OG Anunoby

Knicks Notes: Stagnant Offense, Robinson, Starting Five

May 12th, 2025 at 5:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks know they have to create more havoc on defense to energize their offense, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post writes. Their halfcourt offense has frequently bogged down, although they’ve managed to take a 2-1 lead in the series against the Celtics. Game 4 will be held tonight.

“When you’re not causing turnovers and you’re getting the ball under the rim, taking it out every possession, it’s tough to have that speed,” forward Josh Hart said. “So we have to try to cause more turnovers, play better defense and finish possessions with rebounds and run, and even when we do take the ball out, have pace to our offense and not just be standing around being so stagnant.”

Coach Tom Thibodeau had a similar viewpoint.

“I think for anybody, live-ball turnovers that put you into the open floor, get you easy baskets,” he said. “So that’s a big part of the game, and that’s the fight. I think it’s the challenge for each team to try to create as many as you can, because you know what it does for your offense. It fuels your offense.”

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Fans exasperated by Mitchell Robinson‘s free throw shooting futility got a response from the Knicks center and it’s probably not what they want to hear. Robinson posted on his Instagram Live account (hat tip to Erich Richter of the New York Post) on Sunday that he’s not interested in the fans’ opinions. “So, I know y’all commenting and doing all the stupid stuff, thinking that I really care,” he said. “I really don’t. Y’all know what I care about: this pointing to his truck], playing basketball, and my daughter. All the other stuff, I really don’t care for. … Y’all should know me by now. Been here seven years. … Anyway, Happy Mother’s Day. Y’all enjoy yourselves.” Robinson is shooting just 28.9 percent from the free throw line during the playoffs, leading opponents to intentionally foul him in certain stretches of the contest.
They’ve won two games despite their starting five — Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns — being outscored by 29 points through the first three games, Schwartz said. “I think a big part of that is how we’re starting games and starting the second half,” Hart said. “We haven’t done a good job imposing our will into the game from the jump. That’s something that we struggled with in Detroit also, coming out of the half. There were times we had a 10-, 12-point lead and then we surrendered it in the first three, four minutes of the half. That unit, we have to come out with more sense of urgency, more desperation, more competitiveness and let everything else fall into place.”
Thibodeau played it coy during his pregame press conference on Monday regarding a lineup change. When asked if he might insert Robinson, the coach replied, “There’s a lot of thoughts you put into it,” James Edwards of The Athletic tweets. Asked if he would stick with his usual starting five, the coach said, “We could be.”

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Brunson, Anunoby, Hart

May 11th, 2025 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are taking advantage of Mitchell Robinson‘s weakness as a free throw shooter and creating a difficult decision for Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required). Boston coach Joe Mazzulla employed the “Hack-a-Mitch” strategy repeatedly in Game 3, sending the backup center to the line 12 times. He only made four of those attempts, and Bondy observes that the misses included an air ball and several line drives that had no chance of going in.

“It’s a tough position to be in, especially mentally, but you have to encourage,” Jalen Brunson said. “We’re going to have each other’s backs, regardless.”

Robinson is 11-of-38 from the line (29%) since the playoffs began, which makes it hard to keep him on the court. Bondy notes that he’s the team’s best rebounder and rim protector, and he’s able to switch onto Boston’s star wings on pick-and-rolls. He had six offensive rebounds on Saturday, but he only played 19 minutes because his inefficiency at the line resulted in too many empty possessions.

“If he’s making them, he stays,” Thibodeau said. “If he’s not, you have to get him out. Is his impact on the game more beneficial to leave him in? There are a lot of factors that go into that.”

