Game 5 Loss Traps Knicks in No-Win Situation

What the Knicks have accomplished over the last two seasons is certainly impressive, in a sense: only they and the defending champions from Denver and Boston have won at least one playoff series in each of the last two years. Those teams, of course, have the luxury of a recent championship to ward off any complaints should fall in round one (Boston has already handled such business and awaits the Knicks or Pistons in part two) while the Knicks, as their fans know all too well, have no such luxury.

That only added to the fact that the Knicks had the most thankless task out of any of the 16 round one participants and the Pistons' arrival in the sixth slot only exacerbated it further.

It created a match tailor-made for the Knicks' critics and their most pessimistic supporters: if the Knicks won, well done, they handled business as a three seed by beating a team clearly ahead of schedule in its rebuild project. No one needs to be reminded of the aftermath awaits if they lose (especially after holding a 3-1 lead).

The best way the Knicks could've made a statement was by sweeping Detroit. That opportunity went by the wayside but a similar circumstance re-emerged in Game 4. In a brilliant display, the Knicks created exactly what they needed: a narrative-killer.

No one was complaining about the expensive trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns after each came up big the way they were paid to be in Game 4. The longevity and experience of Tom Thibodeau was well-appreciated after the way he navigated the tense latter stages of the 94-93 win. Only the most desperate denied Jalen Brunson's case as a team's top contributor when he returned from injury to score 15 points in the final period without the benefit of the free throws he supposedly relies on (he took but two in a 32-tally showing overall).

That's all forgotten after loss in Game 5, which offered the same ammunition that's been lingering all year. Holding a rare, single postseason misfire against Brunson is silly but the Knick's high-profile acquisitions struggled to live up to their advertised billings and Thibodeau is facing heavy criticism for relative inaction after Brunson and Josh Hart got stranded at the scorer's table as well as his strict adherence to an eight-man rotation. To top it all off, the Knicks were outplayed by a series of talented but not-ready-for-prime-time players, ones who admirably kept pace with a team built to win now.

Now, the Knicks are trapped in the only Eastern first-round series that's still going on, made to settle their differences amidst an upset bid (Golden State-Houston) and an evenly-matched 4 vs. 5 (Denver-LA Clippers) showing out west.

Even if they do down Detroit, the potential series win in no fewer than six games does little to inspire faith and confidence against the mighty Celtics, who now have a few extra days to potentially prepare for a Knicks team that has admittedly shifted in a positive direction (i.e. OG Anunoby's offensive breakout) since their one-sided regular season series.

All that and more sets the tone for an awkward offseason in Manhattan, barring a best of Boston in round two.

If the Knicks as is struggle against a team armed with mostly a good story, how are they set to fare against teams with apparently lasting auras like Boston, Cleveland, and even Indiana? Are thrilling second-round showings the ceiling for this group?

Will the Knicks, with their draft pick cabinet mostly bare, have to insert themselves into high-profile trade talks, such as those potentially centered around Giannis Antetokounmpo and/or Kevin Durant, which would undoubtedly have to sacrifice name-brand talent?

The questions that defined the Knicks' years could stem from one night.