Back At It
The Knicks know they'll need to be even better to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
Good morning!
How crazy was Wednesday night? In my entire wrap up, I didn’t mention that Jalen Brunson went down with an injury not once but twice during the basketball game. I guess that’s what happens when you root for someone made of titanium, as all the evidence strongly suggests. In any case, Brunson is fine, and does not appear on today’s injury report. Mitchell Robinson is probable.
In other Brunson news, the NBA is looking in to two fans who sat courtside in Game 1 and reportedly lobbed some vulgarities JB’s way. Whatever was said clearly got under his skin.
All good. More fuel to the fire…
Back At It
Let’s start off with a stat to back up my Mush comparison from yesterday:
So…can you name all six of these wins without looking it up?
I’ll give you a second to collect your thoughts….
Ready…
3…2…1…
I got five off the bat: Games 1 & 2 vs Boston, Game 3 vs Indy, Game 1 vs Cleveland and Game 1 of the Finals. I had to think about the last one, and landed on Game 1 against the Pistons.
Oops. They were only down nine in that game, even though it felt like 19 before Cam Payne went on his run. The correct answer was Game 4 against Boston, when they were down 72-58 before a Brunson 3-pointer began the comeback.
Even if you can’t recite every one of those, chapter and verse, these Knicks are putting together a resume of comebacks that will stand the test of time. Just like I remember all of the 90’s heartbreaks down to the most minute detail, someday when I’m telling my grandkids about the Brunson Knicks, I’ll be able to rattle off these wins like they happened yesterday.
It makes me think of all the stories I’ve heard about the championship era Knicks, and about how they were the personification of team basketball. Their teamwork, unselfishness and togetherness combined to form an unmistakable identity. I gained even more appreciation for this when I spoke with Senator Bradley a few years ago, because he was honest about how sacrifice wasn’t always as easy for them as they made it seem. Hearing stories like these always put a smile on my face, but they were equally bittersweet because I figured I’d never get to root for a team that was so clearly defined by a particular ethos.
The ‘25-26 Knicks have changed all of that.
They are the Comeback Kings (or the Comeback Knicks, if you prefer). They are never out of a game. They’re often down, but never out. And they will give everything they have until the final buzzer. That is their identity.
And they may have just saved their best for last.
How did they do it? We’ll dissect the anatomy of a comeback shortly, but before we get to the meat of their rally, I’d like to make an addendum to Wednesday’s “Wemby Rules” and add one more to the list:
Rule No. 6: Bodies, Bodies, Bodies
OG didn’t get credited for this steal because he didn’t wind up with the basketball, but it was one of many perfectly timed digs he had off the wing that helped stymie possessions. This was one of the benefits of having KAT on Wemby and Anunoby on a perimeter player, which would up being Vassell for most of the night.
One potential adjustment that was proposed before the series was for OG to guard Castle, which we did see a bit in the game. I expect to see more of that, in addition to Anunoby on Wemby (and if Mitch Johnson finds religion and starts giving his best guard more minutes and responsibility, Dylan Harper). OG can handle all of it, which is what makes him such a special defender.
But the thing that sets him apart, and puts him in the same conversation as Wembanyama, is that he does his best work off the ball. The longer the Knicks can keep their best defender off of one of San Antonio’s premier scorers, the better off they’ll be.
But it wasn’t just OG coming out of the woodwork to get in Wemby’s way:
