Finals Notes: Champagnie, Alvarado, Castle, Brunson, Robinson, More
The Spurs‘ Julian Champagnie and the Knicks‘ Jose Alvarado have a rivalry that began long before their meeting in the NBA Finals, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. They’re both New York City natives who squared off several times during high school in the Catholic League.
“I won’t lie, they definitely got the better of us quite a bit when he was at Christ the King and I was at Loughlin,” Champagnie said. “But always good memories. He was a great guard, quick, crafty, feisty.”
Braziller notes that those old memories sparked again in the first game of the Finals as Alvarado made a shot over Champagnie and punctuated it with some trash talk. Champagnie scored against Alvarado later on and responded in kind.
“I think it’s just friendly banter, honestly and truly. Obviously, I’ve known Jose for a while,” Champagnie said. “Yeah, he makes one, he talks. I make one, I talk. That’s just how New York is. That’s how it goes.”
There’s more from the NBA Finals:
- Spurs guard Stephon Castle has drawn a series of challenging defensive assignments in the playoffs, including two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the conference finals and Knicks star Jalen Brunson in this round. Castle talked to Peter Sblendorio of The New York Daily News (subscription required) about how he approaches players of that caliber. “They’re very similar in ways,” Castle said. “I think Shai is more of a threat to get all the way downhill, all the way to the basket. I think Jalen likes to use angles a lot more, uses probably a little bit more pump fakes than Shai. Mostly it’s angles, trying to get to his spots, not really trying to draw fouls as much, but trying to get to his mid-range and get to spots to where he likes.”
- A fan who was verbally harassing Brunson during Game 1 has been barred from sitting at courtside for the rest of the Finals, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Brunson had to be restrained from confronting the fan by Alvarado and referee Scott Foster after the game ended.
- A technical foul (Twitter video link) that Knicks center Mitchell Robinson received midway through the second quarter of Friday’s game has been rescinded, the league announced (Twitter link).
- Ticket prices for the upcoming games at Madison Square Garden are already setting records, according to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. As of Friday, the cheapest available ticket for Monday’s Game 3 on Gametime was $9,130. For Wednesday’s Game 4, when the Knicks could potentially wrap up their first NBA title since 1973, nearly all prices on StubHub top $20K, with courtside seats in the range of $70K to $140K.
Knicks Notes: KAT, Reserves, Bridges, Brunson, Hart
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns delivered another solid performance in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Friday, supplying 21 points, 13 rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes in New York’s thrilling 105-104 victory. He was also a plus-11 in his 34 minutes, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes.
Towns has gotten the better of Spurs star Victor Wembanyama most of the series. The only thing that held him back was foul trouble, which limited his third quarter minutes.
“For me, I’m just happy to be finding ways to win,” Towns said. “I’m just worried about the team result, which is winning. … This team leans on each other. I think that’s why we’ve gotten here. That’s why we had the success we had during the regular season, even when things weren’t going great because at the end of the day when things do get tough, and the trials and tribulations do present themselves, this team doesn’t disband. They don’t go away from each other. We lean into each other even more.”
Towns has been drawing inspiration from his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz, who died in 2020, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- New York’s bench accounted for 27 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2, and Mitchell Robinson defended Wembanyama when the Spurs’ star missed a jumper in the closing seconds that would have won the game. “Our effort, it’s been crazy,” Robinson said, per Raul Dominguez of The Associated Press. “We just came out there just fighting, you know, talking to each other. Communication, that’s been key for us.” Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and Jose Alvarado also contributed to the second unit’s success. “Somebody is always there,” coach Mike Brown said. “Again, a lot of contributions from a lot of guys, and that’s why you like having a team, because it could be anybody’s night on any given night. Our guys don’t care. They sacrifice for one another and we found a way to get a win.”
- Mikal Bridges played a key role again in the Knicks’ 13th straight playoff win. He had 20 points on 13 shots along with six rebounds and six assists. The Knicks still owe the Nets four first-round picks courtesy of the Bridges trade, but it’ll be worth it for a championship, SNY’s Ian Begley writes. Bridges has excelled in the postseason. “Just that desperation,” he said. “You know, that desperation of trying to be the last team standing and trying to do whatever it takes to help my team win. There’s nothing after June. You don’t play again until October. So just try to give it all that I got and do whatever it takes for this team.”
