Latest news with #2025EasternConferenceFinals
New York Post
28-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Stephen A. Smith rails on Knicks stars for sloppy Game 4 play: ‘What the hell is going on!'
The Knicks weren't exactly playing their best basketball against the Pacers through three quarters on Tuesday night. And Stephen A. Smith was letting them know about it as directly as he could. The ESPN 'First Take' panelist took to X during Game 4 and called out the team — which had 14 turnovers through 36 minutes — and he called for both Mikal Briges and Josh Hart to get it together, tagging their handles. 'The @nyknicks desperately need @mikal_bridges to step up if they're going to win this game. Missed shots. Turnovers. ill-timed decisions. #Damn [Come] on bro,' he wrote. 'You too @joshhart. The @nyknicks need him too. Not taking the damn night off with one mishap after another! What the Hell is going on!' 3 Josh Hart of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals on May 27, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NBAE via Getty Images Hart and Bridges combined for just 15 points through three quarters as the team trailed by 11 points going into the final quarter. Game 4 was a huge swing game for the Knicks, which probably factored more into Smith, a well-known fan of the team, getting riled up over the team's play. After losing two heartbreakers on home court, the Knicks rallied in Game 3 to make it a 2-1 series before Tuesday night. 3 Mikal Bridges of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals on May 27, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NBAE via Getty Images 3 Stephen A. Smith attends a playoff basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors at Arena on May 8, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images But after Game 1's 14-point choke job, ex-NFL defensive end Chris Canty said on ESPN Radio that the Knicks were maybe suffering from what he called 'the curse of Stephen A. Smith' for his incessant trash talk of the Cowboys. Smith took exception to the trolling. 'It's that damn Chris Canty, I'm telling you right now, he does a phenomenal job for us on ESPN Radio every morning,' Smith said on 'First Take' this week. 'But ever since he got that damn radio show, he's gotten more evil. That's what he's done. That's what he turned into. Chris Canty used to be this nice big teddy bear…and then all of a sudden, he gets the morning radio show and he is just slicing and dicing people up – calling folks frauds and everything like that. And now he's trolling me. I'm gonna get him.' If the Knicks don't come back to take the series, it'll be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out.
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Russell Wilson and Ciara, Timothee Chalamet on a stacked celebrity row for Game 2 of Knicks-Pacers
There is nothing like celebrity row at Madison Square on a Friday night during the NBA playoffs. The who's who of Hollywood were in New York to see the Knicks take on the Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals following the Pacers stealing Game 1 in overtime on Wednesday night. Giants quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife, Grammy winner Ciara, were matching in denim looks and sunglasses as they took their courtside seats on Celebrity Row. Advertisement 4 Ciara and Russell Wilson on celebrity row attend Game 2 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks on May 23, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NBAE via Getty Images Knicks superfans Timothee Chalamet, Tracy Morgan and Ben Stiller were on hand again to support the team. Chalamet was without his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, who joined him for Game 4 of the Knicks-Celtics Eastern Conference semifinals in New York earlier this month. Advertisement Morgan arrived early during warmups and was spotted mingling on the court before he sat alongside fellow actors Bill Murray and Michael J. Fox on celebrity row. Singer Maggie Rogers was in the house and sported a Knicks varsity jacket. Advertisement 4 Ben Stiller and Timothee Chalamet attend Game 2 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks on May 23, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NBAE via Getty Images 4 (L-R) Tracy Morgan, Bill Murray, and Michael J. Fox attend Game 2 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks on May 23, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NBAE via Getty Images Actors Jerry O'Connell and Justin Long proudly sported Knicks gear in a selfie, which O'Connell posted on X. 'BING BONG. MUST WIN,' he wrote, referring to the popular rallying cry among Knicks fans. Advertisement The hottest stars have made the trip to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks-Pacers rematch of last season's Eastern Conference semifinals, which Indiana won in seven games. Celebrity row is only open to A-list stars, and it's invite-only. 4 Ben Stiller arriving to Game 2 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks on May 23, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NBAE via Getty Images The Eastern Conference finals shifts to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Sunday and Game 4 on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Can never let your guard down against them" - Thibs on the Knicks' epic Game 1 collapse vs. the Pacers
The New York Knicks were less than three minutes away from winning the series opener and taking a 1-0 lead in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. With a 14-point lead at that point, New York had a 99.7 percent chance of accomplishing that. But then came the Indiana Pacers. A flurry of three-pointers by Aaron Nesmith got the Pacers back in the game. With Indiana down just two points in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, Tyrese Haliburton went in for the kill. He made the shot, but luckily for the Knicks, Hali's toes were on the three-point line. The game went to overtime, and again, Indy came back from a four-point deficit to pull off the 138-135 stunner. Advertisement After the game, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau tried his best to summarize what happened. "They can score the ball. Nesmith got loose. Haliburton hit big shots. You just can never let your guard down against them," said Thibodeau. "No lead is safe." The Pacers were a buzzsaw on offense late in the game The Knicks looked poised to take Game 1 as they scored 14 straight points after Jalen Brunson went to the bench after committing his fifth foul with still 10:05 left in the fourth quarter. New York still held a 111-98 lead when Brunson returned at the five-minute mark and up 119-105 with only 2:51 left after JB hit a three-pointer. And then Nesmith took over. Advertisement After a three-point basket by Tyrese, Aaron scored the Pacers' following 14 points on four triples and two free throws to cut what once was like an insurmountable lead down to one at 123-124. And after OG Anunoby split his free throws, Hali sent the game to overtime with a buzzer-beating jumper. In the extra period, the Pacers played with better execution against a Knicks team that looked like it didn't know what hit them. Brunson tried his best to carry his team, but Indiana's momentum seemed too much, and the entire Madison Square Garden looked shell-shocked. Related: "There was no one better than I've ever seen in my life" - Jerry West names the best scorer to ever use the backboard Thibs says it's all part of the playoffs Nesmith finished the game with 30 points on 9-13 shooting, including a ridiculous 8-9 clip from three-point distance. The 14th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft made six three-pointers and scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to spearhead Indiana's epic comeback. Meanwhile, Haliburton led the Pacers with 31 points and 11 assists, with only two turnovers. Advertisement On the other hand, Brunson's 43 points and Karl-Anthony Towns' 35 went for naught after the Knicks' fourth-quarter collapse. But Thibs said that what happened in Game 1 is part of the postseason. "There's a lot of emotional highs and lows in the playoffs. You gotta bounce back quickly. You look at the film, make the correction, and just get ready for Game 2," added Thibodeau. Game 2 will be on Friday night, also at MSG. Hopefully, the Knicks learned their lesson in Game 1 because the Pacers have been making these insane comebacks in the current postseason. Related: "The full court pressure that they bring every game will eventually wear on Jalen Brunson" - Cousins on why he is picking the Pacers to beat the Knicks