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Brunson is one of the NBA’s best clutch performers, but he hasn’t been delivering enough early offense in this series as the Knicks have faced big deficits in all three games, observes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Brunson is shooting just 36.5% from the field through the first three quarters, but he doesn’t plan to change his approach. “Continue to shoot my shot, do the things I work on, continue to stay confident, that’s the biggest thing,” he said after Saturday’s loss. “Just trust what I do. That’s basically it right there.”
The Knicks will need more offense from OG Anunoby to survive the series, states Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Anunoby was limited to 1-of-6 from the field in Game 3, with his only basket coming on a third quarter dunk. Schwartz points out that New York is 8-0 in playoff games when Anunoby takes at least 14 shots, but just 5-9 when he doesn’t.
The Celtics were able to torch the Knicks from three-point range after being held in check the first two games, and Josh Hart believes his team wasn’t aggressive enough in challenging Boston’s shooters, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “It was not what it should have been,” Hart said. “It should have been more physical, more aggressive. We let them get into a rhythm early and feeling good early. That’s something that we can’t do. We made the mistake on that and, like I said, we have to learn from it.”

Eastern Notes: Anunoby, Pistons, Raptors, Giannis

May 9th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Knicks‘ swarming defense, led by wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, limited Boston to 90 points on 36.2% shooting in a Game 2 victory, veteran forward P.J. Tucker told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, that Anunoby was overlooked in a major way by Defensive Player of the Year voters this spring.

“OG’s been off the charts. I don’t know how he didn’t win Defensive Player of the Year,” Tucker said of his Knicks teammate. “I don’t think it’s even close. I think he’s the best two-way player in the league. He’s always played defense, but this year offensively he’s taken it up another notch. I don’t think we ran one play for him (in Game 1) and he had 30 points. I’m telling you, it’s incredible. He’s amazed me this year and he’s the Defensive Player of the Year, no doubt.”

This year’s voters weren’t aligned with Tucker — while 13 players showed up on at least one Defensive Player of the Year ballot, Anunoby wasn’t among those 13. Neither he nor any other Knick received a single DPOY vote.

The Knicks only finished 13th overall in defensive rating during the regular season, but they’ve taken their play up a notch in recent weeks and rank fourth in that category in the postseason.

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Which of the Pistons‘ top four veteran unrestricted free agents are most and least likely to re-sign with the team this summer? Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) considers that question, identifying Malik Beasley as the most likely to be back, followed by – in order – Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Paul Reed. Sankofa wouldn’t be surprised if there’s mutual interest in each case, but thinks it makes sense for Hardaway to test the open market and suggests Detroit might need more size in the frontcourt than Reed provides.
Ahead of Monday’s draft lottery, Eric Koreen of The Athletic examines four hypothetical outcomes for the Raptors, including one where they remain at No. 7 and three where they move into the top four (but not to No. 1). Koreen likes Maryland’s Derik Queen as a potential target at No. 7 and notes that Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe could be the “cleanest fit for the Raptors in the lottery” if they move up to No. 3 or 4.
Asked during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link) for his thoughts on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future, veteran big man Bobby Portis said his longtime Bucks teammate “bleeds green,” adding that he believes the two-time MVP would like to spend his entire career with one team. Portis also pointed out that any team trading for Antetokounmpo would have to give up so many assets to land him that his new club may not end up in a better position than the Bucks to contend.

Knicks Notes: Bridges, Anunoby, Hart, McBride, Robinson

May 6th, 2025 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks raised eyebrows last offseason when they surrendered five first-round picks in a trade for Mikal Bridges, then committed over $212MM in guaranteed money to OG Anunoby. Neither player was expected to be a top-two offensive option for New York in 2024/25, but the team recognized the value of having two of the NBA’s best two-way wings.

Monday’s win over Boston in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals showed exactly why the Knicks were willing to give up such a significant trade package for Bridges, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com, and why they were comfortable investing so heavily in Anunoby, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes.

Bridges scored only eight points on 3-of-13 shooting, but made several crucial defensive plays in his 51 minutes of action, including a late-game steal that prevented Jaylen Brown from attempting a game-tying three-pointer and secured the victory for the Knicks.

“That’s who Mikal is. He’s (gotten) a lot of criticism and he never lets that affect him,” teammate Josh Hart said after the win, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “I don’t know how many games down the stretch that he’s won for us on the defensive side alone — the Brooklyn game, the block, the Chicago game he got a block at the end. A couple in the Detroit series. He’s been a huge part for this team. Sometimes those things get overlooked and people just look at stats and they lose sight of how valuable a player that he is.”

