to bounce back. So that’s all we’re thinking about is how we move forward, be ready for the next challenge, and then what did you learn from it?”

Here’s more on the Knicks, who will be looking to even up the Eastern Conference Finals at one game apiece on Friday:

In a separate story for the New York Post, Braziller takes a closer look at the unflattering postseason data on the Knicks’ starting lineup. The five-man group – made up of Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns – was outscored by 16 points on Wednesday and has a -8.0 net rating in 292 playoff minutes. Asked on Thursday about a possible lineup tweak, Tom Thibodeau said “everything is always on the table” but didn’t sound like a man preparing to make a change, per Braziller. “You also need players that are effective with the bench unit and then what starters are you gonna play with the bench unit,” Thibodeau said. “So I think it’s twofold.”
The Knicks, who have spoken multiple times in the postseason about the way in which communication breakdowns have caused problems for them, echoed that message after Game 1, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. “I think we let off a little bit, and then we stopped talking to each other. Just a little miscommunication,” Bridges said on Thursday. “They got some threes and obviously (Aaron) Nesmith made a lot of shots. But we made it easy — didn’t make it harder. He stayed hot and we miscommunicated and he made a couple more, some rhythm ones.” Asked on Thursday about an animated late-game argument between Anunoby and Towns about a miscommunication, Brunson downplayed the moment, describing it as “just guys talking.”
Brunson averaged about two fouls per game during the regular season but has seen that average jump to 3.5 per game in the postseason. He fouled out of Game 5 vs. Boston and picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter on Wednesday vs. Indiana, Schwartz writes for The Post. “It’s just me being smart and understanding, offensively and defensively, what I have to do better,” Brunson said of addressing that issue. “It is what it is, you just gotta be smart.”
Not playing at the level they’re capable of for a full 48 minutes has been a recurring problem for the Knicks throughout the regular season and playoffs for the Knicks, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who writes that the club will once again have to prove that it’s made for this moment.

Details On NBA’s Playoff Bonus Money For 2024/25

May 23rd, 2025 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

The pool of bonus money for NBA playoff teams this season is worth approximately $34.7MM, according to Kurt Badenhausen and Lev Akabas of Sportico.

The top six teams in each conference earn bonuses based on their regular season records, while the 16 playoff teams also receive a chunk of money from the playoff pool, increasing the value of their payout with each series win. That bonus money is divvied up among the players on each club’s 15-man roster.

Teams eliminated in the play-in tournament aren’t entitled to any of the playoff bonus money, even if they had the seventh- or eighth-best regular season record in their conference.

The breakdown for 2025’s playoff pool money is as follows (rounded to the nearest thousand), per Sportico:

Regular season achievements:

Best record in NBA (Thunder): $869K
No. 1 seeds in each conference (Cavaliers, Thunder): $761K per team
No. 2 seeds (Celtics, Rockets): $609K per team
No. 3 seeds (Knicks, Lakers): $456K per team
No. 4 seeds (Pacers, Nuggets): $372K per team
No. 5 seeds (Bucks, Clippers): $288K per team
No. 6 seeds (Pistons, Timberwolves): $204K per team

Postseason achievements:

Teams participating in first round (all 16 playoff teams — the 12 listed above, plus the Magic, Heat, Warriors, and Grizzlies): $466K per team
Teams participating in conference semifinals (eight teams): $568K per team
Teams participating in conference finals (four teams): $951K per team
Losing team in NBA Finals: $3,803,000
Winning team in NBA Finals: $8,805,000

A team that makes a deep playoff run will cash in on more than one of the bonuses listed above.

For example, if the Thunder win the championship, their payout from the playoff pool would be worth more than $12.4MM in total — that amount would include their bonuses for posting the NBA’s best record, claiming the West’s No. 1 seed, making the first round, making the conference semifinals, making the conference finals, and winning the NBA Finals.