- Jalen Brunson wound up hitting the game-winning free throw after a Wembanyama turnover, masking his rough shooting night. He went 7-for-25 from the field and also missed the second free throw, which gave San Antonio a chance to win on the final possession, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post notes. “For J.B., you call it rough shooting nights, I see him hitting the free throw to give us the game,” Towns said.
- The Knicks overcame Josh Hart‘s scoreless outing, Braziller notes. Hart only played 18 minutes due to foul trouble, which thwarted his usual all-around impact, Braziller writes.
Western Notes: Gafford, Queen, A. Green, Clippers
After battling a nagging right ankle sprain throughout the 2025/26 season, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford said on Friday that he’s taking his time to fully recover before resuming on-court work, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter video link).
“I’m getting there. The rehab is good. I’m staying consistent. I’m holding myself accountable to just take care of my body … I don’t want to rush anything,” Gafford said. “Whenever I get back on the court and do all the workouts, I want to be 100% healthy.”
Gafford was limited to 55 regular season appearances this season due to the injury, which he sustained on the first day of training camp last fall. He averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.7 minutes per game.
The 27-year-old big man was also asked for his early impressions of new president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and the changes he’s made to the organization so far (Twitter video link via Curtis).
“It is a business. I’m not necessarily surprised when it comes to some of the things that he’s done with the organization because I’m pretty sure he already had that in his back pocket when he got hired,” Gafford said. “I’m just sitting back and watching from afar. … I’ve yet to get the chance to sit down and talk with him, but he made sure he called me and we had a good conversation on the phone.”
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- Pelicans center Derik Queen reconnected with former teammate Jose Alvarado and asked Karl-Anthony Towns for advice in his role as a player correspondent at the NBA Finals on Wednesday, as Rashad Milligan of NOLA.com relays. “I mean, you already are superbly talented,” Towns said. “I’ve seen it firsthand. I think, for me, it’d be more about locking into the film consistently. Never leave the gym, be infatuated with the work. I know it’s weird, but JB [Jalen Brunson] has it on his shirt, but the magic really is in the work. The real gift about experience is that you’ll find ways to accomplish the same goal and get the stats with using way less energy. And with that, that’s where experience really kicks in, and it’s a beauty.”
- The Pelicans have made another addition to their front office, hiring Amanda Green as executive strategy and analytics, the team announced (via Twitter). Green is a longtime former Thunder executive who got her start in San Antonio and previously held a role in the league office, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. New Orleans hired Thomas Scott on Thursday to be the general manager of the team’s G League affiliate.
- Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd, Arizona guard Anthony Dell’Orso, Miami (OH) guard Peter Suder, Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton, Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and BYU center Keba Keita are among the players who have worked out for the Clippers this week, league sources tell Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Thorton is the top-ranked prospect in that group on ESPN’s big board, coming in at No. 52. Los Angeles currently controls the fifth, 36th and 52nd picks in this month’s draft.
Knicks Notes: Towns, Alvarado, Brunson, Nova Trio
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns was a difference-maker in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, according to Zach Kram of ESPN and Fred Katz of The Athletic, coming up big on both ends of the court.
While the Spurs would prefer to use Victor Wembanyama as the primary defender on Josh Hart, allowing him to roam around the paint and away from the perimeter, Towns proved to be a difficult assignment for smaller San Antonio defenders, pushing his way to the basket when he had the size advantage, notes Katz.
On the other end of the floor, there was an expectation that OG Anunoby would get the first look as Wembanyama’s primary defender, but that assignment went to Towns instead. According to NBA.com’s matchup data, Towns guarded the Spurs star for nearly 80% of the time when both players were on the floor together. Against the Knicks center, Wembanyama scored just nine points on 2-of-11 shooting and committed five turnovers.
On the heels of his standout performance, Towns told Shaquille O’Neal and the Inside the NBA crew that he believes his ability to stay level-headed and focused during Game 1 was due to the presence of his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz, who passed away in 2020 due to complications from COVID-19.
“I don’t want to sound sugarcoating or anything like that,” Towns said. “I don’t know what it was, but I just felt a calm and a peace that had to be come from the woman above. I felt really confident about today. I felt good. I felt like a kid. It was just fun out here. … In a way, I felt like I was seeing her in the stands. It was fun. It was really fun. It was really comforting because Game 1 of the NBA Finals, you’re told all the pressure there’s going to be.”
