John Fanta
University Basketball and Reporter Resert
This season of New York Knicks was supposed to go along this path. When you exchange a total of six round for the combination of Mikal Bridges and the cities of Karl-Anthony after finishing second at the east conference of the previous year, your sour in a Larry O’Brien trophy. Well, at least they were put on that.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THIS: THE 2023-24 NEW YORK KNICKS WERE BETTER THAN YEAR’S ITEROTION OF THE TEAM, A GROUP THAT MAY HAV BIGGER NAMES BUT FELS LIKE LIKE A SQUARE PEG IN ROUN Detroit The Detroited The Detroited The Detroited The Detroited ESIRSTE ESIRSSTE ESIRSTE ESIRSTE ESIRSTE ESIRSEDSTED HIS BEGINNING OF PLAYOFS THETROITED WINNED Since 2008 with the victory of 100-94 on Monday night.
The Knicks? They dug a 15 -point hole, insisted and went to their game of their return home and were offensively out of the whole night in game two. After Detroit provided a real scare to New York on Saturday night, you would have thought that the Knicks would have bone on a maximum alert in game two. You would have thought that perhaps that would affect the mojo of the pistons and perhaps would damage their trust. Think again: Through two games, Detroit has been the best team despite not having the richness of Star power Which are supposed to possess the Knicks.
I give Detroit credit for his defense and there is no doubt that Cunningham has become a real star in the NBA. It was 33 points at 11-O-21 from the floor on Monday. But the pistons are offensively limited; Do not fogue about it. That is why, ultimately, none of the thesis teams is holding a candle to the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.
But here are my questions: how does not try a single shot in the last 17 minutes of the game? How has I had so much bridge expectation when it cools five first round to get it? What is the Knicks bank so disappointing?
The Knicks were better with the anterior nucleus, including Donte Divinzzo, Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein. We will arrive at Oklahoma City later in the column, but it is quite clear how much the Knicks miss the physicality and presence of the Knicks Heartsstein. It is inexplicable that Towns was negative after his great first quarter on Monday. That is in the star and in the coaching staff that does not establish it anymore to exploit a team of Pistons that Isaiah Stewart had. Kat needed to affirm himself more, simple and simple.
Things have simply not conceded to New York, and although Jalen Brunson could do them in a victory in the series, he should not have come to this for this Knicks team. Even against a defense of quality pistons, the lack of movement of the ball and the concepts of the old school to the way they play was difficult to see for much of Monday night. The pressure is in Tom Thibodeau and its staff to solve something with this series by changing Detroit, which should be balanced on Thursday night. It is the largest postseason game than the Pistons have organized since 2008 in my humble opinion because the other series like Point did not leave them with much shot, if it has any.
Here are four other playoffs so far:
Clippers can make a deep race because they have a top 3 player in the playoffs at this time
And his name is Kawhi Leonard. That was an absolute masterpiece of an performance in the 105-102 victory on Monday in Denver to take the advantage of Homecourt in the opening series between the clippers and nuggets. Leonard also made it seem perfect: 39 points, 15 of 19 from the floor, 5 assists, 2 robberies.
Does anyone realize the fact that clippers are 19-4 in their last 23 games? In that period, Los Angeles has the number 1 offensive in the League. They have a defense among 4 best in the league. Leonard has a partner in James Harden on the perimeter, while Ivica Zubic can block things on the front track at both ends of the floor. Do not forget Kris Dunn and what it does also defensive, presenting 3 of the teams 13 stealing and forcing 20 nugget ball losses.
But Leonard’s presence was on a level like him in 2019 with the Raptors when they won everything. The fact is that when it is healthy and in this type of postseason mode, it is as dangerous as anyone due to Leonard’s ability to impact the game at both ends of the floor on an exceptional level. I think the clippers will win this series and, although the uphill upload to meet the Thunder would be difficult, I would say that Leonard would be the most shocking player of that series with the experience factor also playing a role. The clippers are a real dark horse and do not have important holes. That said, the basketball fan in me is supporting seven games between Denver and Los Angeles. That would be fantastic, because the first two games have a sensational bone.
Warriors could adapt to rockets. Because? Houston’s offensive is very failed
Golden State’s defense has reached a very high march and gave the Rockets a ton of attacks on Sunday, but Houston’s inexperience showed a defeat for the Warriors in the game. The seeds can say 2 next to Houston and 7 with Golden State, but nothing felt like that in the first game of the series. Being 23 in the League in triples Made is what is really going to hurt the Rockets in this series. Now, I would not expect Jalen Green to shoot 3 of 11 from the floor again and there is no doubt that Houston challenged the defensive Warriors with the way they guarded, but at the end of the day, Steve Kerr, Steph Curry and Playoffs Jimmy.
The Warriors have the two best players and a better offensive in this series. They are winning this in six Max games.
West crosses thunder from the city of Oklahoma and showed it on Sunday
I know it is a game on your local court against a Grizzlies team that had to play Friday night only to get a series with Oklahoma City that began less than 48 hours after that, but still, to win by Mvper My Pick for Mvper My Pick for MVPhery Fore Pick for Mey. 4 of 13 from the floor speaks of how good Mark Daigneault is.
There are two things that I love from this OKC team: the continuous evolution of Jalen Williams in a really powerful weapon for Thunder, since it has become a guy who is now averaging 21/5/5. The other factor that I think really gives this team the additional dimension is that acquiring Hartenstein allows Chet Holmgren to feel completely comfortable and play its natural position. You have the physical presence, but also a quality pin in Hartenstein, which had 14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in Sunday Holmgren’s victory delivered 19 and 10.
They are doing songs and t -shirts on Ty Jerome at Cleveland right now
The 27 -year -old has seen a lot in the last seven years of his life. He was in the first 1 seed to lose to a 16 seeds in the NCA tournament when Virginia fell to Umbc. The following year, he was lifting the national championship trophy when the Cavaliers completed the current redemption. His professional career has brought four different stops in six years (Suns, Thunder, Warriors, Cavs) with the time he spent in the G League with the Northern Arizona Suns and Oklahoma City Blue. I could have an easy leg for him to be a career officer, but Jerome has found a home and a crucial role in Cleveland. What he did on Sunday, join LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as the only players in the history of the CAVs to score at least 28 points in a debut in the playoffs, was absurd. Think about this: here is the list of the highest score performances from the bank in a debut in the NBA playoffs since 1971:
- Malik Monk, 2023 Kings – 32 points
- Ben Gordon, 2005 Bulls – 30 points
- Billy Ray Bates, 1980 Trailblazers – 29 points
- Ty Jerome, 2025 Cavaliers – 28 points
He reached the point where the Miami Heat stunned him when he obtained half of the court, sending multiple defenders. Now, is Jerome to do this often? Not even this degree, but his role as a two -digit scorer and perimeter photography is a will of what Kenny Atkinson has done in his first year in the Cleveland helmet. The cavs were good, but they had to evolve offensively what was a stagnant scheme in recent years. Having Jerome, Max Strus and even a guy like Sam Merrill helping Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley is a great luxury for Cleveland. This team seems destined to meet the Celtics in the East Conference and Garland’s evolution was also seen on Sunday. That is the most comfortable thing he has looked at in the playoffs.
John Fanta is a national university basketball station and writer of Fox Sports. It covers the sport in a variety of capabilities, from calling the games in FS1 to serve as the main host in the Big East digital network until providing comments in the 68 Network field. Follow it in @John_fanta.
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