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New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
The Game 5 question facing the Knicks that could make or break the season
With the Knicks season on the line, Tom Thibodeau faces a major decision. A decision entirely of his own making. Does he keep Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup? Or does he revert back to Josh Hart with the unit? Thibodeau's reworked starting lineup performed decently in Game 3. 3 Jalen Brunson (11), Mitchell Robinson (23), Karl-Anthony Towns (32), Mikal Bridges (25) and teammates celebrate after the Knicks' Game 3 road win over the Pacers. AP When Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns and Robinson were on the court together, they were plus-1 in that game. But that group was a disaster in the 130-121 Game 4 loss to the Pacers Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. They played 10 minutes together and were minus-8. They quickly fell behind 16-11 to start the game before Thibodeau made his first sub. 3 Josh Hart reacts after he was called for a foul during the fourth quarter of the Knicks' Game 4 loss to the Pacers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Then when all five were on the court together to start the second half, they immediately gave up a 7-0 run. 'I don't think we had a good grouping,' Thibodeau said after the game. Robinson's struggles were at the forefront. He was extremely effective off the bench in the first two games, but has regressed the past two games, particularly in Game 4. Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. On Tuesday, he was a team-worst minus-20. 'Communication, that was the biggest thing. It started with me,' Robinson said. 'I wasn't talking first, and I'm the anchor of the defense. I'm not talking, nobody is. 'Feel like I got off to a slow start, especially in the first half. Started to pick it up in the second. I can't allow that, especially at the time right now. Just got to be better from the jump.' With Robinson ineffective, Thibodeau opted to close with Hart instead of Robinson. 3 Tom Thibodeau yells onto the court during the first half of the Knicks' Game 4 loss to the Pacers. AP Hart played the entire fourth quarter until he fouled out with 1:44 left in the game. Robinson did not play at all in the fourth quarter. 'The hustle, making defensive transitions,' Thibodeau said of the decision to go with Hart over Robinson in the fourth quarter. 'Getting more continuity into the offense. We scored 120 points, that's plenty of points, but our defense wasn't good enough. The rebounding was good enough, but the defense and our turnovers hurt us.' Hart ended up playing 36 minutes, while Robinson logged just 19. So despite Robinson starting, Thibodeau clearly preferred his old unit with Hart joining the rest of the starters. Now, a significant dilemma looms for Thibodeau in finding the right balance between Robinson and Hart. Staving off elimination hinges on getting it right.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Anthony Edwards puts on show as Timberwolves destroy Thunder to get back into series
MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Edwards was determined to keep Minnesota's spirits up, from the flight home after a frustrating trip to Oklahoma City into a crucial game in these Western Conference finals. Positive energy is never hard for him to find. Advertisement Edwards had 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists in just three quarters for the Timberwolves in a 143-101 victory on Saturday night in Game 3 that cut the Thunder's lead in the series to 2-1. 'Just ultimate pressure on the ball,' Edwards said, 'and shoot it as much as I can.' Julius Randle added 24 points and rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. had 15 points in 13 minutes to highlight a big boost from the bench for the Wolves, who caused all kinds of cracks in the Thunder's NBA -best defense after struggling to solve it in the two lopsided losses on the road. 'Their force on that end of the floor was better than our physicality and pressure, things that we typically do well,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. Advertisement Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting with four turnovers, subbed out with a 38-point deficit and 4:25 to go in the third quarter as Daigneault conceded on a night when his team was never closer than 22 points after early in the second quarter. 