We have more on the Knicks:
- After scoring 10 total points in four games against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals, Knicks guard Jose Alvarado scored seven points in 11 minutes on Wednesday. His 11 minutes of action were the most he had played since April 28 and his four rebounds represented a personal playoff high. Alvarado first entered the game after Jalen Brunson appeared to injure his knee and admitted his first thought was that Brunson “better come back,” as Zach Braziller of The New York Post relays. “My second thought is, this is what I do. I wasn’t scared of the moment,” Alvarado said. “This is something I live for, and I just want to take advantage of it and do what the team needs.”
- Although Harrison Barnes fell into his knee in the first quarter and Luke Kornet stepped on his ankle in the second quarter, Brunson showed no ill effects of those injuries in the second half or ahead of practice on Thursday, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News (subscription required)
- In an entertaining story for The Athletic, James L. Edwards III takes an in-depth look at the history shared by the Knicks’ three former Villanova stars – Brunson, Hart, and Mikal Bridges – and the bond they’ve developed over their many years as teammates. “We genuinely like playing together,” Brunson said of the ‘Nova Knicks’ last month. “We’ve created a chemistry that has been great. I love playing with these guys. They mean a lot to me. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Knicks Notes: Hart, Brunson, Bridges, Robinson, Alvarado
Knicks forward Josh Hart was on the bench for much of the fourth quarter and overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday as the team completed a historic 22-point comeback with Landry Shamet taking his place on the floor. The Knicks were outscored by 23 points when Hart was on the court in Game 1, and he made just 1-of-5 three-point tries.
It initially looked like Thursday might be another rough night for Hart, who missed his first three outside shots in the Game 2 as the Cavaliers‘ defense let him have open looks. But by the end of the night, Hart had emerged as the Knicks’ leading scorer and most effective all-around player, writes Fiifi Frimpong of The New York Daily News (subscription required). He racked up 26 points, seven assists, and a pair of steals while knocking down 5-of-11 total three-pointers in the 109-93 victory.
“Those first three, they felt good,” Hart said after the game. “Kind of frustrated with it. I’ve been putting in the reps with (assistant coaches Kwadzo Ahelegbe) and Peter Patton and I was frustrated at first. I’m just like, ‘It is not translating right now.’ And then I knew I had to just keep shooting and if I did that, I’ll be good.”
Speaking to reporters, head coach Mike Brown said he never considered going away from Hart as he struggled early in Game 2. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic relays, Brown explained that the versatile forward is “so impactful as a connector” that he can have an impact on winning even when his shot isn’t falling.
“It’s easy for me to say because I have the utmost confidence in the world in him,” Brown said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required). “He’s a gamer. When you have guys who are gamers, they do stuff that people don’t think they can do. And he knows the work he puts in. We know the work he puts in. His confidence is not going to waver. He’s going to put confidence in himself to take the next one and make the next one.”
Here’s more on the Knicks, who will head to Cleveland with a 2-0 lead in the Eastern finals:
- After playing hero in Game 1 by scoring 16 fourth-quarter points, Jalen Brunson had the ball forced out of hands on Thursday by the Cavaliers, who were determined not to let the star point guard beat them in Game 2, notes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Brunson had no problem adjusting, setting a new career playoff high by handing out 14 assists. “It just shows that he plays the right way,” teammate Mikal Bridges said. “If you’re not going to send a double-team, I think it’s an advantage for him. If you send a double-team, he’s going to read and react and find the open guy. Ever since I’ve known him, he plays the right way. Kudos to him, how he works, and his understanding of the game. If you’re going to come (double-team him), he’s going to make you pay and that’s what makes him great.”
- Speaking of Bridges, he continues to be everything the Knicks hoped for when they gave up five first-round picks to acquire him and signed him to a $150MM extension, says Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. Bridges has been the Knicks’ primary defender on James Harden and has scored 37 points on 16-of-23 shooting (69.6%) through the first two games of the series. “He’s an amazing player,” Knicks forward OG Anunoby said. “He’s been his whole career. I’m not surprised at all. This is Mikal. He’s a great player.”
- While it hasn’t prevented the Knicks from building a 2-0 lead in the series, Mitchell Robinson‘s poor free throw shooting remains a concern for the team, as Jared Schwartz of The New York Post observes. After making 2-of-8 shots from the line in Game 1, Robinson missed all four of his attempts in Game 2, resulting in Brown playing him just three minutes in the second half.
