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Knicks on brink of ‘missed opportunity’ with season hanging in the balance

Originally posted on Empire Sports Media
By Dylan Backer | Last updated May 29, 2025 10:58 AM ET

The New York Knicks are one loss away from falling just short of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. They are currently down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers, and while it is not impossible to make the series comeback, history will suggest it is highly improbable.

The Knicks are one loss away from missing a grand opportunity

New York stunned the basketball world when they knocked off the defending champion Boston Celtics in six games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but they have fallen flat against the Pacers. Indiana’s fast-paced offense and active defense have given New York problems all series, and it will take a lot for them to come back down 3-1.

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NBA analyst Bill Simmons is concerned that the Knicks will not have an opportunity this open to reach the Finals again after this season.

“This is an incredible missed opportunity for them if they can’t get out of the series. When you think about just going back, [Joel] Embiid and Paul George in Philly, that falls apart. So Philly never happens. [Jimmy] Butler blows up Miami. Dame ruptured his Achilles. Boston chokes the first two games, and then [Jayson] Tatum gets hurt for a year in game four. Then, Indy knocks out a 64-win team that has home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. So you stack all of this stuff together, it’s like a borderline miracle for the Knicks,” Simmons said.

The Knicks need to go perfect the rest of the way

The Knicks had a tough road to get to the ECF in the first place, but they had the luxury of not facing the one-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers after facing the Celtics. Furthermore, the Knicks are healthy this time around after being decimated with injuries during last year’s postseason run.

New York did still take a step forward in their progress to a championship this season by making it this far, but they had an opportunity to knock off Indiana with home court advantage and arguably more star power on the roster, and they are one loss away from officially coming up short.

Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Anything can still happen, as the series is not over despite the seemingly insurmountable deficit. There’s no margin for error going forward, so the Knicks need to go all-in and play the hardest they have ever played.

Game 5 at Madison Square Garden tips off at 8 P.M. EST on Thursday. New York will look to keep their season alive and force a Game 6.

This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.

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