Knicks Notes: Game 1, Brunson, Towns, Anunoby, Lineup

May 22nd, 2025 at 7:22pm CST by Rory Maher

New York fans were stunned to silence following the Knicks‘ late-game collapse in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. It was a historic loss: the Knicks were up 14 points with 2:51 remaining, and NBA playoff teams were 977-0 in those situations since 1997. They also led by nine with a minute left — no postseason team had lost a game in that position since 1998 (1,414-0). Now there’s a one on both of those tallies.

“We didn’t do what we needed to do; otherwise, we’d be in here talking about a whole different ballgame,” center Karl-Anthony Towns said after Wednesday’s game. “There’s a lot of things we did good, to put ourselves in the position to win. It’s just about … and I’ve said this multiple times, executing and discipline for 48 minutes.

“We played 46 good minutes. Those last two minutes is where we lost the game. That’s on all of us.”

As Chris Herring of ESPN.com writes, the Pacers and Knicks had both completed multiple double-digit playoff comebacks on their way to the conference final matchup. But Game 1 — which New York lost in overtime after a series of miscues — had the Knicks in the unenviable position of blowing the lead.

“Defensively, we let off the gas. The intensity and physicality weren’t there,” wing Josh Hart said. “Offensively, we were playing slower, and more stagnant. It looked like we were playing not to lose.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

While Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson finished with a game-high 43 points, he also committed seven turnovers, including three late in the game, notes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “Obviously, it’s not a good feeling, but there is a lot of basketball left to be played,” Brunson said, per Edwards. “We can’t sulk. We just got to get better.”
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne takes a look at what New York’s collapse means for the series — and for the team’s title chances. Brunson said he thought the momentum of Game 1 shifted with 4:45 remaining in the fourth quarter when he stumbled trying to get around a screen, leaving Aaron Nesmith open for a three-pointer. Nesmith went 6-of-6 on triples in the final 4:45 of regulation, including three in the final minute. “Once he hits one, you’ve got to be on high alert,” Brunson said. “I’ve got to do a better job of finding him. I think he had like one or two with me in the vicinity.”
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link) hands out grades for Game 1, with Brunson receiving a B-plus and Towns, who finished with 35 points and 12 rebounds but missed a key free throw late in regulation, getting a B-minus. Mikal Bridges, who had 16 points on 16 shots and was a game-worst minus-15 in the three-point loss while being the primary defender on Tyrese Haliburton (31 points, 11 assists), got a D from Bondy.
Towns and OG Anunoby appeared to get in a heated sideline argument with 34 seconds left in regulation, as Jaclyn Hendricks of The New York Post relays. Nesmith had just converted his fifth three-pointer of the quarter leading up to the incident.
Could the Knicks alter their starting or closing lineup for Game 2? Head coach Tom Thibodeau said “everything is always on the table” when asked about that possibility on Thursday, according to Begley, who points out (via Twitter) that the starting unit of Brunson, Bridges, Josh Hart, Anunoby and Towns has a poor net rating in the playoffs.

NBA Announces 2024/25 All-Defensive Teams

May 22nd, 2025 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2024/25 season (Twitter links).

The teams are determined by a panel of 100 media members, with players receiving two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.

There were no unanimous First Team selections this year, but Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley came close, having been named to the First Team on 99 ballots (Twitter link). He was selected to the Second Team on the 100th ballot, for a total of 199 points.

The honorees are as follows, along with their point totals:

First Team

Evan Mobley, Cavaliers (199 points)
Dyson Daniels, Hawks (191)
Luguentz Dort, Thunder (180)
Draymond Green, Warriors (179)
Amen Thompson, Rockets (171)

Second Team

Ivica Zubac, Clippers (114)
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies (107)
Jalen Williams, Thunder (79)
Toumani Camara, Trail Blazers (74)
Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves (65)

The NBA adjusted the voting rules in 2023 to allow All-Defensive ballots to be positionless. Up until that point, each team consisted of two guards, two forwards, and a center.

