When the New York Knicks were down 2-1 against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, they were widely written off as title contenders. Six consecutive wins later, the Knicks are suddenly the toast of the NBA. Knicks captain Jalen Brunson sent a blunt message to detractors who doubted his team.
“I see these guys every single day. You guys only see the finished product. You guys see what’s on the court. You guys see when the cameras are on, when there’s media access,” Brunson said after the Knicks took a 3-0 lead against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
“You guys don’t see the ups and downs of us in the locker room talking things out. You guys don’t see us in practice trying to figure things out.
“We all want to win. Obviously, there’s ups and downs of it. We have times where we look disconnected and we look connected. That’s basketball. That’s sports. That’s life. There’s going to be ups and downs.
Knicks on 6-Game Win Streak
“It’s all about how you move on and how you move in a positive direction, regardless of when things are negative or positive,” added Brunson.
The Knicks have been on an absolute heater since going down 2-1 against the Hawks a few weeks ago. In their last six wins, Mike Brown’s team has smashed opponents by an average margin of 25.8 points, while shooting 54.9% from the field and 39.9% from three. They’ve also averaged an NBA-best 122.6 points during this timeframe.
Their latest win, a 108-94 road victory over the Friday, gave analysts alike reason to once again believe in the Knicks as legitimate title contenders, especially since they blew out the Sixers without OG Anunoby in the lineup.
Knicks NBA Finals Favorites
“The Knicks survived everything the 76ers threw at them — except for Tyrese Maxey,” ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill wrote after the Game 3 win. “They survived Karl-Anthony Towns getting in foul trouble. They survived the “Hack-A-Mitch” on Mitchell Robinson. They survived Paul George’s hot start and perhaps most importantly, they survived the absence of OG Anunoby. It felt like a wire-to-wire win, but it wasn’t always that way.
“The Knicks played with a championship-like poise, answering every 76er adjustment with a counter of their own. Jalen Brunson scored 33 points, and they held the 76ers to 29% from 3-point range. Mikal Bridges continued his improved play, adding 23 points in the win. The Knicks look ready for a long break until the Eastern Conference finals.”
Knicks vs. 76ers Game 4 tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. A win would propel New York into the Eastern Conference Finals for a second consecutive year. Jalen Brunson and Co. are now prohibitive favorites to end their 26-year NBA Finals drought.
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