- Trade deadline acquisition Jose Alvarado has averaged just 7.5 minutes per night through the first two games vs. Cleveland, but he’s having a real impact on the team even when he’s not on the court, according to the Knicks’ head coach. “We actually pointed it out to our group in practice,” Brown said on Thursday, per Schwartz. “You watch the film, he’s uplifting the entire team when he’s on the bench. He’s always talking in a positive way. He’s showing our young guys that you can impact the game if you’re present, because Jose’s always present. You’re using your voice and your energy, guys feel that on the floor. Jose’s been phenomenal.”
Knicks Notes: Clarkson, Shamet, Anunoby, Bridges
Jordan Clarkson signed with the Knicks last summer to play for a contender, but he had fallen completely out of the rotation by the trade deadline, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. It would have been understandable if he had asked to be dealt or bought out, but Clarkson said he didn’t consider either option.
“Never,” he stated. “I was just going with the flow, staying locked in. I don’t really think too far ahead. Whatever is in the moment is what’s going on. I got out the mud, bro. I was a second-round pick, damn near undrafted. I just stick with the grind and stick with the process, try to find ways to impact the game. I only care about winning. I came here for the opportunity to play winning basketball.”
Clarkson’s rejuvenation began during a game at Utah in mid-March when he scored 27 points in 26 minutes to spark a comeback victory. He also pulled down five offensive rebounds and played tight defense, exhibiting traits that have made him a valuable member of the Knicks’ bench as they’ve moved within a win of the conference finals.
New York’s reserves made the difference in Friday’s Game 3 win at Philadelphia as Clarkson combined with Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson and Jose Alvarado to score 28 points and collect 14 rebounds. Coach Mike Brown is gratified to see that his “stay-ready” approach to handing out playing time is working.
“As a coach, you love to see it,” Brown said. “That’s why you give different guys opportunities at different times. Sometimes you start Landry, sometimes you start (Mohamed Diawara), sometimes you start this guy. Hopefully, it shows, coming from me, that I have a confidence in them. And, not only that, your number can be called at any time, so be ready. Our guys have taken that to heart. A lot of good guys who are resilient fighters and done a good job of staying present.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Shamet scored 15 points off the bench, topping his total from the previous six playoff games, notes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. With OG Anunoby unavailable on Friday, Shamet played more than 26 minutes and was part of New York’s closing lineup. “You just stay ready,” he said. “It felt good, it felt good to get out there with my teammates, it felt good to get a win. We have one more.”
- Anunoby is listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 4 as he tries to work his way back from a strained right hamstring, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Miles McBride replaced him in the starting lineup, but only played 21 minutes.
- Mikal Bridges‘ defensive effort against Tyrese Maxey has been a huge reason for the Knicks’ 3-0 series lead, Begley adds in a full story. The high-scoring Sixers guard is averaging 18.6 PPG during the series – nearly 10 fewer than his season average – while shooting 2-of-12 from three-point range and committing 12 turnovers. “He’s doing an amazing job. That’s a tough task, a tall order,” Josh Hart said. “The way he is able to maneuver and navigate screens, do all those things, and on top of that, give us good shots, good minutes and a good quality of executing on the offensive end is great.”
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Robinson, Bridges, Alvarado
In the Knicks’ first-round victory over the Hawks, they relied on the offensive output of their best defender to help take them over the top. OG Anunoby stepped out of the role player spotlight and assumed the role of leading man, Howie Kussoy writes for the New York Post.
The 6’8″ wing had 29 points and seven rebounds in the record-setting Game 6 victory, a performance that epitomized his play throughout the matchup. Over the course of the series, he averaged 21.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while hitting 56.7% of his threes and playing versatile defense against Atlanta’s best scorers.
“[He was] just doing everything — scoring, defense, rebounding, making plays,” said Mikal Bridges. “He’s doing everything out there and that’s what we need. And I think he’s gonna continue to do that for us.”
It was a performance impressive enough to beg the question if we should be thinking about Anunoby more as a third star than another elite role player, contends Jake Nisse of the New York Post.
