It’s a narrative as old as competition itself: when you’re stuck deep in a rut, the last thing you want to do is keep digging. For the New York Knicks, this wisdom couldn’t hit closer to home right now. After decades of near-misses and highs that flickered briefly before sputtering out, the Knicks have clawed their way into the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since the dawn of the millennium. This year’s squad, boasting 51 wins — their best tally in over ten years — and back-to-back 50-plus win seasons for the first time since the mid-90s, seemed poised to rewrite their story. And hey, point guards and big men making All-NBA? That’s not just a fluke; it’s historic territory for the franchise. But here’s the kicker: the very starting five that’s earned the coach’s trust, the unit shouldering the lion’s share of minutes both in the regular season and playoffs, has surprisingly been a drag on the scoreboard. For nearly six months, the lineup has consistently found itself outrun and outscored when it matters most, digging the team into holes that feel deeper with each game. As the series slips away and the pressure mounts, one question looms large — at what point do you stop sticking with what’s not working? In a city that thrives on perseverance and grit, the Knicks are confronting the age-old dilemma of loyalty versus reinvention — and the clock’s ticking loud. LEARN MOREThe New York Knicks are in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. They won 51 games this season — the most any Knicks team has won since 2011-12. They’ve won 50-plus in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1993-94 and 1994-95 campaigns. On Friday, point guard Jalen Brunson and center Karl-Anthony Towns were both named to the All-NBA team — just the fifth time in franchise history two Knicks earned selection in the same year.AdvertisementWhen Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
When Towns shifted over to Siakam, Indiana went at Robinson, running an empty-corner McConnell-Turner side pick-and-roll to once again force Robinson to make a decision in space. He jumped out at McConnell, who just dropped the ball off to Turner for a midrange bank shot, with Towns not rotating over quickly enough to get a hand up on the contest.
The Pacers made life tough for Karl-Anthony Towns in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)The run of play won’t just turn on its own, though; the Knicks will have to make it. Not getting down big early would be an awfully nice start — provided they can find the answer to why they keep doing that.AdvertisementAdvertisementThibodeau, for his part, was more focused on how the Knicks ended the game than how they started it.
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