OG Anunoby Ruled Out For Game 3; Joel Embiid Will Play
The Knicks have ruled out starting forward OG Anunoby ahead of Friday’s Game 3 matchup in Philadelphia, head coach Mike Brown told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).
For the Sixers, Joel Embiid has been upgraded from questionable to available, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter links).
Head coach Nick Nurse gave a promising update on Embiid earlier on Friday when he suggested the former league MVP would attempt to suit up, Neubeck notes.
“He’s getting better all the time, he was a participant in (Friday’s) shootaround,” Nurse said of Embiid, who missed Game 2 due to ankle and hip injuries.
Anunoby was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain on Thursday after suffering the injury in Wednesday’s Game 2 victory. With the Knicks up 2-0, there was no urgency to rush Anunoby back, but multiple reports indicated the strain wasn’t serious and Brown continually referred to him as day-to-day on Friday, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
Anunoby has been outstanding in eight playoff games, averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks in 35.3 minutes per contest, with a scorching hot shooting line of .619/.538/.811. The 28-year-old traveled with the Knicks to Philadelphia, Bondy notes (via Twitter).
Miles McBride will take Anunoby’s place in the starting lineup, per the team (Twitter link via Bondy).
Josh Hart, who sprained his thumb in Game 2 and was originally listed as questionable Friday before being updated to probable, will suit up again tonight, Brown confirmed (Twitter link via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps). Hart is among a handful of Knicks who could receive more shots and minutes with Anunoby out.
According to Bondy (Twitter link), Hart said he underwent an X-ray on his injured left thumb, which came back negative.
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Shamet, McBride, Hart, Robinson
Given that even mild hamstring strains often require a recovery period of a week or two, there was some skepticism on Thursday when OG Anunoby was dubbed day-to-day and listed as questionable for Friday’s game after being diagnosed with a strain. However, league sources tell Stefan Bondy and Jared Schwartz of The New York Post (subscription required) that imaging revealed a “very minor” strain and that the Knicks forward is truly considered day-to-day.
Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link) conveyed a similar sentiment in the latest episode of The Putback.
“This is not something that’s going to (take) weeks (to come back from) unless there’s some kind of setback,” Begley said. “If he misses games, it’s going to be a handful of games. He will be back, assuming the Knicks get through Philadelphia. He will be back in this series if the Sixers take a game or two. (There’s) optimism in the locker room — there’s a chance he could be back Friday or Sunday.”
While Anunoby hasn’t been ruled out yet for Game 3 on Friday, it would be surprising if he suited up just two days after suffering the injury, especially with the Knicks holding a 2-0 lead in the series. However, all indications are that he won’t miss as much time as he has when he sustained similar injuries in the past. As Bondy and Schwartz write, two previous hamstring strains cost Anunoby nine games and four games, respectively, but this one is considered milder than either of those.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- In separate stories for the Post, Schwartz breaks down the ripple effect of Anunoby’s injury, noting that Landry Shamet could return to the rotation and the Knicks could deploy more double-big looks, while Bondy says the team should play it safe with Anunoby, arguing that Miles McBride is more than capable of taking his spot in the starting lineup for at least the next game or two.
- Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post breaks down why Josh Hart is the best bet to step up if Anunoby misses time, noting that the versatile swingman saw his production spike when Anunoby was injured early in the regular season.
- Of course, it’s not a lock that Hart will be available for Game 3 — he’s listed as questionable after spraining his left thumb in Game 2. Still, there have been no indications to this point that Hart’s availability is in serious jeopardy. Mitchell Robinson is also on the injury report after missing Game 2 with an illness, but he’s considered probable to return to action.
OG Anunoby Considered Day-To-Day With Hamstring Strain
Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who exited Wednesday’s game after sustaining an apparent leg injury, has been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and will be considered day-to-day, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, Anunoby is being listed as questionable to play in Game 3 in Philadelphia on Friday.
Anunoby appeared to suffer the injury on a missed dunk attempt with just over three minutes left in Game 2. The 28-year-old landed a little awkwardly and briefly grabbed at the back of his right leg, then was limping as he begin running up the court following the offensive possession (video link via NBA.com). He signaled to the bench that he needed to check out of the game and was subbed out shortly thereafter.
The diagnosis is probably a best-case scenario for the Knicks, given that a more severe hamstring strain can sideline a player for weeks or even months — Luka Doncic, notably, has been out since April 2 due to a Grade 2 strain. Anunoby’s day-to-day designation suggests his strain is a mild one.
Still, even a mild hamstring strain typically requires a recovery period of at least a few days, if not a week or two. Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who is currently recovering from a Grade 1 strain, hasn’t played since April 22.
