2-4 was out! Brunson took the initiative to take responsibility, Towns is a double-edged sword, and Thibodeau is temporarily safe

25 years ago, the Knicks met with the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks lost to the Pacers 2-4, watching the Pacers reach the finals for the first time in history. 25 years later, the Knicks met with the Pacers again in the Eastern Conference Finals. Times changed and things changed, and new hatreds and old hatreds were counted together. The Knicks lost to the Pacers 2-4 again, but they were out! From G1's overtime 17-point reversal to G3's final quarter, from G5 saving the match point with a 17-point victory to G6's 17-point defeat and was eliminated in disgrace, the Knicks repeatedly jumped over whether they were good or bad, making people love and hate! Rather than saying that the Pacers are too strong, it is better to say that the Knicks have too many shortcomings.

Knicks overturned the Eastern Conference dark horse Pistons 4-2 in the first round, and overturned the defending champion Celtics 4-2 in the second round. They were a heavy blow, punching the flesh, and grasping every mistake the opponent made. Especially Brunson, who stood up to take over the game in the final quarter again and again, is worthy of being the best key player of the year! But when he arrived at the Eastern Conference Final stage, facing the Pacers' human-sea tactics, Brunson was unable to make the situation even if he had no ammunition and food! After 6 games in the series, Brunson averaged 35.3 minutes per game, contributing 30.7 points + 2.5 rebounds + 5.7 assists per game. Behind the gorgeous data, Brunson was tired and struggled, averaging 4 turnovers per game, with only 34.9% of his three-point shooting percentage, and was invisible at critical moments.

Knicks' season ended early, and Brunson was convinced. He took the initiative to take responsibility in an interview: We watched the Pacers play too many counterattacks, which is why they can easily open the scores throughout the entire series. This was a link I had to control well, but I failed to do it and failed to create more opportunities for the team to win. This was too bad and fatal, and the responsibility was mainly on me. At the same time, Brunson also put down his bold words: No matter how the outside world evaluates us, I know the team's true strength, and I have the greatest confidence in the team's further development.

The Knicks won both games in this round of the series and have direct relationship with Towns. In the series G3, Towns scored 20 points and 8 rebounds in the last quarter, leading the team to complete an epic reversal; in the series G5, Towns contributed 24 points and 13 rebounds to dominate the inside line, helping the team win back the match point. After 6 games in the series, Towns averaged 35.1 minutes per game, averaged 24.8 points + 12.2 rebounds + 1.8 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 50%, 36.7% and 76.6% respectively, with averaging plus and negative values ​​of +1.2 per game. Towns is hard and fragrant, and his mental attributes of fighting with a knee injury are also inspiring, but it is undeniable that Towns is a double-edged sword, with strong offense and weak defense. According to US media reports, both the Knicks players and coaches expressed dissatisfaction with Towns' defensive habits. Towns always implemented the wrong defensive strategy without communication.

According to Knicks reporter Ian Begley, the Knicks will start evaluating the lineup next week, with the evaluation standard being "whether to win the championship." The Knicks are rich and powerful. I don’t know what adjustments they will make to the lineup, but one thing is certain that Thibodeau’s coach position is temporarily safe. On the one hand, the Knicks returned to the Eastern Conference Finals after 25 years, which itself is a huge leap and success; on the other hand, from the team's president Ross to the team's core Brunson, they all support his work. More importantly, Thibodeau is also improving, and his approach of using long rotation to fight Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals is impressive! For the Knicks, the East is facing major changes unseen in years, and the Celtics and the Cavaliers are facing the problem of dismantling teams and avoiding taxes. As long as the Knicks retain the core five tiger generals while playing to make up for their weaknesses, they are still expected to go further! Fans, what do you think about this? Let me leave me a comment and discuss it.