Anunoby, who served as the primary defender on Jayson Tatum, helped limit the Celtics star to a 7-of-23 shooting night while also matching Jalen Brunson‘s team-high 29 points.

“Definitely sparked us,” Brunson said of Anunoby. “And the way he’s been playing all season, I have the utmost confidence in him every time he steps on the floor, on both sides of the ball. So it’s what we expect.”

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New York loaded up on wings – adding Bridges to complement Anunoby and Hart – in large part to combat Eastern Conference stars like Tatum and Brown. While that vision was questioned during the regular season as the Knicks lost all four of their matchups with the Celtics, the blueprint is as clear as it’s been all year following Monday’s Game 1 upset, says Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Reserve guard Miles McBride struggled during the first round of the playoffs vs. Detroit, averaging 3.8 points per game on 26.7% shooting. In Game 1 vs. Boston, he had 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, finally giving the Knicks the kind of boost they’d been hoping for off the bench, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson made just 3-of-10 free throws on Monday and is now 7-of-25 (28.0%) in the playoffs. Although the Celtics effectively employed a hack-a-Robinson strategy for a little while in Game 1, the big man downplayed his struggles from the foul line, as Schwartz relays for The Post. “Basketball is not just about free throws,” Robinson said. “You got defense, you got rebounds, offensive rebounds — there’s more to it than just free throws. That’s like the only part I need to work on, my free throws. Everything else, I’m straight.” To Robinson’s point, New York outscored Boston by 13 points during his 21 minutes on the court.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Anunoby, Towns

May 4th, 2025 at 1:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The next major playoff test for Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson will be grappling with the Celtics’ All-Defensive backcourt, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post.

The reigning Clutch Player of the Year averaged 31.5 PPG, 8.2 APG, 4.0 RPG in New York’s first round playoff series victory against Detroit, while fending off top point-of-attack Pistons defender Ausar Thompson.

The Celtics’ imposing defensive duo of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday isn’t looking past Brunson either.

“Big-time player,” White said of Brunson. “Seems to make the big plays for them. He’s had an unbelievable year, and obviously these playoffs, he’s taken it to another level. … Try to make it as difficult as we can for 48 minutes.”

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All-Defensive Knicks forward OG Anunoby is preparing for his own massive test, in this case defending the Celtics’ best player, six-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I always have confidence [in OG] no matter who he is guarding,” Brunson said of Anunoby. “He brings that mindset every game. And so I have confidence regardless of whatever he is doing.” As Botte notes, former All-Defensive wing Mikal Bridges could also spend significant time guarding Tatum.
After attempting a series-low 10 shots in the Knicks’ series-clinching Game 6 win over Detroit, Karl-Anthony Towns says he isn’t concerned about the drop in his field goal attempts — as long as New York keeps winning, writes Ethan Sears of The New York Times.
In case you missed it, Holiday is looking to return to the hardwood early in the Knicks series after sitting out Boston’s last three playoff games with a strained right hamstring.

Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Towns

May 3rd, 2025 at 9:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis was once beloved by Knicks fans who saw him as their best hope of escaping years of dysfunction, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. But years later, after a devastating injury and a messy breakup, Porzingis is a member of the Celtics and stands in their team’s way of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.

When he was drafted with the fourth pick in 2015, Porzingis was hailed as a “unicorn” because of his unique combination of size and outside shooting touch. He was an immediate fan favorite in New York, but his efforts to turn the Knicks into contenders were sunk by general mismanagement and what Bondy calls “petty infighting” involving the front office and coaching staff.

Bondy states that former team executives Phil Jackson and Steve Mills never viewed Porzingis as a future star and unsuccessfully tried to trade him after his second season. He suffered a torn ACL midway through the following season and then missed all of 2018/19. Before he was fully healed, he was traded to Dallas, and Knicks management cast him as a villain on the way out.

“The whole process was just a mess,” Porzingis said. “I didn’t like the way it ended. That wasn’t how I wanted it to end, if it did end. I tried to stay myself the whole time. Not do anything. Not say anything. If I did say anything, it would’ve been right after I was traded. Now it’s too late.”