While it sounds like Anunoby’s absence might not be an extended one, the team’s medical staff will want to ensure he’s not rushing back before he’s ready, since soft-tissue injuries can easily be aggravated if they’re not fully healed.
Anunoby is averaging a team-high 35.3 minutes per game so far in the postseason, so head coach Mike Brown will have to reconfigure his rotation if the two-way wing is forced to miss time. That would likely result in an increased role for reserve guard Miles McBride, who was part of the Knicks’ closing lineup on Wednesday following Anunoby’s exit. The team would probably lean a little more heavily on wings Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, with Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, and Jose Alvarado among the other candidates for more playing time.
The Knicks hold a 2-0 lead in the series, but the Sixers came back from a 3-1 deficit in the first round, so New York won’t want to take its foot off the gas as the series shifts to Philadelphia.
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Bridges, McBride, Fouls, Workout
The Knicks came through in crunch time on Wednesday to pull out a victory in Game 2 of their second-round series vs. the 76ers and will carry a 2-0 lead into Philadelphia. However, the win may have come out a cost, as standout forward OG Anunoby exited the game in the fourth quarter due to an apparent right hamstring injury and didn’t return, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post.
Anunoby appeared to sustain the injury on a missed dunk attempt with just over three minutes left in the game. The 28-year-old landed a little awkwardly and briefly grabbed at the back of his leg, then was limping as he begin running up the court following the offensive possession (video link via NBA.com). He signaled to the bench that he needed to check out of the game and was subbed out shortly thereafter.
“It looked like he was hopping, but I don’t know anything,” head coach Mike Brown said after the game, per Vincent Goodwill of ESPN. “They haven’t told me. I just know he left the game. Nobody said he was back. I haven’t talked to anybody yet.”
There have been on additional updates on Anunoby since last night, so we’re still waiting to get a sense of whether the injury is a minor one or if it’s more significant. As Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post and Ian O’Connor of The Athletic write, it’s a concerning development for a team that has been playing its best basketball since Game 4 of the first round, given how important Anunoby has been during that stretch. He holds overall playoff averages of 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 35.3 minutes per game.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Mikal Bridges‘ scoring average dropped to 14.4 points per game this season, making him a target for criticism given what the Knicks paid to acquire him (five first-round picks) and to extend him ($150MM over four years). However, he has been on a roll in the postseason, showing why the team valued him so highly, writes Jake Nisse of The New York Post. Bridges has scored 35 points on 16-of-23 (69.6%) shooting through the first two games of the second round and has been one of the primary defenders on Sixers star Tyrese Maxey, who has made just 12-of-32 shots (37.5%) while committing 10 turnovers. Bridges’ contributions could be even more important going forward if Anunoby misses time, Nisse notes.
- Count Miles McBride among the Knicks who is prepared to take on a larger role if necessary, depending on Anunoby’s diagnosis, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. McBride said he’d be “extremely comfortable” if asked to do more. “I feel like the coaching staff trusts me, I know my teammates trust me and I trust myself overall,” McBride said. “So if that happens, I know I’ll be ready.”
- After his big men got into foul trouble for the second straight game, Brown suggested in his post-game media session that he hopes the free throw discrepancy between the two teams gets “evened out a little bit more” over the course of the series, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. “I think it was (Karl-Anthony Towns)’ third or fourth foul where Maxey came off him,” Brown said, presumably referring to this play. “I’m not sure what’s a bump and what’s not a bump, but up by half-court, I gotta go back and I gotta watch that, because you can literally call somebody getting bumped every time down the floor if you want to. And so, for KAT to pick up his third or fourth foul that way — I can’t remember which one it was — that was tough.”
- Texas Tech wing Donovan Atwell, Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau, Kentucky center Malachi Moreno, and Ohio guard Jackson Paveletzke were among the prospects who took part in a pre-draft workout with the Knicks on Tuesday, a league source tells Adam Zagoria of NJ.com (Twitter link). New York holds three picks in this year’s draft — Nos. 24, 31, and 55.
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: Towns, Hart, Brunson, McBride
The Knicks struggled to put four straight quarters of high-level offense together in Games 2 and 3 of their series against the Hawks. In Game 4, they turned to Karl-Anthony Towns as the lead man, and it may have saved their season, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. The Knicks have had issues getting the talented center involved at times, but they made a clear effort to do so on Saturday.
The six-time All-Star had his first playoff triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. His passing from the top of the key opened up the game for the Knicks, as did the off-ball play designs from head coach Mike Brown, which got players like OG Anunoby shot after shot inside, most of which were courtesy of Towns.
