Following their series-clinching Game 6 victory against the Detroit Pistons, celebrated on the Little Caesars Arena court, New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges prepared for an interview with renowned announcer Mike Breen.
Bridges was key to the win, scoring a tying left-handed putback with 35 seconds remaining, setting up star Jalen Brunson`s decisive winning 3-pointer. The veteran wing was still energized when questioned about the Knicks` tendency for dramatic late-game finishes.
“We`re built for this,” the typically reserved Bridges stated emphatically, before Breen reminded him they were live on air.
Despite the on-air language, Bridges` sentiment was undeniable. That game saw the Knicks overcome a seven-point gap in the final 2:30, capping a series where the last four contests were decided by minimal margins. This performance led into a compelling conference semifinal against the reigning champion Boston Celtics, a series many expected to involve minimal late-game drama from New York`s side.
In the regular season, Boston dominated their first three encounters, winning by large margins (23, 27, and 13 points). Furthermore, the Celtics boasted the league`s best clutch-time win rate, suggesting late-game scenarios would also favor them.
However, the Knicks appear revitalized, displaying remarkable resilience in critical late-game situations, both in the Detroit series and now against Boston. Although the Celtics easily won Game 3 by 22 points, New York challenged them severely in Games 1 and 2, overturning significant (20-point plus) leads in Boston`s home arena to force close finishes.
With defensive standout Bridges making crucial winning stops in their victories and Jalen Brunson, the NBA`s Clutch Player of the Year, leading the way, New York seems genuinely equipped for the intense, high-stakes moments of the playoffs.
Backup guard Deuce McBride commented on their challenging path, stating, “I think it`s been a big help that we`ve gone through a lot of fire… We walk through it together, and we come out of it on the other side with a win.”
While some teams falter under pressure, the Knicks appear to thrive.
Their playoff success in tight contests isn`t random; the team possesses specific characteristics and a shared mentality that makes them formidable in these moments.
Clutch situations, defined as the last five minutes or overtime with a score difference of five points or less, typically involve slow, deliberate possessions and one-on-one plays. This aligns well with New York`s standard approach; they maintained one of the slowest paces in the league during the regular season (under 98 possessions per 48 minutes). Furthermore, entrusting Brunson with late-game ball-handling duties is a logical extension of his role, as he led the NBA in minutes with the ball (8.6 per game).
It`s also significant that coach Tom Thibodeau`s starting five has played together more minutes than any other unit in the league this season, despite ongoing discussion about their minutes. This extensive shared time has allowed the group to develop strong chemistry and understand their roles in various game states, including commanding leads, large deficits, and critical clutch periods.
This aligns with Thibodeau`s philosophy: cultivating “a mental discipline to get through all the things that may happen” over a season. Many players on the Knicks roster embody this, bringing numerous intangible qualities that influence games decided in the final moments.
Josh Hart, standing 6-foot-4 and known for his relentless effort, is remarkably effective, leading the NBA with 88 loose balls recovered in the regular season. His sharp instincts for offensive rebounds, exploiting defenders who give him space due to his outside shooting, frequently grant the Knicks crucial additional possessions.
“People always talk about offensive runs,” Thibodeau noted. “Well, I think you can go on defensive runs as well. And rebounding runs. Josh is a prime example, where he can get four or five rebounds in a row, even if he isn`t making shots.”
The Knicks` offensive rebounding significantly improved with the return of center Mitchell Robinson, who debuted on February 28 after recovering from ankle surgery.
This postseason, New York is rebounding nearly 39% of their missed shots, a rate that would lead the league in both the regular season and playoffs. Without Robinson, their offensive rebounding rate was an average 29.9%.
Additionally, two-way wings Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby have significantly impacted clutch moments. Both hit game-winning shots earlier in the season (Anunoby in Memphis, Bridges in Portland) and have been defensively crucial. Anunoby is a league leader in deflections, while Bridges leads the NBA with five combined blocks and steals (“stocks”) in the final 10 seconds of one-possession games, including plays that secured Games 1 and 2 against Boston.
After the Game 2 win against the Celtics, Thibodeau stated, “Once we get it to within 10, we always have the belief that we can win.”
Jalen Brunson perhaps best summarized the situation after New York`s first loss of the series on Saturday.
“We can`t consistently play catch-up against a team like this,” he remarked, recognizing New York`s smaller margin for error compared to Boston. “Against any NBA team, really, it`s tough for comebacks to happen. They are a great team, the defending champs.”
He added, “I just don`t think we want to be in a 20-point hole each game. It`s not going to suit us well.”
New York`s wins against Boston this season have all been extremely close games. Boston has established leads of 20 points or more in six of their seven matchups. Therefore, the Knicks` chances of winning the series, which they led 2-0 early on, likely depend on their ability to keep games tight enough to secure additional wins in clutch scenarios.
However, this strategy faces significant obstacles. Besides external factors like Karl-Anthony Towns` potential left hand injury in Game 3, Robinson`s effective rebounding is being countered by Boston`s intentional fouling (“hacking”). Robinson has struggled severely from the free-throw line in the series (16 misses out of 23 attempts), even air-balling two in Game 3. These struggles have led Thibodeau to substitute his center quickly, despite Robinson`s team-leading +29 plus/minus for the series, significantly higher than other players.
The Knicks also understand their difficulty increases when Boston hits a high percentage of their three-pointers, as they did in Game 3 (near 50%) after shooting poorly (25%) in Games 1 and 2.
Nevertheless, the Knicks lead the postseason in forcing opponent turnovers in clutch situations. Combined with a potential dip in Boston`s shooting accuracy, this could create opportunities for New York, who possess a more varied scoring attack and finished the regular season with one of the league`s top 3-point percentages.
Amid discussions comparing this Knicks team to previous versions, their mental fortitude might be overlooked. While perhaps not as defensively consistent or physically imposing as the teams of the last two seasons (which echoed the 1990s Knicks, unlike Julius Randle, who`s having a strong postseason with Minnesota), their belief seems stronger.
However, this season`s team arguably has a greater conviction in their ability to win. Brunson`s confidence in late-game situations, highlighted by his NBA-leading 52 clutch baskets despite missing time, seems to be the primary driver. His teammates now appear fully confident that he will make crucial shots.
“High-pressure situations don`t faze him. Doesn`t matter if he`s struggling or if he`s hooping, you`d never be able to tell,” Bridges commented on Brunson the night he eliminated the Pistons with his game-winner. “Once he got that separation, I knew it was curtains.”
The Knicks` trust in Brunson and the rest of the team, seemingly unfazed by late-game pressure, is clear. The key question for the series, however, is whether they can consistently push the favored champions into these clutch scenarios.
After all, they believe they are built for it.