We have more from the Knicks:
- The Knicks have struggled at times to establish their toughness, often operating as more of a finesse team than one built on brute force, but in Game 6, Mitchell Robinson showed his ability to play enforcer, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. It was a message he was trying to show since Game 1, when he wrote “Standing on business” on the tape wrapping his ankles. An altercation with the Hawks’ Dyson Daniels brought all of that to the forefront again. “Mitch is a big part of our locker room. What he does on the court — obviously y’all know he impacts winning, and he does a lot of things that sometimes don’t end up on the stat sheet, but makes us come out with a W,” Karl-Anthony Towns said.”So, Mitch is very vital for our locker room, for our team, and we’re always gonna support him. We’re always gonna stand behind him when he wants to, I guess – quote-unquote – ‘stand on business.'”
- After a brutal start to the series, Bridges found the range offensively in Game 6 and may have recaptured some of his usual swagger, the Post’s Stefan Bondy writes. Bridges finished the game with 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting and hit big momentum shots over the course of the night. “He just did what he’s capable of doing,” coach Mike Brown said. “Now, is he going to go 10-for-12 every night? No. But he was aggressive and took great shots. And it shouldn’t go unnoticed that his defense was phenomenal. … A big night on both ends of the floor by Mikal.”
- Jose Alvarado got to experience a special moment in the Game 5 victory over the Hawks, as his hometown crowd sang “Jose, Jose, Jose” while he was being subbed out in the third quarter, Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News writes. It’s a feeling he isn’t taking for granted. “It’s amazing,” Alvarado said. “I can’t really put it into words. I always had a Knicks jersey on. I always think, ‘This is crazy.’ But it’s a good feeling. I’m excited to be in the city I’m from and compete for a championship.” Alvarado wasn’t just a hometown kid in the series though — he was an impactful player off the bench, culminating with his Game 5 performance, when he scored 12 points in 11 minutes.
Knicks Notes: Hart, Clarkson, Alvarado, Towns
The Knicks‘ series against Atlanta turned around after Josh Hart demanded to be given the full-time defensive assignment on CJ McCollum, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes in a subscriber-only piece. After McCollum hit a game-winning shot to give the Hawks a 2-1 series lead, Hart made sure the coaching staff understood his intentions.
“I cursed out one of our defensive [coaches] for taking me off him at the end of Game 3,” said Hart, who also walked into the coaches’ room at halftime of Game 4 to make sure it didn’t happen again. “I said, ‘I’m on him. Don’t take me off him. I’m guarding him. And that was the challenge I wanted.”
The difference was stark, Bondy notes, as McCollum averaged 27 points per game in the first three games of the series while shooting 51% from the field and 39% on three-pointers. Over the final three games, he was limited to 11.3 PPG while his shooting dropped to 39.5% from the field and 10% from beyond the arc. He averaged 3.3 turnovers in that span and only 1.3 assists.
“At a certain point, it’s just pride,” Hart said. “It’s wanting to obviously try to stop him, to limit him. Games 1 and 2, he had (about) 30 (per game). It was just a pride thing. Go out there and get stops.”
There’s more from New York:
- The additions of Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado have given the Knicks more depth than they’ve had in recent seasons, notes Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. That backcourt duo has teamed with Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride to provide a reliable second unit that takes some of the stress off the starters. Clarkson and Alvarado both fell out of coach Mike Brown’s rotation late in the season, but they’ve reemerged since the playoffs began. “[Being out of the rotation is] definitely challenging, but I’ve been in the league for 12 years. I know how it goes,” Clarkson said. “Just continue to stay ready. There’s a locker room of young guys and other people, watching me and seeing how I react to those things. Set an example for them. Continue to stay locked in. … Just wait for my opportunity to go out there and play. Everybody setting that example and having everybody ready is big for the team.”
- The first-round series featured Karl-Anthony Towns‘ best sustained performance since Brown took over as head coach, observes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. There were season-long concerns about whether Towns could adjust to Brown’s system, but he was dominant against Atlanta, posting a combined plus-62 rating over the final three games of the series. “I never doubted my ability,” Towns said. “I never doubted the work I put in. It’s just – you gotta adjust, you gotta adjust. Especially (with) a lot of new things being thrown at you, you’re being asked to do a lot more things – some things that (haven’t) consistently been asked of me in my career. It’s one thing anyone who knows me, who’s followed my career, I’m willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes for the team to win.”
