Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Baron Davis addresses ‘the only reason’ the New York Knicks lost to the Pacers, failure around one player

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aikansh Chaudhary | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The New York Knicks were surprisingly unable to handle the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

Despite entering the conference finals series as the favorites, the New York Knicks suffered a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

The defeat had a catastrophic impact on the team as the top brass decided to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau. Now, Mike Brown will replace Thibs for the upcoming season.

But putting that aside, were coach Thibodeau’s tactics the reason behind the Knicks’ humiliating series defeat? Well, according to former NBA player Baron Davis, that wasn’t the case.

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Baron Davis on ‘pressure’ that Jalen Brunson faced

Jalen Brunson had a terrific run in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. He averaged a stunning 29.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game in the postseason.

But Davis believes the Pacers managed to find a way to slow down Brunson in the ECF matchup.

“What happened where Indiana was successful is that the half-court started to become another defender and a problem for him.

“Bringing the ball up the court against pressure, then you get that pick and roll happening down there, right by half court. Even though the court got bigger and wider, his space got limited,” Davis said on Podcast P.

He added: “You need somebody who can handle pressure, bring the ball up.”

Brunson contributed 30.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game against the Pacers. On paper, his numbers were great, but Davis thinks the 28-year-old became the lone warrior for the Knicks throughout the series.

Baron Davis breaks down the ‘only reason’ behind the New York Knicks’ defeat

The ex-NBA player wasn’t done talking about the Knicks vs Pacers matchup and further broke down his reasoning.

“Nobody on the Knicks outside of Jalen Brunson could bring the ball up the court. That’s the only reason why they lost. Indiana puts pressure. You turn the ball over. Indiana puts pressure, then you extend your offense.

“And now you know Karl-Anthony Towns got to play one-on-one from the top of the key the entire series,” he continued.

This is supported by the fact that Brunson averaged 4.0 turnovers per game against the Pacers, including two games with more than 5 TOs.

“They [were] eating the clock. They were tearing the clock up. So he’s dribbling all, he got the ball all shot clock,” Davis added.

He concluded by stating: “He can’t even get off the ball, push off, get some space, and now have a live dribble. He doesn’t get none of that.”

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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