NEW YORK - Head coach Tom Thibodeau's expectations in September are clear. Yes, the Knicks just won 50 games, ended the game in the second seed of the East and made it to the second round of the playoffs. But this is last year.
This year's Knicks will need to integrate new works - new habits and new bonds are needed. Not only are you reborn at the same time that ended last year; you can’t skip any steps if you want to reach the promised land.
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"It's a long wear and tear, you're ready for it, and I think you start from the end," Thibodeau said on Knicks Media Day. "What to do in the end?"
It's easy to say that this will totally score Friday night's absolute shelling and reduce the Boston Celtics' absolute shelling -- a 119-81 victory and now the most unbalanced victory in Knicks' playoff history.
All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson performed, cheering up in New York's playoff legacy and winning again at Penn Station. All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns has bruised 21 and 12 doubles, and continues to prove in this playoff that he doesn't need to drill a lot of 3-pointers to make a big difference.
It was the first triple-double in the Knicks’ playoffs since 1972 Walt "Clyde" Frazier - it was the 1972 Knicks - forever pushing the pace for the ruthless Josh Hart, soaring for the controversial board, performing defensive tasks, communicating defensive and running HB dives. Each has over twenty points, eight combined 3-pointers and seven combined blocks, and steals from 3 dd Wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. Powerball kicker Miles McBride, who rediscovered a touch of Boston's jumper, center Mitchell Robinson was the behemoth on the board, and he had the best attack of his career on the Celtics' wings and guards.
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All of this constitutes the secret to playoff success, leading to two fully dominant areas – the second and third, surpassing Boston by 66-37 in New York, turning Game 6 into Laughing and Madison Square Garden, a revival rental – which makes the best version of the modified Knicks Team look like it’s the best version, which could be as big as all of this.
"I think the way you have to look at it is, whatever your ceiling is, that's what you're trying to work on, and you're trying to exceed what you expect from you," Thibodore said after the victory. "And, if everyone promises, the challenge is the best challenge that brings everyone."
It is Tempting Say this, but we can't. At least not yet. Because while Friday marks the end of Boston - perhaps in more than one way - it's no The ending of the Thibodeau team. We don't know what to do. But we need to find out.
New York continues to play. The Knicks will compete in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time. Most importantly, they will get a home advantage in the series, welcomed you in the first Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
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"There are more, you know?" Bridge said. "We're not done yet. That's it. We're there tonight, we played hard, we handled Biz. But the season isn't over. We have a lot to do."
When the Knicks reviewed the 5th movie, they were disgusted by what they saw. Lack of effort, lack of communication, task shrugging rather than handing over - exiting responsibility, totally inadequate to disapprove of bets on close games and teams without a dream of champions. When they look back on the 6th movie, they see a team that has reason to believe this can make these dreams real: a team with four players who can run 20 or more players; a team with physical and athletic ability to dominate the board, win ball possession games and have important edges in points in paint, quick scores and turnovers; a team that can surpass you in half and surpass you in transition.
"I think we played 48 minutes tonight," Brunson said. Tibodo often waved the platonic ideal of the championship on thibodeau, and it's this kind of outing - as the coach told reporters before the game, "You have to work hard, but you also have to focus on the most."
The Knicks played on Friday and looked cleaner in defensive conversions to lure the Celtics to lose and work together to push the ball away from Boston’s turnovers, while towns and bridges dropped on layups within a minute and a half in the opening minute. New York led the wire tie on Friday, knocking down a Celtics team in Game 5 with a 3-point barrage in Game 5, but that failed to fail on MSG offense, most notably in the second quarter, with 25 17 points and earning as many turnovers as the basket (6).
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With All-NBA-leading Light Jayson Tatum participating in the series, Jaylen Brown tried to take on the offensive burden and was the only Celtic in most games. Brown struggled under New York's ball pressure, six of Boston's 11 first-half turnovers. He also tried to maintain discipline and went out with a 2:50 leash... third One quarter.
At that time, the Knicks led by 33. One minute later, after two Brunson free throws and a pair of Anunoby 3s, they expanded their advantage to 41. This led to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla waving the white flag, pulling starters Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, and rolling with the reserves in the last 13 minutes and 49 seconds.
There is no doubt that Thibodeau kept his starter in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter. No steps were skipped. Not when you are so close.
"The goal is always to win the championship," he said after the game. "We have eight wins. You need 16 wins. Each win is getting harder, so you have to keep fighting. You have to understand how important it is."
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The Knicks’ roads aren’t always particularly beautiful. They divided the offensively for several months. They could hardly survive the six games in Detroit. They usually lag themselves behind Boston’s eight goals with offensive execution and defensive precision. crazy From games to games, sometimes from own to own. They won only double digits in the playoffs before Friday.
But: they get Those eight victories. Things don't always have to be beautiful.
“When you’re in these situations, especially in the playoffs, you have to — you know, we’re talking about New York’s courage, that kind of ruthless belief we’re never losing,” Towns said. “You have to have this when you want to go deeper into the playoffs, and we show this series. I think it’s really special for us. … This team has a huge belief in each other and we believe that whenever we step into court, we have a chance to win.”
Knicks Do Have a chance. They will go all out with the Pacers, one of the best Pacers in the NBA for months, and after Indiana ended its New York season last year, Thibodeau and Co. are very familiar with knockout shooters and body guards. But the Knicks are still alive and are guaranteed to be one of the last four teams, one of the only ones, and are still able to make it to the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
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If the Pacers can believe it, and the Wolves can believe it, and who survived the heavyweight battle between Thunder and the Nuggets... Then why not the Knicks?
“We believe we can do something special,” Towns said.
However, the surgical word in this sentence is not an adjective. This is the second verb. Everything the Knicks want, they have to make money; as Thibodeau has long liked to say, magic is in the work. As we entered May afternoon, the Knicks' work had just begun.
"That's how you deal with the challenges ahead," Thibodor said. "We can't be taken away. Obviously, it's a huge win, we've improved, and you have to take that into account, but you also know that you have to be ready for the next series. We know Indiana is an amazing team and we have to be ready."
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Friday's victory of 38 guaranteed New York nothing on Wednesday. this Way They did, though - with excellent defense, curveball game plans fused together, and all the different pieces finally looked more than just their parts sum - providing a reason for the Knicks fans to get excited. Understand what to do in the end. And, after decades of futile possibilities, this end will mark a bold and brilliant new beginning.
"The way we compete and communicate there is definitely one of our better performances," Brunson said. "But I still feel like we still have a long way to go. The confidence we have in each other and everything is just where we are... we will continue to be unhappy."