“[Towns] is a special talent. He can do it all. And I know if I get open, he’ll find me,” Anunoby said after the game, per Winfield. “No matter how tight the window is, he’ll be able to find it. It’s amazing playing with a player like him.”
Brown said that the decision to play through Towns was a result of being willing to adjust quickly, given the magnitude of the game, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
“We just switched our early offense,” Brown said. “So with us switching our early offense up the way we did, the ball went to his hands quite a bit.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- Josh Hart is best known for his rebounding and hustle plays, but it’s his defensive versatility that has allowed New York to come back and tie their first-round series with the Hawks, Jared Schwartz writes for the New York Post. Hart split his time guarding CJ McCollum, who has been picking apart the Knicks’ defense for much of the series, and Jalen Johnson. He was similarly effective on both players, and his intensity helped set the tone for New York’s perimeter defense, which held the Hawks to 24.4% shooting from deep and converted 19 Atlanta turnovers into 21 points. “Josh was really good on the ball,” Brown said. “Josh is a guy with quick feet, he’s strong and when he gets locked in, he’s locked in. His defensive activity, especially when he [pressures the ball], was fabulous [Saturday night]. Really, really good. And we needed all of it.”
- Another crucial part of the Knicks’ victory was finding a way to keep Jalen Brunson from being a target on defense. On Saturday, Brown was able to do that, Winfield writes. “We mix it up so Jalen is not always on [the ball-handler],” Brown said pregame. “When he is, we got to make sure we continue to mix up our defensive coverages.” Brunson also waved away concerns over the visible disagreement he had with his father, assistant coach Rick Brunson, simply saying, “That was two competitors,” per Schwartz.
- It’s been an inconsistent start to the playoffs for Miles McBride, who is still less than three months removed from undergoing sports hernia surgery. McBride has had some positive moments, especially late in games, but has made just one two-pointer and has yet to attempt a free throw. He’s not making excuses about his injury though, Bondy writes. “I expect a lot out of myself, more than anybody else, honestly. And I try not to listen to how I’m feeling day to day,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter; if I’m supposed to get a stop, I gotta get a stop. If I’m supposed to make a shot, I gotta make a shot. So I try not to think about it. Reality is, I’ve gotta go out there and perform.”
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Brown, Defense, Game 4, Robinson
Part of the pitch head coach Mike Brown made when he was hired by the Knicks last summer was instituting an offensive scheme that would allow star Jalen Brunson to get easier looks and be less ball-dominant. Through three playoff games, that has not been the case, and Brunson’s effectiveness on offense has suffered because of it, Jared Schwartz writes for the New York Post.
Part of that is due to a roster construction flaw that was always present but has been particularly noticeable in this series: the Knicks lack a second ball-handler who can get into the defense and create opportunities for teammates. Josh Hart is better at attacking an already-tilted defense, while players like OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, and Mikal Bridges are limited by a shaky handle and a lack of explosiveness with the ball. Karl-Anthony Towns is a good passer from a standstill but struggles to make reads on the move.
The Hawks also have a group of strong perimeter defenders, led by Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who have hounded Brunson and made life difficult for him.
“We all have to be aggressive, not just to shoot the ball, but be aggressive to touch the paint [on drives],” Brown said. “And if you don’t have anything in the paint, you gotta spray it. We haven’t gone anywhere near our sprays that we’ve wanted to in these first three games.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- After two-and-a-half games of struggling to contain Hawks guard CJ McCollum, the Knicks seemed to find an answer by putting Hart on him in the second half of Game 3. Hart corralled the smaller McCollum, holding him to just 2-of-5 shooting, Schwartz writes. However, when they most needed to get a stop on the final play of the game, Brown went away from the strategy. Instead, he had the smaller McBride guard McCollum one-on-one with 16 seconds to go while up one point, while Hart defended the inbounds passer. McCollum was able to get free for a comfortable look that ultimately proved to be the game-winner. “I’m not happy with my contest,” McBride said. “He made the shot. I feel like if I maybe had bumped him earlier, but trying to get a feel for how the game was being called. I don’t want to put him at the free-throw line in a sense like that.”
- The Knicks are only down 2-1 in the series, but they’re viewing Game 4 as a must-win, Steve Popper writes for Newsday. “We’re playing for our lives,” McBride said. “I mean, it is a seven-game series and it’s the first to four, but it’s ticking away. We don’t want to leave it up to chance. We don’t want to say we wish we could have or we wish we would have done this different. We want to take every opportunity, every chance we can, and take advantage of it, be together as a team and figure it out.”