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Knicks players are acknowledging that Boston will present a tougher challenge than they faced in the first round, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. New York went 0-4 against the Celtics this season, dropping the first three games by 63 total points before losing in overtime in April. “Obviously, (we have to) play better than we did (against them) throughout the regular season,” Jalen Brunson said. “Be better, ready to do it from the jump, knowing it’s going to be a game of runs, knowing that they’re capable of doing a lot of great things. I feel like we played better in that (fourth) game. We adjusted from the first three times we played them, obviously still not getting it done, but definitely played better and competed better than the first three games. So that’s something we can look at and build off of.”
The Knicks never lost faith in Mikal Bridges no matter how bad things got this season, and he rewarded them in the close-out game against Detroit, notes Barbara Barker of Newsday. Bridges scored 25 points in Game 6 and tied the contest on a put-back slam in the final minute. After Saturday’s practice, coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters that Bridges has done an admirable job in dealing with a heavy amount of pressure after the Knicks sent five first-round picks to Brooklyn to acquire him. “I think for anybody who gets traded or in free agency or whatever it might be there’s an adjustment period that you have to go through and it takes some time,” Thibodeau said. “I think he’s very confident in his abilities.”
Steve Popper of Newsday lists five keys for the Knicks in the series, including the need for Bridges and OG Anunoby to control Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and a more consistent performance from Karl-Anthony Towns.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Thibodeau, Bridges, Towns

May 2nd, 2025 at 8:14am CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Brunson delivered a moment that will live forever in Knicks‘ history when he sank a three-pointer in the final seconds Thursday night to close out their series with Detroit, writes Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. With Game 6 tied on New York’s final possession, Brunson drove hard to the left, then crossed over to lose Pistons defender Ausar Thompson (Twitter video link from the NBA). By the time Thompson recovered, Brunson had already released the straightaway three that decided the series.

“I found a way to create separation,” said Brunson, who capped off a 40-point night. “I shot a little earlier than I wanted to but I had to shoot it, and I got the ball to go in.”

As Vaccaro points out, Brunson’s heroics weren’t limited to the final shot. After the Knicks let a 12-point fourth quarter lead slip away and faced a seven-point deficit with two and a half minutes remaining, Brunson took over the offense to prevent Detroit from forcing a Game 7. First came a three-point play on a six-foot floater, followed by a reverse layup under the basket. On the next possession, the Pistons surrounded him on a drive to the hoop, allowing Mikal Bridges to easily tip in the miss.

“What can you say?” coach Tom Thibodeau said after the dramatic victory. “He’s timely, he’s at his best when his best is needed. That’s what makes him special.”

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Brunson’s shot altered the team’s future to a degree that’s impossible to measure, states James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. If New York had lost the series, Edwards believes there definitely would have been conversations about replacing Thibodeau, and owner James Dolan would have considered front office moves as well after major offseason deals to acquire Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns put the franchise into luxury tax territory.
Bridges delivered his best game of the playoffs with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting, per Steve Popper of Newsday. Popper notes that the Knicks traded for Bridges and OG Anunoby to match up with Boston wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and they’ll get that chance in the second round. “Yeah, they’re a hell of players and got moves for days and physical,” Bridges said of the Celtics duo. “Yeah, definitely a challenge, but it’s never one-on-one. You got four guys behind you, your teammates, so it’s just team defense and just helping each other out.”
The Knicks will have to recover quickly from a physically and mentally draining series to have any chance against Boston, observes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Towns has some experience in facing a defending champion in the playoffs as his Minnesota team ousted Denver in seven games last spring. “With that experience, we learned a lot,” Towns said. “You gotta be ready for Game 9, you gotta be ready to have that energy and emotional capacity.”

Knicks Notes: Brunson, McBride, Robinson, Hart

April 30th, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The condition of Jalen Brunson‘s right ankle is becoming an increasing concern for the Knicks as their first-round series wears on, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy notes that Brunson has gone to the locker room to get his ankle worked on in each of the first five games. Brunson’s absence in the fourth quarter on Tuesday caused New York’s offense to bog down and opened the door for Detroit to grab a series-saving victory.

