Baron Davis Reveals 'Only Reason' Knicks Suffered Playoff Failure Against Pacers
Baron Davis believes there was one key reason the New York Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The former All-Star point guard was not shy about sharing his thoughts during an appearance for Paul George's podcast.
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The Knicks went into the series against the Pacers as the favorites. However, what ultimately resulted was a 4-2 win for Indiana after six games. One tactic stood above the rest for Davis when it came to New York's downfall.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) guarded by Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2)© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
In his appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, the former Knicks guard commented on the pressure that the Pacers brought. It had a big hand against Jalen Brunson in particular.
"What happened where Indiana was successful is that the half-court started to become another defender and a problem for him," Davis stated.
The two-time All-Star continued: "Bringing the ball up the court against pressure, then you get that pick and roll happening down there, right by half court. Even though the court got bigger and wider, his space got limited."
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The problem from here was that Brunson was the only member of the Knicks that Davis thought could reliably bring the ball up. That became too much of a burden in his opinion.
Davis added, "Nobody on the Knicks outside of Jalen Brunson could bring the ball up the court. That's the only reason why they lost. Indiana puts pressure. You turn the ball over. Indiana puts pressure, then you extend your offense. They eating the clock. They were tearing the clock up. So he's dribbling all, he got the ball all shot clock."
The Knicks will hope for more support from their stars flanking their point guard next season. If not, Brunson could be in for a rough ride once more.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
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