- Mitchell Robinson has been uncharacteristically absent for a team that relied on the backup big man to provide much of their identity and defensive backbone throughout the year. On Friday, Robinson’s trainer, Marcell Scott, took to Instagram to express frustration with Brown’s approach to the series, Schwartz writes in another New York Post story. “Knicks Coach Mike Brown is SCARED to get mad!!!” Scott wrote on his post. “He’s to [sic] nice of a guy to coach the New York Knicks!!! He would rather play OG at the 5, instead of [Towns] and Mitch at the 4 and 5. Nice guys finish last Coach!” Scott has been vocal about Robinson’s role on the team in the past, Schwartz notes, including a post in December urging Brown to get Robinson more involved in the offense. Brown has said throughout the series that he’s struggled to find the right matchups to unleash the defensive-minded big man, especially in lineups that include Towns.
Knicks Notes: Bridges, McBride, Robinson, Hart, Fouls
The Knicks‘ loss to the Hawks in Game 3 on Thursday was a team effort, but the most notable aspect was the performance of Mikal Bridges, who went scoreless in 20 minutes, with more turnovers (four) than steals, assists, rebounds, and points combined.
Head coach Mike Brown isn’t benching Bridges, but he came closer to doing so on Thursday, as he was replaced for most of the second half by Miles McBride, Vincent Goodwill writes for ESPN.
While McBride was one of the few Knicks hitting shots, Bridges looked out of sorts, lacking confidence or intentionality, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. After the NBA’s iron man was benched two minutes into the third quarter, Brown put him back on the court to start the fourth quarter. His one attempt to make a play with the ball ended in a turnover, and he was pulled once again in favor of McBride.
“I’ve got to take it on the chin, handle it how I’m supposed to and be ready for the next one,” Bridges said. “You know, it’s going to suck. It is what it is. I’ve just got to be better to help my team out there.”
Determining whether to replace Bridges with McBride in the starting lineup will be a crucial decision, according to Ian Begley of SNY, who notes that the Knicks have been getting off to slow starts and says they can’t afford to do so in Game 4 on Saturday.
Brown isn’t committing to a change yet, but he’s also not ruling anything out, per James L. Edwards III at The Athletic. The Knicks’ coach told reporters on Friday that the lineup for Game 4 would be a game-time call.
We have more from the Knicks:
- New York has struggled to get backup center Mitchell Robinson involved in this series despite his importance to the team throughout the year. Brown hasn’t been able to find ways to use him, especially with Karl-Anthony Towns playing well, Andrew Crane writes for The Post. On Thursday, Robinson played just 11 minutes and finished the game with four rebounds. Crane notes it’s only the seventh game all year in which the big man recorded four or fewer boards. When asked what he was looking for in terms of using Towns and Robinson together, Brown said the two-big lineup “has to fit offensively and defensively over the course of a ball game,” per Begley (Twitter link), adding that it’s been hard to find the right matchups to roll it out against.
- Josh Hart also struggled on offense in Game 4, recording just two points on 1-of-9 shooting in 40 minutes. However, he has still managed to be the Knicks’ most important player through three games, Edwards writes. His defense on Jalen Johnson and CJ McCollum has been crucial for keeping the Knicks in a series they might otherwise be trailing 3-0, and he remains an elite rebounder, averaging 12.0 per contest through three games. If the Knicks are going to make it out of the first round, they’ll need even more from him, Edwards says. More importantly, they need the rest of the team to play with as much hustle and determination as their versatile, undersized forward.
- While a majority of the Knicks’ issues have been either self-inflicted or the result of the Hawks’ tough defense and shot-making, Brown is also frustrated with a lack of calls for his players as they drive to the basket. “When they close out hard, we gotta drive the basketball. I do think it’s a tough game for the officials to officiate,” Brown said. “But I know we got fouled on a few of the drives that didn’t get called. It’s tough to see 20-26 [free-throw discrepancy] in a one-possession game when you know for sure there were a couple of fouls that should’ve been called.”
Knicks Notes: Brown, Towns, Robinson, Shamet
Much of the discussion following the Knicks‘ loss to the Hawks in Game 2 revolved around coach Mike Brown‘s decisions regarding lineups and timeout usage. Asked ahead of Game 3 whether he’ll stick with his usual substitution patterns, Brown says he’s open to tweaking his rotation, Andrew Crane writes for the New York Post.
“Anything’s open to discussion offensively, defensively,” Brown said. “Maybe changing this defensively. Maybe changing that offensively. I’m comfortable with all of our guys playing, no matter who the five is out there.”
The Knicks’ players themselves say they’re fully confident in Brown’s adjustments, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, noting that it’s up to them to execute the game plan their coach lays out for them. Playing with pace and physicality are two points of emphasis among the coaching staff and the players.
