Can The New York Knicks’ Success Repeat Against The Indiana Pacers?

The tone of a playoff series can turn on a dime.

The New York Knicks had pulled off the upset in game one of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. It was now officially a series, but the ultimate winner was still assumed to be Boston.

Game two was astonishing, and a full reckoning of the faults that existed in the defending champs’ armor.

Once the Celtics dominated game three it was talked about as an inevitability. This was the outcome that was indicative of how the series should have looked all along— the other two games mere mirages in a champion’s pursuit of a repeat.

The shock of game four forced begrudging acceptance, especially with the horrific injury to Jayson Tatum.

The heroic game five effort from the Celtics felt like the start of a miracle.

The beat down of all beat downs back at Madison Square Garden set off a party that was 25 years in the making.

Each game had its own taste to it, but lessons were learned. Here are a few takeaways from that series that could help lead the Knicks to the NBA Finals:

Mitchell Robinson Playoff Riser

Robinson was floated around as a possible trade piece throughout the season for a number of reasons, but part of it was due to the fact that the Knicks couldn’t rely on him to be on the court during the playoffs. Not only did he play most of the last twenty games of the regular season, but he performed well with his defense acumen and offensive rebounding.

He had a phenomenal series against a Boston team he has generally struggled against. The Boston Celtics were terrified of his presence— at one point choosing to foul him in order to get OG Anunoby back into the game to replace him. His screen setting and ability to crash the glass is a transformative weapon for the Knicks that gives them a different look if Karl-Anthony Towns is having trouble generating offense.

There are now a few different playoff matchups in which Robinson has made a sizable impact. The Cleveland Cavaliers series in 2023, the Philadelphia 76ers series in 2024 and now this past series against the Celtics are all pieces of evidence that his skill set isn’t muted during this time of the year, but rather it thrives during it. That isn’t always the case with a center with his profile.

Robinson didn’t get to play many minutes against the Indiana Pacers last year, but the process in which the team just guarded the Celtics mirrors how they may approach Indiana. For that reason it’ll be interesting to see if Mitch can continue buoying the Knicks’ defense against a hellacious Pacers’ offensive attack.

Mikal Bridges’ Rebounding

During the regular season Mikal Bridges had three total games in which he grabbed seven rebounds or more in a game.

During the playoffs? He has accomplished the feat three times in the 12 games that the team has played.

The physicality and feistiness of Bridges has been a welcomed sight during these playoffs and has catapulted the defense into a strength of the team. His ability to grab boards is essential for a squad that doesn’t rebound like it used to. Part of the identity of the New York Knicks over the last few years has been gobbling up offensive rebounds at a prodigious rate. They were top-five in the stat over the past three years, but dropped to 19th during the 24-25 season. Some of that has to do with a more efficient offense, but it is also partially based on a starting lineup that doesn’t always grab rebounds at will. Mikal will need to keep it up against an opponent that will destroy the Knicks if they give away second chance opportunities.

Miles “Deuce” McBride Plus/Minus Darling

Here are the numbers for how the Knicks’ starting lineup has played during the regular season and the postseason:

The more shocking number isn’t necessarily the point differential but the number of possessions. Tom Thibodeau was unwilling to try out different starting lineups during the year (possibly over fear that Josh Hart’s absence would lead to the rebounding cratering), which has caused him to lean even further into the same starting unit that has been rickety all year long.

Deuce McBride was shaky against the Detroit Pistons but brought his ball-hawking, harassing defense back against the Celtics. His confidence was palpable on offense as he unleashed shots from deep with abandon. He is a key cog in many different effective lineups, but could really be a useful weapon in this series. Playing him instead of Hart when the offense bogs down helps grease the wheels, and his point of attack defense on Tyrese Haliburton last year helped slow him down at times.