- James L. Edwards of The Athletic considers whether the Knicks are now in the best position of anybody to win the East.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Towns, Anunoby, Alvarado
A change in strategy by the Hawks set up Jalen Brunson for his best performance of the series in Tuesday’s Game 5, writes Vincent Goodwill of ESPN. Coach Quin Snyder opted to switch Dyson Daniels onto Karl-Anthony Towns, who posted a triple-double on Sunday. That gave Brunson more freedom to operate, and he responded with 39 points while shooting 15-of-23 from the field as the Knicks cruised to a 29-point win.
“It’s like a chess match,” Brunson said. “If someone makes a move, you’ve got to make another move. You’ve got to wait to see what they do. The way we play, we’ve got to be ready for anything.”
Atlanta posted a pair of one-point victories in Games 2 and 3 to take the lead in the series, but New York has been dominant since then, holding the Hawks to 42.7% from the field and 27.7% from three-point range in the last two outings. CJ McCollum, who looked like the star of the series early on, was limited to six points on Tuesday.
“It’s been a multitude of things. We picked it up as a unit,” Brunson of the Knicks’ defense. “They’ve also gotten a lot of looks. and we were lucky they were missing. I think us being on the same page, both sides of the ball, was a factor.”
There’s more from New York:
- The defensive adjustment didn’t seem to bother Towns, who finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Knicks ran their offense through him most of the night, observes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Towns was able to overpower Daniels in the paint and use his size advantage to get the ball to open teammates. “I feel like passing’s been my thing since I came into the league. Sometimes the scoring gets more noticed than the passing,” Towns said. “But I’m glad I have the opportunity to show what I can do, passing-wise. I’ve just got to continue to stay disciplined, continue to make the right play, regardless if it’s the scoring play or the hockey assist.”
- OG Anunoby may be New York’s best player throughout the series, Braziller adds in a separate story. Anunoby turned in another great game with 17 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and a plus-19 rating, and his teammates are recognizing the contribution he’s making every night. “He’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA,” Towns said. “This series has been great for him to show the world on a big stage something that we always thought he was. When you have someone like that who is that good offensively and even better defensively, weirdly enough, it’s special. I believe he’s going to be First Team All-Defense, and he deserves it.”
- After not playing in the series opener, Jose Alvarado has worked his way back into the rotation, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. He came off the bench to score 12 points in 12 minutes in Game 5 and helped the Knicks pull away early in the second quarter. Schwartz notes that Alvarado’s latest chance came after guards Landry Shamet and Miles McBride struggled earlier in the series.
Knicks Notes: Game 2 Collapse, Towns, Alvarado, Robinson, More
Karl-Anthony Towns was the Knicks‘ second-leading scorer in Game 2 of their first-round series against Atlanta, with 18 points, but he was essentially a non-factor during the fourth quarter of their 107-106 loss, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes.
Towns attempted just two shots during those 12 minutes as the Knicks squandered a 12-point lead. He scored 25 points and dished out four assists in the Game 1 victory.
“The opportunity just didn’t come around shooting,” he said after Monday’s loss. “But at the end of the day, I trust everybody in this locker room to shoot the ball. The opportunities weren’t available for me in the fourth and it was fine.”
Jalen Brunson dominated the ball during much of that final quarter as New York scored just 15 points and shot 22.7% from the floor.
“We could’ve flowed better, for sure. We could’ve done that,” Towns said. “But at the end of the day, I have to watch the tape. When you’re so into the game, it’s hard to give a great assessment about it.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Jose Alvarado was a bright spot in the loss, according to Braziller. The reserve guard provided three assists, two rebounds and pesky defense in his nine-minute stint. Mitchell Robinson‘s performance was also a positive, in Braziller’s view. The big man notched 13 points, seven rebounds, a steal and a block in 18 minutes.
- Lay the blame for the late collapse on coach Mike Brown, Brunson and OG Anunoby, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post opines. Brown mismanaged his timeouts, Brunson got lit up by CJ McCollum and Anunoby committed a crucial turnover and missed two late free throws.
- James Edwards III of The Athletic blames the loss largely on Brown, not only for the timeout issues but for his rotations. Brunson and Towns were both on the bench when the fourth quarter started and Atlanta made its run. Brown stood by that decision. “We’ve played that lineup quite a bit at the end of the season,” Brown said. “That lineup’s been pretty good. We weren’t good tonight and we turned the ball over a few too many times during that period. But we had opportunities where our starters were in, and we were up eight to 10 [points] and Atlanta closed it. So I wouldn’t just say that specific lineup caused it.”