“We [have to] get the ball faster, run on makes and misses,” said Jalen Brunson. “Just be who we are and don’t let things are not that important in this moment — it shouldn’t mean we’re not doing the things that we’re supposed to be doing.”
We have more Knicks notes:
- Karl-Anthony Towns took 12 shots in Game 2 and only two in the fourth quarter as the lead the Knicks had built slipped away. In a feature story for ESPN, Vincent Goodwill outlines how Brown and the coaching staff have struggled all season to maximize the star big man on offense but observes that it hasn’t impacted Towns’ desire to continue being a Knick. “He so badly wants things to work here,” a source close to Towns tells ESPN. “He wants to be a Knick for life.”
- Mitchell Robinson isn’t angry about the Hawks employing intentional fouls as a way to force him off the floor. He views it as a sign of respect, Winfield writes. “I mean, yeah, I feel like they want to get me off the court, so I know I’m threatening they ass and it be like that,” Robinson said. Despite being just 2-for-6 from the line through two games, Robinson believes that the work he puts in to practice his free throws will pay off in the end. “Sometimes, it go in; sometimes, it don’t,” he said. “Confidence still high, so still ready to go.” Brown is trying to figure out how to get the defensive-minded center more minutes, but he says it’s been difficult because the two-big lineups with Towns haven’t been effective so far this series, Ian Begley of SNY notes (via Twitter).
- The Knicks have praised Landry Shamet‘s plug-and-play ability all year, but he hit a rough patch towards the end of the season and hasn’t found a way to break out of it so far in the playoffs, Jared Schwartz writes for the New York Post. Shamet shot just 1-for-7 from the field over the first two games of the series, with six of those seven attempts from beyond the arc. The Knicks have struggled to find a stable ball-handler off the bench, as both Shamet and Miles McBride are more comfortable off the ball and have difficulty breaking down defenses off the dribble. Those two were supposed to be New York’s top guard depth, but neither has been able to get going, forcing Brown to turn to Jose Alvarado instead as a source of energy and ball-handling.
Knicks Notes: Hawks Matchup, Prospects, McBride
The third-seeded Knicks were unfazed when they learned they’d be playing the Hawks in the first round instead of Toronto, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. The Raptors needed to win Sunday’s regular season finale against the tanking Nets — which they did — to earn the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta could have secured the fifth seed if it had won at Miami, but the team sat most of its rotation members and lost. The Hawks’ defeat, combined with Orlando losing to Boston, moved Toronto up to No. 5, with Atlanta sliding down one spot to No. 6.
“Right now, I think we’re excited to be in this situation,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said ahead of Sunday’s game. “Whoever we play is gonna be really good. It’s hard to even try to figure that out. It’s possible that certain teams wanna play us. The primary thing is for us to be healthy going into the postseason. That’s been the one thing that has been consistent the last few weeks and months — you don’t know what’s gonna happen. It’s hard to predict all these games, they’re all going on. Wherever it falls is where it falls, and we’ll prepare for the playoffs, regardless of who that is.”
Guards Jordan Clarkson and Miles McBride said the Knicks are focused on playing their own game, Schwartz notes.
“We didn’t pay any attention to that,” Clarkson said. “It’s just what they wanted to do.”
We have more on the Knicks:
- James L. Edwards III and John Hollinger of The Athletic preview the first-round matchup with Atlanta, with both writers predicting the Knicks to win in six games. Edwards and Hollinger think New York’s size and rebounding will be too much for Atlanta to overcome, though they wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a competitive series. Edwards views Mikal Bridges as the X-factor for New York, while Hollinger lists Jonathan Kuminga as a key swing factor for the Hawks.
- The Knicks hosted a pre-draft workout on Monday that included Kowacie Reeves Jr. (Georgia Tech), Toby Harris (Iona), William Kyle (Syracuse), Jayden Epps (Mississippi State), and Wyatt Fricks (Marshall), reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter). None of those five prospects are on ESPN’s top 100 list. New York controls one first-round pick and two second-rounders in the 2026 draft, Begley notes.
- McBride struggled in his first five games back since returning from sports hernia surgery, but he played well in Sunday’s finale with the Knicks resting all their starters, per Fiifi Frimpong of The New York Daily News. The 25-year-old had 21 points (on 8-of-15 shooting), three rebounds, one assist and one steal through three quarters (24 minutes) prior to sitting out the fourth. McBride said pain management will be key for him for the rest of the season. “Dealing through residual pain of the surgery is not fun, but it’s part of the journey, just trying to do anything I can do to help the team win,” McBride said.