Knicks Embrace Underdog Status vs. Celtics

"With us, we don't really involve ourselves with what other people think," Josh Hart said in video from SNY. "If we're counted out already, then we should play with a great level of freedom. That's about it. We don't really care too much what the outside world said. We're focused on how we feel internally and going about it that way."

"It's the playoffs," teammate Mikal Bridges added, also in SNY video. "What are you not excited about?"

A second-round matchup against the Celtics has allowed the Knicks' most relentless critics to resurrect one of their favorite narratives, namely this season's winless mark against the Association's top three teams.

The struggles against the Celtics aren't the only reason why the Knicks will probably carry the bittersweet of gift of having nothing to lose, as New York is seeking its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000. Boston, on the other hand, has been no worse than a national semifinalist in all but two of the last eight seasons, a run that includes last year's record-breaking 18th NBA championship.

But the Knicks made it clear that's going to take far more than pregame narrative formed beyond the locker room to curb their postseason enthusiasm.

"We always go in with confidence. It's idiotic to play the game if you don't go in with confidence. If you don't go in to win, you shouldn't go out there," Hard bluntly declared in video from SNY. "We're confident in the team that we have. We're confident in the coaching staff that we have, and I'm sure it's vice versa, same for [Boston]."

"We're always confident in ourselves. If you're not confident, like I said, you shouldn't be out there."