Can the Knicks Come Back From Down 2-0? Here's What New York Must Do to Escape a Soul-Crushing ECF Loss to Indiana

Published: Saturday, May 24, 2025

by Ryan Nelke

After taking care of business against the Pistons, and pulling off the unthinkable against the Celtics, the New York faithful were on an emotional high that had not been seen in a quarter century.  Now, the Knicks were set to return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 when they played the Pacers, and this time around it was no different, as they drew the same old foe once again.

However, despite all the hype surrounding the Knicks going into this series, they dropped the first two games at home to the visiting Pacers.  With New York now down 2-0 and their backs against the wall as they go into a tough Indiana atmosphere, here’s what they must do to keep their season alive in hopes of advancing to the NBA Finals.

Get Back to Finishing Games

The Knicks calling card in this playoff run has been how they have been able to pull through in the clutch, and finish off tightly contested games.  This was seen against the Pistons and Celtics, and was ultimately the deciding factor in those battles.

The last four games of the Detroit series were decided by three points or less, and New York won three of them, including the deciding Game 6.  Against Boston, they gained the upper hand by sticking around just enough on the road in Games 1 and 2 to give themselves the ability to complete two 20-point comebacks.

It has been quite the contrary in the first two games against the Pacers, as in Game 1, the Knicks blew a 17-point lead with six and a half minutes to go as well as a 9-point lead with under a minute to go.  In Game 2, New York was tied with Indiana at 81 going into the 4th, but once again lacked the clutch gene necessary to propel them to a much-needed win.

With the Knicks down 2-0, coming up big in the 4th quarter is now a requirement, as falling down 3-0 or even 3-1 is basically a death sentence.  Teams that have fallen behind 3-0 have NEVER come back in a series, while only 13 teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 deficit.

That said, the next two games in Indiana are must-wins for New York, and will require this squad led by the NBAs Most Clutch Player Jalen Brunson, to retrieve their calling card and finish games off in the 4th quarter.

Stop Taking Crucial Minutes Away From Jalen Brunson

While many have been critical of head coach Tom Thibodeau’s heavy minute distribution to his starting five, the author of this article has been supportive of it, as it allows his key players to be conditioned for the big moments.

However, it seems that Thibodeau strayed a bit away from this strategy, noticeably with Brunson, and this is where he has gone wrong.  A star player like Brunson should never be on the bench to start the 4th quarter of a tied, must-win game, but that is what was seen in Game 2, where Cam Payne was on the court in place of Brunson for several minutes.

In these minutes, the Knicks fell behind and could not recover, leading to them going down 2-0.  Moreover, Thibodeau’s game plan has had Brunson sit for typically the first 5-6 minutes of the 2nd quarter, which is just too long.  Brunson should not be on the bench for more than just a couple minutes, as he is the driving force of this Knicks squad.

Therefore, going forwards it is paramount that at the least, Brunson is on the court for the entirety of the 4th quarter, as this obviously gives New York the best chance at coming away with a win.

Play Better Defense

This might be a simple thing to say, but a Thibodeau-led team is known to play tough defense and make it difficult for their opponents to score, especially in the clutch.  This has not been seen in the first two games, as Indiana posted 138 in Game 1 and 114 in Game 2.

Moreover, each night the Knicks struggled with guarding certain players and did not adjust.  In Game 1, it was Aaron Nesmith who scored 30 and went 8/9 from 3-point range, while Tyrese Haliburton dropped 31, including his mind-boggling, game-tying shot which sent the contest to overtime.

In Game 2, it was the Pascal Siakam show as he crushed the Knicks with a 39-point performance, shooting 15/23 (65%) from the field.  He was unstoppable all night, and it was surprising to see how New York continued to leave him wide open on many occasions.

Going into Games 3 and 4, the Knicks must play better defense and find a way to adjust to the Indiana player(s) who might get hot that night, and this will start with Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, who are known for their defensive prowess and typically draw the most important assignments.

Give Mitch More Minutes

While it has been a disappointing start to the series against Indiana, Mitchell Robinson has been one of the few bright spots for this Knicks team.  He has been a monster on the boards, vacuuming in tons of rebounds, especially while on offense.  This has allowed New York to get second or even third chance points, which has kept them in the game.

Despite this, Robinson remains a player that Thibodeau will only bring off the bench.  With the Knicks down 2-0, but Robinson playing spectacularly, it would not be a bad idea to give him the start (over Josh Hart), and let him continue to dominate on the boards.

Final Thoughts

With all of this in mind, it will still be a tough hill to climb, as no team in NBA Conference Finals history has ever come back after losing the first two games at home, while the Knicks are also 0-14 when falling down 2-0 in a seven game series.  

Nonetheless, it will be a very different story if New York can rally and win both on the road in Indiana, but for now, Knicks faithful will just have to stress it out.

Ryan Nelke can be reached at nelkerya@shu.edu.

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