“It’s different (without Brunson),” Mikal Bridges said. “You know he’s going to have that ball. It doesn’t mean we can’t step up. I should’ve made shots and held it down for him as much as he holds it down for us. We just got to be better.”

Bondy points out that Bridges missed two shots during Brunson’s two-and-a-half-minute absence late in Game 5. Also during that sequence, Karl-Anthony Towns had an attempt blocked and Cameron Payne couldn’t connect on an open floater.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau believes his team’s late-game execution needs to improve no matter’s who’s on the court.

“You have to be at your best in the fourth quarter,” Thibodeau said. “You have to understand that the intensity of the fourth quarter is different. The first three quarters are going to be played with a certain intensity level and the fourth quarter is going to be different. So you have to make your decisions quicker, you have to get to your spots quicker and you have to execute.”

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The Knicks’ depth problems have worsened because of subpar performances from Miles McBride, who was the team’s most dependable reserve throughout the season, says Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. McBride went 2-of-7 from the field and missed all three of his three-point shots while scoring four points in 22 minutes on Tuesday. “Just gotta keep playing,” Thibodeau responded when asked about McBride. “Next play, just keep getting ready, each game is different. How you reset is important. One game really has nothing to do with the next so just put the proper amount of time into preparation to get yourselves ready to play.”
Mitchell Robinson was dominant during his 22 minutes in Game 5, observes Peter Botte of The New York Post. He finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass. “I thought Mitch gave us a good lift, good energy,” Thibodeau said. “The rebounding was good enough. Defense was good enough. Our turnovers hurt us, so we gotta clean that up.”
Injuries are becoming a problem for the Knicks, offering a reminder of how the team disintegrated in last year’s playoffs, Botte adds in a separate story. In addition to Brunson’s ankle issues, Josh Hart had to leave Tuesday’s game with a sore wrist after a hard fall late in the fourth quarter. OG Anunoby also checked out for a while with an undisclosed ailment. When asked which wrist was hurting, Hart said, “My whole body is bothering me. Wrist, back, butt. A little bit of everything.”

Knicks Notes: Towns, McBride, Anunoby, Brunson, Robinson

April 26th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Knicks came away with a close win in Game 3 against the Pistons facing a loud Detroit crowd. It’s no coincidence that as the Knicks played faster, Karl-Anthony Towns had his best offensive game of the series, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes.

Towns scored 31 points on 10 made field goals, including a handful that came with over 14 seconds still left on the shot clock, according to Edwards, who says Towns was purposeful and imposed his will.

“In transition, KAT is someone I’m definitely trying to look for and find while he’s flowing into the half court, where he can knock down shots trailing or able to attack,” teammate Josh Hart said.

In a separate story, Fred Katz of The Athletic notes that Jalen Brunson and Towns ran 17 pick-and-rolls in Game 3, their second-highest single-game total since January. New York was able to take advantage of Jalen Duren guarding Towns as opposed to a wing.

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In the same story for The Athletic, Katz analyzes the play of both Miles McBride and OG Anunoby, opining that New York needs more from McBride in order to help secure a series win over the Pistons. McBride isn’t playing much, but New York’s reserves have only scored 39 points in the series, and that will likely need to change to keep the starters fresh. As for Anunoby, Katz explains why he’s prone to defensive ‘heat checks’ and why his attention to detail is standing out. Jared Schwartz of the New York Post observes that Anunoby helped hold Cade Cunningham to 10-of-25 shooting from the field in Game 3.
The Knicks were able to rely on their reserves in a come-from-behind Game 1 win, with Cameron Payne in particular standing out. Like Katz, Zach Braziller of the New York Post observes that New York’s depth has been outshone in the two games since then. With the Pistons getting massive contributions from reserves like Dennis Schröder and Malik Beasley, the Knicks’ lack of depth could become an issue, Braziller suggests.
Brunson reacted well to Detroit crowd berating him with derisive chants and responded with an impressive 30-point game to go along with nine assists and seven rebounds, Ian Begley of SNY writes. “I don’t think crowds understand, especially with pros and guys that are really good, they’re probably going to be really good when you’re chanting they’re name,” teammate P.J. Tucker said. “When you’re saying what they said, it probably gives them a little incentive to play a little better, play a little harder.”
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson missed Saturday’s practice due to an illness, but Thibodeau believe the big man “should be fine” for Game 4 on Sunday, according to Begley (Twitter links). Thibodeau added that Robinson is no longer on a minutes restriction.

Knicks’ Thibodeau Gripes About Officiating After Pistons’ First Playoff Win Since 2008

April 22nd, 2025 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons won a playoff game on Monday for the first time since May 2008, writes Chris Herring of ESPN, hanging onto a fourth-quarter lead in Madison Square Garden to defeat the Knicks by a score of 100-94 and even up their first-round series at one game apiece.

Detroit made just 44.6% of its field goal attempts, including only six shots from beyond the arc, but won the game with strong defense and free throw shooting. The Pistons went 28-of-34 from the foul line, compared to 16-of-19 for New York, prompting Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau to speak after the loss about how the game was called.

“Huge discrepancy in free throws. Huge,” Thibodeau said. “I don’t understand how, on one side, there are direct line drives with contact that just aren’t being called. Look, I really don’t give a crap how they call the game as long as it’s consistent on both sides. But if (Cade) Cunningham‘s driving, and there’s marginal contact that gets him to the line, then Jalen (Brunson) should be getting to the line.”

By the end of the game, Brunson had gone to the free throw line 11 times – compared to 12 for Cunningham – and Ausar Thompson, the primary defender on the Knicks’ point guard had fouled out. However, as Madeline Kenney of The New York Post observes, the Knicks didn’t shoot a free throw until the second quarter and took 11 of their 19 tries during the fourth quarter.

Despite the complaints from Thibodeau and the MSG faithful, who booed and chanted derisively at the referees throughout the game, Brunson said after scoring 37 points that the officiating wasn’t the reason why the Knicks lost.

“Regardless if fouls are being called or not called, we’ve got to adjust and I feel like we did that a little too late into the game,” he said, per Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. “And so regardless of how it’s reffed, we’ve got to adjust and we’ve got to adapt to that and go on from there.”

Here are a few more Knicks-related notes from Monday’s loss:

Given the price the Knicks paid to acquire him last summer, Mikal Bridges will find himself under a bright spotlight this spring. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes in a subscriber-only article, Bridges is off to a slow start in the postseason — after sitting out most of the fourth quarter during Saturday’s Game 1 comeback, he went 0-of-4 from the field in the final four minutes of Monday’s loss, including missing a game-tying three-point attempt with 12 seconds left.
Bridges wasn’t the only Knicks wing who struggled in Game 2. After a huge Game 1 performance, OG Anunoby scored just 10 points and went 0-for-4 on three-point shots in Game 2, Kenney writes for The New York Post. Anunoby also wasn’t as effective as he was in Game 1 at slowing down Cunningham, who scored 33 points on Monday. “They were running stuff to get me off of his body,” Anunobdy said of the Pistons’ Game 2 strategy. “Setting screens to get me off of him, doing stuff like that. They made some adjustments, we’re gonna make some adjustments ourselves.”
The Knicks will likely need more from Karl-Anthony Towns offensively in order to bounce back in the series, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. The big man scored just 10 points, tied for his second-lowest mark of 2024/25, and didn’t attempt a shot in the fourth quarter of Game 2, though Thibodeau said he didn’t have a problem with that. “(Towns) was getting touches, but he’s making the right play,” the Knicks’ coach said. “If he’s getting double-teamed, I don’t want him just shooting the ball over three people. That makes no sense to me.”
Thibodeau was more concerned about the Knicks’ issues on the glass. Despite missing injured big man Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons out-rebounded New York by a 48-34 margin, with 12 of those Detroit boards coming on the offensive end. “The rebounding was problematic the whole night, so that’s probably the whole game,” Thibodeau said, according to Kenney and Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Towns added that the Knicks need to match the Pistons’ intensity for “50/50 basketballs.”

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