Despite the lack of positional requirements, this year’s teams are reasonably well balanced — while Mobley, Green, Zubac, Jackson, and Gobert all serve as defensive anchors for their respective clubs, Mobley, Green, and Jackson spend much of their time on the court playing forward rather than center.

It’s the ninth time that Green has made an All-Defensive team and the eighth time that Gobert has earned the honor. Jackson and Mobley have each been recognized multiple times too — it’s the third time Jackson has made the cut and the second time for Mobley. However, Daniels, Dort, Thompson, Zubac, Williams, and Camara have never been named All-Defensive players before this season.

Among the other players who received votes, Knicks forward OG Anunoby came closest to cracking the top 10, having been named to the First Team on two ballots and the Second Team on 45 ballots for a total of 49 points. An additional 13 players received at least one vote, but none of them had more than 18 total points.

That group of players who missed the cut includes Heat big man Bam Adebayo, whose streak of five straight All-Defensive seasons has come to an end.

Players were required to meet the criteria of the 65-game rule in order to qualify for All-Defensive consideration. The full voting results can be viewed here (Twitter link).

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Dort has earned a $500K bonus for making the First Team this season. In addition to increasing his earnings for this season, that will bump Dort’s cap hit for 2025/26 from $17,722,222 to $18,222,222, since the bonus will now be considered likely to be earned next season.

Conversely, after missing out on All-Defensive spots this season, Derrick White and Jaden McDaniels will see their cap hits for next season reduced by $250K and $431K, respectively, Marks adds (Twitter link). Those bonuses, which had been considered likely after the duo earned All-Defensive nods in 2024, won’t be earned this season, which means the Celtics and Timberwolves will each receive a tax variance credit and both bonuses will be considered unlikely for 2025/26.

And-Ones: Award Announcements, Laughlin, Playoff MVPs, More

May 22nd, 2025 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

After revealing this season’s Most Valuable Player on Wednesday, the NBA will wrap up its 2024/25 award announcements within the next two days.

According to the league (Twitter link), the two All-Defensive teams will be announced on Thursday at 2:00 pm Eastern time, while the three All-NBA teams will be unveiled at 7:00 pm ET on Friday during TNT’s pregame broadcast ahead of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The All-NBA teams, in particular, will be worth watching, since those results can have a major impact on player contracts going forward. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is the key player to keep an eye on — assuming he makes one of the three All-NBA teams, Cunningham’s maximum-salary rookie scale extension will begin at 30% of next season’s cap instead of 25%.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former Warriors assistant and current Pelicans coaches chief of staff James Laughlin is leaving New Orleans to take a job overseas as the new general manager of Napoli Basket in Italy, per Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. According to Urbonas, Laughlin spent five years in Golden State and the past four with the Pelicans.
Chris Herring of ESPN updated his 2025 playoff MVP rankings ahead of the start of the second round, placing Knicks guard Jalen Brunson atop his list. With the conference finals underway, it’s unclear if Brunson would still claim that top spot — he scored 43 points on 15-of-25 shooting in New York’s Game 1 loss to Indiana on Wednesday, but also had more turnovers (seven) than assists (five) on the night.
With the NBA set to crown a seventh different champion in seven years, Colin Salao of Front Office Sports writes that the league has entered an era of unprecedented parity and wonders if super-teams have become a thing of the past.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report shares his thoughts on the biggest winners at last week’s draft combine, singling out San Diego State’s Miles Byrd, Chinese big man Hansen Yang, and four other prospects.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Rose, ECF, Anunoby

May 21st, 2025 at 8:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Knicks, playing in their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, have built their roster with two-time All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson at the fulcrum of the team, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Brunson agreed to a team-friendly three-year contract extension last offseason rather than wait to sign a full maximum-salary deal this summer to help establish long-term security. That contract will give New York significant roster-building flexibility in the years to come.

Brunson, the newly minted Clutch Player of the Year, has been a “calming” presence in late-game situations while stewarding New York’s deepest playoff run in a generation, according to All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns said.