'It felt like we just eased into the game, and they didn't,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'They blitzed us pretty early, and then we were never able to get back because of it.' Game 4 is in Minneapolis on Monday night. Anthony Edwards, who scored 30 points, slams home a dunk during the Timberwolves' 143-101 Game 3 blowout win over the Thunder on May 24, 2025. AP The travel north and venue shift triggered a sharp drop in shooting for the Thunder, who made exactly half of their attempts from the floor over the first two games and went just 12 for 40 in the first half on Saturday. Advertisement Gilgeous-Alexander, the newly minted NBA MVP, went more than 13 minutes of game time between baskets while the Target Center crowd loudly booed him on every touch and taunted him at the line with the chant, 'Free throw merchant!' in a nod to the popular notion he draws an inordinate amount of fouls. Randle, who had his first off night of this postseason in a Game 2 performance that was so disjointed he was benched for the fourth quarter, had his fire back — and his signature fadeaway. Julius Randle, who scored 24 points, celebrates during the Timberwolves' Game 3 blowout win over the Thunder. NBAE via Getty Images Edwards rediscovered his 3-point shot, going 5 for 8 after shooting just 1 of 9 in Game 2. He gave the quick-handed, ball-pressuring Thunder a taste of what it's like to play against themselves with a couple of relentless pursuits of loose balls he turned into breakaway dunks. Advertisement Outscored 69-37 in the third quarter over the first two games, the Wolves made sure to avoid another post-halftime malaise. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks on after the Thunder's Game 3 blowout loss to the Timberwolves. Getty Images Edwards, tightly guarded by Isaiah Joe in the corner, found enough space to drive along the baseline and spin an up-and-under reverse layup off the glass for a 79-52 lead. 'That's what we need him to do, and when he does it, it takes us to another level,' coach Chris Finch said.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How does Paul Maurice get Panthers back on track after loss? ‘I call them names' — and more East final notes
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — On the last off day in the Eastern Conference final, we got (largely) to the bottom of what Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand didn't eat during the second intermission of Game 3. 'Blizzard-gate' has since been fully resolved. On Tuesday, the morning after the Carolina Hurricanes avoided a second sweep by the Panthers in three seasons with a 3-0 win, we got a glimpse into Paul Maurice's post-loss schedule for his team. Advertisement 'We have, I think, a fairly defined structure to how the day was going to go today,' Florida's head coach said. 'The first four or five minutes, I would call them names.' He was kidding, mind you. Funny guy. Odds are you've heard a bit about that over the past few years. He continued, adding that you couldn't get away with quite the same insults as in the old days. 'The names aren't nearly as good as they used to be,' he said. 'They're just not. And then we talk about pieces of our game — well, basically, I show them the video that attaches them to the names that I've called them. 'And then we're gonna do a bunch of video on something technical about where we gotta be a little bit better, where we can get better, so they can see it.' Maurice — again, he was kidding — was answering a question about his team's receptiveness to criticism. He said once a year, he'll show them a clip of 12 or 15 instances of soft play and call them out. 'We know that's not how our team plays,' he said, 'so they respond to that.' Fair enough. That particular tactic was not on the docket for Tuesday, but you can bet that Florida's play in the third period came up a time or two. The Panthers, down 1-0, went most of the last 20 minutes without mounting a sustained push. The numbers don't quite bear that out — scoring chances at five-on-five were even, for one — but both Maurice and the players who spoke Tuesday were unimpressed with the effort. 'In a game that I didn't like, I didn't think we got dominated,' Maurice said. 'I thought it got lousy in the third when we just started opening up, trying to get that last one. They're throwing pucks in behind us, there's breakaways and odd-man rushes that we don't like at all. We don't think they're necessary even when you do open your game up. They were good. That's the fair assessment of that game last night.' Advertisement The change from Game 3's third period, when Florida turned a 1-1 game into a beatdown, was stark. Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour has spent a chunk of the series lamenting his team's inability to score first, and on Monday, the script was flipped. 'I think they were trying to make a push, maybe they were getting ahead of the play and cheating a little bit,' Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe said Tuesday, echoing something Brind'Amour and his players said in the aftermath. 'I think we could take advantage of that a little bit; when we knocked pucks down, we'd have odd-man breaks. And I think in (Game 4) we were obviously chasing. And being behind, teams lock it down.' In that last bit, Verhaeghe sounded more like Maurice, who'd already moved on. 'Our day is done now. The video's done. The names have been called. Then the hugs went out. That's it,' Maurice said. 