May 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) shoots a layup over Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) during the second quarter of game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Knicks Expand Rotation to Expand Series

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Magliocchetti | Last updated May 27, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Down 2-0 to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was almost literally all hands on deck for the New York Knicks on Sunday night.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau pulled out all the stops in an effort to get on the series board, breaking an almost-steadfast devotion to his current eight-man rotation by adding new entrants like Landry Shamet and Delon Wright.

That gambit, as well as placing Mitchell Robinson back in the starting lineup in place of Josh Hart, paid off in the form of a 106-100 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, one that shrank Indiana's lead in the best-of-seven national semifinal to 2-1.

Landry Shamet Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

“Both guys have done a good job, we picked up Delon late, but Landry’s been terrific all year,” Thibodeau said of the unexpected heroes, per Erich Richter of the New York Post. “[Shamet] has played really well, he’s great for the team. He’s always ready. The same could be said for Delon. So they’re really good pros. When I say that, I mean they do the right thing every day. That goes a long way. It’s not just lip service, it’s actually doing the actual work, which I think is important.”

Entering Game 3, Shamet and Wright had played less than 15 minutes combined. Their works as is was mostly relegated to mop-up duty, though Wright had earned a 26-second defensive cameo in Game 2 against the Pacers at Madison Square Garden.

Neither had memorable box scores on Sunday night but their presence no doubt gave the Pacers a different look and their subtle contributions made a difference: Wright, for example, hounded Indiana attackers and prevented them from building upon a lasting lead while Shamet's grit and tenacity was partly personified by the Knicks' plus-12 advantage on the scoreboard during his 11 minutes.

Delon Wright Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"It's the playoffs, you need everybody," Shamet said of his unexpected insertion in video from SNY. "The rotation's shorter in the playoffs, we all know that. You need everybody. It's been my intention, that's been our intention from the get. We need everybody."

Depth has frequently been floated as one of the Knicks' most common weaknesses but the script no doubt flipped on Sunday, especially with Hart joining the trio of Shamet, Wright, and Miles McBride. Breakouts within the second unit have paved the way to metropolitan victories: with Shamet providing the necessary fuel, the Knicks improved to 5-1 when at least one reserve post a plus-10 or better.

“Got to give credit to those guys,” Hart said, per John Flanigan of SNY. “Sham was great, Lon played great, Deuce, they injected energy into the game and were huge for us tonight. We’re going to continue to rely on guys like that moving forward.”

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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