“It’s great we have someone who has a calming demeanor like that, especially in those moments you’re talking about,” Towns said. “J.B. was the Clutch Player of the Year for a reason.”

Through the first two rounds of the playoffs, the 6’2″ pro is averaging 46.1 points per 36 minutes across clutch situations — games that are within five points with five or fewer minutes remaining in regulation or overtime.

The Knicks are currently in the midst of the first contest of their Eastern Conference Finals series against Indiana.

There’s more out of New York:

Knicks team president Leon Rose‘s decisions to trade most of his draft equity in exchange for the Towns and All-Defensive Team swingman Mikal Bridges in the offseason were deemed risky at the time, but have been paying dividends in a big way lately, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Bridges’ two-way play has been critical through the first two rounds of the playoffs, while Towns has weathered some uneven performances and provided some big offensive moments. “To find success here in New York is something that is not for everyone, and it’s something that is very difficult to do,” Towns said earlier this week. “For us to be in this position shows that we stepped up to the challenge and [we also have] the benefit of having amazing teammates and support systems — both of us.”
Consulting a panel of five league experts, The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy (subscriber link) described four critical elements in the series needed for the Knicks to defeat Indiana on the eve of Game 1, including attacking Tyrese Haliburton on defense and slowing down the pace.
Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who has struggled with injury issues throughout his career, has been fully healthy and available during this year’s playoff run and the team is capitalizing on his availability, Bondy notes in another piece (subscriber link). Anunoby strained his hamstring during Game 2 of the Knicks’ second round slugfest against Indiana last spring, subsequently missing most of the rest of the series. Bondy opines that the absence of Anunoby, above anything else, resulted in the series being extended to seven contests and eventually lost by New York. Now, Anunoby is healthy, and primed for a rematch.

Pacers Notes: Nesmith, Haliburton, Carlisle, EC Finals

May 21st, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith could be a decisive X-factor in a second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance for Indiana, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic.

Nesmith has thrived as a three-and-D role player across his past two seasons. In 2024/25, the 25-year-old’s shooting efficiency reached new heights as he he qualified for the league’s “50-40-90” club. The Vanderbilt alum converted 50.7% of his field goals, 41.3% of his three-pointers, and 91.7% of his free throws.

Across his first 10 playoff contests this spring, Nesmith has logged a 67.2% true shooting percentage and a 17.3 PER. What makes his offensive contributions all the more valuable is that he’s also bringing it on the other end of the hardwood, often defending the opposition’s best player. During Indiana’s five-game second round series victory over Cleveland, he frequently covered six-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. Hollinger expects Nesmith to defend All-Stars Jalen Brunson, a guard, or Karl-Anthony Towns, a center.

“It really was just finding my role here,” Nesmith said. “Energy, effort, defense, making open shots, that’s what we needed from me in order to win games. Every year, I’ve just gotten a little better at the little things.”

Hollinger believes Nesmith is in line for a massive new contract when his current deal expires in 2027. At present, the 6’5″ pro is making $11MM annually.

There’s more out of Indiana:

Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton is embracing his role as a foil for New York in the team’s impending Conference Finals series, a rematch of last year’s second round clash, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Indiana won that series in seven games, as the Knicks were affected by injuries to critical rotation players. “For sure, it’s a lot of fun, man,” Haliburton said. “I think last year the series was a lot of fun, back and forth, it felt like nobody could win two in a row until we were able to do it [in Games 6 and 7].” In last year’s series, the 2024 All-NBA honoree notched averages 21.3 PPG and 7.0 APG.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has quietly made the club one of the league’s top offenses across the past two seasons. Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link) unpacks how Carlisle went about defining Indiana’s unique offensive identity. Although Carlisle does have a playbook with set plays, the team generally leans on a somewhat improvisational flow, predicated on a motion system. Indiana’s 123.3 points per game in 2023/24 was the sixth-best scoring rate in NBA history, while their 117.4 points per game this year was a bit more pedestrian, ranking seventh in the league this season. “He trusts the offense and us,” Aaron Nesmith said of Carlisle’ approach. “We have such great offensive players on our team I think we just are able to read the game. We’re pretty friendly off the court and it translates on the court as well.”
The Pacers are hardly satisfied with their second Eastern Conference Finals appearance in as many seasons, writes Dopirak in another piece. “It feels good but I think we’re greedy at the end of the day,” forward Pascal Siakam said. “We feel like we’ve been here before. Last year, we could’ve been like, ‘Man, this is the first time in a while.’ (Now) we’ve just been here last year. For us, that focus has to shift. We have to be wanting more.”

Knicks Notes: Bridges, Thibodeau, Brunson, Focus

May 20th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks should prioritize an extension for Mikal Bridges this offseason, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines.

While Bridges isn’t an All-Star at the level of Jalen Brunson, he’s proven his value with game-changing plays during the postseason after an underwhelming regular season, Vaccaro writes. He’s also extremely durable. Bridges could sign a four-year extension worth up to $156MM this offseason, which would make sense for both sides. However, Bridges could choose to wait until free agency in 2026 with the hope of getting a more lucrative deal.

We have more on the Knicks:

Tom Thibodeau has been criticized in the past for sticking with the same formula but that hasn’t been the case in these playoffs, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes. New York made more switches defensively than it ever did during the regular season in order to throttle Boston’s attack. Thibodeau also allowed Bridges to initiate the offense more often in pick-and-rolls with Brunson on the bench. The team’s regulars have also made it to the conference finals in good health despite Thibodeau continuing to rely heavily on his starters.
Brunson changed his workout routine after he left the Mavericks to sign with the Knicks, his personal trainer Dave Williams told Mark Medina of RG.org. “The workouts were basically the same, but they evolved,” Williams said. “In New York, I knew he’d have the ball in his hands all the time. In Dallas, he played alongside Luka (Doncic), who was more ball-dominant. So in New York, we focused more on one-on-one moves and shooting off the dribble. We did more pick-and-roll work and had him shooting threes off the pick-and-roll. We increased the threes a lot. When I hear commentators say he got better at shooting off the dribble, that has me smiling inside.”
The Knicks need to take advantage of this opportunity because another one might not come along, Vaccaro writes in another column for the New York Post. While the roster is built to take multiple shots at a championship, they can’t count on getting to this spot again. Vaccaro points out that the NHL’s Rangers, who share Madison Square Garden with the Knicks, made the conference finals last season and didn’t make the playoffs this season.
Peter Botte of the New York Post breaks down the matchups and 10 factors that will decide the series between the Knicks and Pacers.

Poll: Who Will Win Eastern Conference Finals?

May 20th, 2025 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

A year after falling to Indiana in the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Knicks will get another shot at them in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. Star guard Jalen Brunson is looking forward to the opportunity to take advantage of the second chance.

“I mean, it still kind of bothers me,” Brunson said on Monday, referring to last year’s series, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “Obviously it was a missed opportunity last year playing them at home in Game 7, regardless of who we had out there.”

The version of the Knicks that finished last season looked far different from the group that will take the court on Wednesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Finals. The 2023/24 roster didn’t feature Karl-Anthony Towns or Mikal Bridges, the club’s two major 2024 offseason additions. Plus, as Brunson alludes to, last year’s team was incredibly banged up, with key players like Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson unavailable for that do-or-die Game 7 and OG Anunoby unable to play more than five minutes.

This time around, the Knicks are fully healthy and are riding high after a strong first-round showing against the upstart Pistons and an unlikely second-round upset of the defending champion Celtics.

Just about everyone had penciled in an Eastern Finals showdown between the 64-win Cavaliers and 61-win Celtics, but New York and Indiana played spoiler and now the Knicks will enter their third-round series holding home court advantage and as betting favorites. BetOnline.ag lists New York as a -160 favorite to advance to the NBA Finals.

