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For the first time in a quarter-century, the Knicks are on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
**5 FEATURES IN TODAY’S ISSUE 🏀**
**Knicks in Six:** New York secured their place without a need for a comeback in the decisive victory.
**The Breakthrough:** An exploration of how New York has reached the East Finals for the first occasion since 2000.
**Knicks-Pacers:** A historic rivalry reignites as both teams vie for a spot in the Finals.
**Thunder-Nuggets:** Sunday’s Game 7 in OKC will conclude the second round.
**WNBA Season Kicks Off:** Groundbreaking moments occurred on Friday night, setting up key matchups for Saturday.
**BUT FIRST … ⏰**
**Recap of Yesterday’s Results**
Since there are no NBA games today, be sure to catch the inaugural ABC doubleheader of the 2025 WNBA season. The Liberty will kick off their title defense against the Aces (1 ET), featuring a clash of the last two WNBA champions. Following that, it’s a match between last year’s rookie sensations when Caitlin Clark’s Fever face off against Angel Reese’s Sky (3 ET).
Everything leads to Sunday’s showdown. The Thunder and Nuggets ended their regular season series in a tie (2-2) and have split the first six games of their West Semifinals series (3-3). Tomorrow at 3:30 ET on ABC, one team will break the tie and earn the chance to compete against Minnesota in the West Finals.
1. **KNICKS PULL AHEAD OF CELTICS, MOVE ON TO EAST FINALS**
With a chance to make it to the East Finals for the first time in 25 years, the Knicks delivered a complete performance against the Boston Celtics.
Entering Friday with a 3-2 lead in the series, the Knicks had dealt with an average deficit of 22.6 points in the opening five games.
On Friday, New York took the lead early. Following a three-pointer from Kristaps Porzingis that tied the game at 16-16 with 2:31 remaining in the first quarter, the Knicks came out strong after a timeout and launched into a 26-8 run, establishing firm control of the game.
**Knicks 119, Celtics 81:** Jalen Brunson (23 pts, 6 ast) and OG Anunoby (23 pts, 4 3pm) were among six Knicks who scored in double digits. New York maintained the lead after the initial moments, held its first halftime advantage of the series, and comfortably secured their series-clinching win. | Recap
**What’s On The Horizon:** The Knicks will go up against the 4-seed Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 1 is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21 (8 ET, TNT) at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will have home-court advantage over their historical rivals (more details in Section 4 ⬇️).
2. **ELEMENTS OF NEW YORK’S SUCCESS**
The New York Knicks have advanced to the East Finals for the first time since 2000.
After being eliminated in the second round in consecutive seasons, the Knicks finally broke through, overcoming the defending champion Celtics in six games to set up a rematch with the Pacers, who ended New York’s playoff journey last year.
What was the key to their success?
Despite adjustments to the roster, the Knicks quickly found their rhythm with the new players on board. It certainly helped that Bridges had previously played college basketball with Brunson and Hart.
“Found a way… just keep sticking together,” Brunson shared as he exited the MSG court on Friday, following cheers of MVP from the passionate New York crowd that connects deeply with this team displaying grit and determination night after night.
3. **FIRST LOOK: KNICKS-PACERS REVISIT THEIR RIVALRY IN EAST FINALS**
Reggie. Patrick. The Davis brothers. Oakley. Mason. Starks. Smits. Mark Jackson. Riley. Larry Brown. Larry Johnson. Carmelo. PG. Roy Hibbert. Haliburton. Brunson.
Spike Lee. Knicks vs. Hicks. Eight points in nine seconds.
The names and historic moments flood the mind. The fierce beasts of the East are back as the Knicks take on the Pacers again, this time for a chance at the NBA Finals.
This matchup is a repeat of last year’s East Semifinals, where the Pacers triumphed in seven games, marking their third consecutive series victory in this storied competition. Overall, they have faced each other in the playoffs nine times (IND 5-4), with this being their fourth encounter in the East Finals (NYK 2-1).
The defining moments in this rivalry are legendary:
The competition has always been tight. The Knicks and Pacers have clashed in 198 regular-season games, with the Knicks securing 102 wins compared to the Pacers’ 96.
Last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals extended to a thrilling seven-game series, with Indiana clinching the win on an unprecedented shooting night, hitting 67.1% of their shots.
In the current season, the Knicks claimed the season series 2-1, led by Towns, who averaged 30.3 points and 12 rebounds on a shooting percentage of 56.6%, while Bennedict Mathurin starred for the Pacers with an average of 25.3 points at impressive shooting splits, including a career-high 38 points in Indiana’s victory on November 10.
Who will rise to the occasion as their classic rivalry reignites?
4. **FIRST LOOK: NUGGETS-THUNDER GAME 7 ON SUNDAY**
This is a moment familiar to Denver, one that seems unavoidable.
Last year, the Nuggets fell to the Timberwolves in seven games during the West Semis. They began this postseason by taking the Clippers to the brink of a seventh game to win their first-round series.
Now facing the Thunder, they have produced the first Game 7 of the conference semifinals this year, marking the third straight series going the distance.
On Sunday afternoon at 3:30 ET (ABC) at Paycom Center, Denver and Oklahoma City will battle it out one final time, with a spot in the West Finals up for grabs.
This series has been exhilarating from the start. One basket decided Game 1, even with Jokić’s impressive 42-point, 22-rebound double-double not being enough.
Game 2 saw the Thunder seize control with a commanding 43-point victory. However, their other two wins were due to:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić showcasing their talents as Kia NBA MVP contenders, averaging a combined 58.6 points in the series, while Jokić contributes 14.7 rebounds per game and SGA provides 7.0 assists.
Which player will shine brightest with their season on the line?
5. **WNBA OPENING WEEKEND CONTINUES**
The 2025 WNBA season commenced on Friday with the launch of its 13th franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, featuring an eventful three-game night.
Historical moments unfolded during the inaugural WNBA game in the Bay Area on Friday. Not only did the Valkyries make their debut, but it was also the first time Kelsey Plum took the court for the L.A. Sparks, and she delivered an unforgettable performance.
Additionally, Friday marked No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers’ first professional regular-season game as the Wings hosted the Lynx.
The WNBA Tip-Off continues on Saturday with another three-game lineup, highlighted by an ABC doubleheader.