'It's over. We're hopping on an airplane.' Game 5 is Wednesday night in Raleigh, N.C. Another pivot point in the series has come when the Panthers have the man advantage. They scored twice on power plays in each of the first games. In the past two, they're 0-for-8. Seems like Sam Reinhart, out since a Game 2 hit by Sebastian Aho, is pretty important to the operation. Reinhart, not coincidentally, led the NHL with 27 power-play goals in 2023-24 and was tied for 10th this past regular season with 13. On Tuesday, the Panthers were asked what has changed at five-on-four with Reinhart watching from the press box. 'It's just moving the puck quicker, getting to open spots and kind of creating more chaos,' Verhaeghe said. 'It's been kind of choppy a little bit, not moving the puck as quick, not being on the puck with puck recovery and stuff like that.' Evan Rodrigues used the phrase 'a little stagnant' in describing the unit. Advertisement 'We were trying to be too cute. A lot of our goals that we've scored in the series on the power play have just been net-front traffic and putting pucks and bodies there,' he said. 'And I think we tried to make too many plays. I think we were a little bit perimeter-(oriented), making plays around on the outside. And I think we just gotta simplify.' Reinhart, defenseman Niko Mikkola and fourth-line winger A.J. Greer all skated on Tuesday and are tracking to be game-day decisions, Maurice said. 'It's what we expected. It's what we hoped for,' Maurice said. 'So we'll put them on the ice again (Wedesday). Maybe twice.' Mikkola and Greer, both injured in Game 3, were replaced in the lineup in Game 4 by Uvis Balinskis and Nico Sturm. Jesper Boqvist took Reinhart's place on a line with Rodrigues and Barkov, but by the end of the game, Marchand had seen some significant time there, too. For the Hurricanes, Brind'Amour had no updates on defensemen Jalen Chatfield (lower-body injury) or Sean Walker (upper-body). Chatfield last played on May 12 against the Capitals; Walker was injured in Game 2. 'Obviously, it would be great if we could even get one of them back in there,' Brind'Amour said. 'I think we'll know more (Wednesday).' Their status would seem to directly determine whether we see more of rookies Alexander Nikishin, who's taking Chatfield's place on a pair with Dmitry Orlov and set up Florida's first goal on Monday, and Scott Morrow, who played well on a third pair with Shayne Gostisbehere. Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis turned in some Maurice-esque sarcasm when answering a question about 'remembering being young' like rookies Nikishin and Logan Stankoven, who scored off Nikishin's setup. Jarvis, 23, is in his third NHL season. 'I'm only a year older than these guys, man. I don't know why you think I'm 40,' he said. Advertisement 'I mean, yeah, last year it was crazy. I understand what they're going through, but these young guys nowadays have all these crazy personalities and they handle the pressure really well. They've done a great job of (dealing with) what whatever's gone on around them.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Knicks' comeback magic strikes again with 20-point Game 3 rally to get back in series with Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS — Hold off on those obituaries. The Knicks suddenly have a pulse. After another playoff shocker, they have life in the Eastern Conference finals. Looking ready for their funeral for most of the first half, they somehow rallied from a 20-point deficit for the third time in this wild and unpredictable postseason. Advertisement Karl-Anthony Towns led a frantic fourth-quarter rally and Jalen Brunson, on the bench much of the second half with foul trouble, sank the game-winning basket in the Knicks' pulsating 106-100 Game 3 victory at a stunned Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 'I think this team has shown greatness all year,' Towns said. 'The Detroit series. The Boston series. Tonight we got to show that never-say-quit attitude. It's a testament to everyone in the locker room.' Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after hitting a 3-pointer during the Knicks' Game 3 win against the Pacers on May 25. Charles Wenzelberg Towns scored 20 points in the final quarter and Brunson hit a floater in the lane with 1:17 left that snapped a 98-all tie. Both stars shook off their own personal struggles over the first three quarters. Advertisement Josh Hart, coming off the bench for the first time this season, and Brunson made six clutch free throws in the final 19.6 seconds as the Knicks cut the deficit in the series to 2-1 and improved to 6-1 on the road in the playoffs. Game 4 is Tuesday night. Coach Tom Thibodeau switched up his starting lineup, replacing Hart with Mitchell Robinson, but it didn't really have an impact on the game. It was the Knicks defending in the second half like they hadn't the entire series and Towns coming alive when he was needed most, scoring 15 points in the first 3:58 of the fourth quarter, that flipped the game. Karl-Anthony Towns took over for the Knicks in their Game 3 win May 25. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Mikal Bridges attempts a shot during the Knicks' Game 3 win against the Pacers on May 25. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Thibodeau did go deeper into his bench than he has so far in the postseason due to foul trouble, and Landry Shamet and Delon Wright rewarded him with quality minutes during the fourth-quarter rally. Advertisement 'They're really, really good pros,' Thibodeau said. 'When I say that, I mean they do the right thing every day. That goes a long way. It's not just lip service, it's doing the actual work, which I think is important.' Towns finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, Brunson added 23 and OG Anunoby scored 16. Hart had eight points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Tyrese Haliburton had 20 for the Pacers, who shot just 5-of-25 from 3-point range and were outscored 36-20 in the final 12 minutes. Knicks fans celebrate at Gainbridge Fieldhouse following their Game 3 win May 25. Charles Wenzelberg 'We talked about the biggest part of our comeback was, we could quickly start to point fingers or we could quickly start to turn on each other,' Brunson said. 'But we got together as a team, we made sure that everyone was encouraging each other. Keep fighting, keep chipping away. We did that. Just proud of the way we responded. We needed it.' Advertisement For much of the night, the Pacers seemed on their way to a comfortable 3-0 series. They led by 20 with 3:20 left in the first half and by 15 late in the third quarter. At one point, Towns and Brunson had combined for more turnovers (seven) than made field goals (five). Jalen Brunson drives with the ball during the Knicks' game against the Pacers on May 25. Charles Wenzelberg Miles McBride scored seven straight points late in the third to make it a 10-point game and Towns became unstoppable at the start of the fourth. He sank a 3-pointer off a Hart offensive rebound, scored on consecutive drives and hit two free throws. When Towns followed up another 3-pointer with a three-point play, the Knicks were up by four with 8:02 to go. Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Advertisement Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. 'He was like a silent killer out there,' Robinson said of Towns. The Knicks had scored 25 of a possible 31 points to take that aforementioned lead. Most of it came without Brunson. He was needed late, and he came through. Just like all the other Knicks, who refuse to let this season die without a fight. Karl-Anthony Towns defends during the Knicks' game against the Pacers on May 25. Charles Wenzelberg 'It's a great team win, but we gotta be better than we were tonight,' Towns said. 'Gotta find a way to get another win.'
New York Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Jalen Brunson in awe of Karl-Anthony Towns' epic Knicks fourth quarter
INDIANAPOLIS — Jalen Brunson had a front-row seat to the Karl-Anthony Towns show, and he was just as impressed as everyone else. Brunson was on the bench in foul trouble Sunday night, when Towns took over, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter of the Knicks' dramatic, come-from-behind Game 3 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Advertisement 'I mean, I saw the same thing you guys saw: I saw a guy go out there who did not want to lose, and so the way he just went out there and basically got that game for us was remarkable,' Brunson said. The challenge for the Knicks is to get that aggressive, take-charge Towns more often. Too frequently, he isn't involved enough in the offense. Karl-Anthony Towns drives to the basket during the fourth quarter of the Knicks' Game 3 win May 26. Charles Wenzelberg Advertisement But Game 3 showed just how potent of a weapon Towns can be. 'There's always gonna be a lot of things that'll happen throughout a game, and so you can say yeah we can implement a plan to where he doesn't have to wait until the fourth quarter, but everything happens throughout the game to where you have to respond, you have to react, you have to adjust,' Brunson said. Jalen Brunson reacts during the Knicks' Game 3 win May 26. Charles Wenzelberg Advertisement Towns reacted pretty well in Game 3. The Knicks did a much better job defending Pascal Siakam on Sunday night. After the forward torched them for 39 points in Game 3, he was held to 17 on 4-of-14 shooting in Game 3. Advertisement Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. Part of that was limiting the Pacers to just two transition points in the second half. 'Pascal is a great player. So, just after that Game 2, just trying to make it as difficult as possible,' OG Anunoby, who played with Siakam in Toronto, said. 'Maybe not help as much in certain situations and not give him easy looks or shots. Just try to make it as difficult as possible and force him into uncomfortable possessions.' The last-two-minute report released on Monday revealed two incorrect calls, benefiting each team once. With 41.1 seconds left, the Knicks were awarded the ball when Jalen Brunson lost it on a drive. It should've been Pacers possession. Advertisement Later in the game, with the Knicks ahead by four and 9.7 seconds to go, Mikal Bridges was called for a foul while guarding Tyrese Haliburton that resulted in two free throws. The NBA ruled that it was marginal contact and should not have been called a foul.