Knicks fans have plenty of reasons for optimism. After all, last year’s battle between these two teams nearly went their way even without Randle’s scoring, without Robinson’s elite rebounding, and without Towns and Bridges, who have been two of New York’s most valuable contributors in this postseason. The front office’s vision – Brunson and Towns serving as offensive engines while Bridges, Anunoby, and Josh Hart terrorize opponents on defense – has come together perfectly in recent weeks.

These Pacers, conversely, look pretty similar to last year’s team. In fact, with the exception of Bennedict Mathurin (injured for the 2024 playoffs) replacing Isaiah Jackson (injured for the 2025 playoffs), the Pacers have the exact same top nine players in minutes played that they did last postseason.

Skeptics would also point out that Indiana has benefited in a major way from injury luck over the past two springs. Bucks point guard Damian Lillard went down with an Achilles tear in the first round of this year’s postseason, while several Cavaliers – including Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter – were battling health problems in the second round.

But underestimating this Pacers team would be a mistake. Indiana was doing just fine against healthy versions of Milwaukee and Cleveland before those injuries occurred and has a better overall net rating (+5.5) during these playoffs than that of the Knicks (+0.1). The Pacers are especially dangerous when they’re dictating the speed of the game, which they’ll be looking to do against a Knicks squad that ranked 26th in the NBA in pace during the regular season (Indiana was seventh).

The Pacers have also been getting a balanced offensive attack from their starting lineup and bench this spring. All five starters are averaging at least 14.6 points per game, led by Pascal Siakam (18.8 PPG) and Tyrese Haliburton (17.5 PPG and a playoff-leading 9.3 APG), with Mathurin, T.J. McConnell, and Obi Toppin combining for 28 points per contest off the bench. Indiana’s 117.3 playoff offensive rating is easily the best mark of any of the four remaining teams.

The last time the Knicks appeared in the NBA Finals in 1999, they defeated the Pacers in the Eastern Finals to get there. The Pacers returned the favor a year later, beating the Knicks in the Eastern Finals to represent the conference in the NBA Finals. They haven’t gotten back since. Whichever team wins this series and makes their first Finals appearance in a quarter-century will have to get past an old rival to do it.

We want to know what you think. Which team will win the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts and predictions!

Atlantic Notes: Towns, Knicks, Holiday, Porzingis, Sixers

May 19th, 2025 at 8:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Karl-Anthony Towns gave the Pacers fits this season and the Knicks hope that continues over the next two weeks. He averaged 30.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 46.7 percent from three-point range in 36.5 minutes per contest vs. Indiana, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes, with the Knicks winning two of three regular-season matchups between the Eastern Conference finalists.

Towns will likely be matched up against Myles Turner, who averaged 19.5 points and 2.5 blocks per game against New York this season.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks have been named the 2024-25 NBATA Athletic Training Staff of the Year, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News tweets. New York’s training staff is led by Casey Smith, VP of Sports Medicine. The staff also includes senior athletic trainer Heather Mau. Smith and Mau are former members of the Mavs’ training staff, Curtis notes. Smith was fired in 2023 by Dallas GM Nico Harrison.
All the extensions that the Celtics handed out last offseason could prove detrimental unless the front office can find a good trade offer for Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis, Brian Robb of MassLive.com opines. Holiday still has value but his production tailed off this season and he’s owed $104MM over the next three years. Porzingis has an expiring contract but has contributed little in the last two postseason due to injury and illness. A more dramatic reset for the franchise could be required if shedding these big-money contracts ends up costing Boston valuable assets, Robb concludes.
While there has been some speculation that the Sixers will shop the No. 3 overall pick, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports hears an entirely different story. A source told him that the front office isn’t interested in packaging that pick to acquire a veteran star (Twitter link). The team has spoken publicly about wanting to add more youth and athleticism to its core, Neubeck notes, and the No. 3 pick will provide an opportunity to do just that.

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