What went wrong for the Knicks in NBA Playoffs?

The New York Knicks’ 2023-24 came to an end on Sunday when they lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals 130-109 to the Indiana Pacers. They technically lost more than just the series, as they suffered another major injury, as well. Either way, New York’s season is over. And before we look ahead, let’s take inventory by identifying exactly what went wrong for the Knicks in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Jalen Brunson’s fractured hand added insult to injury

Injuries were unfortunately a key storyline in this series. It’s never a narrative you want to see, but it dominated headlines, and rightfully so. The Knicks’ health was a major problem for the entire series, and especially so in Game 7.

OG Anunoby returned to action for the first time since Game 2. But he was still clearly limited by his hamstring strain. He only played about five minutes in the entire game. And while he was 2-for-2 from the field, he was nearly immobile on defense. And for coach Tom Thibodeau to pull him early in the first quarter, you know something was seriously wrong.

Josh Hart’s abdominal strain was also an issue. Sure, he was better off than Anunoby, but he was limited, as well. Hart played a little more than 36 minutes but was held to 10 points and 8 rebounds on 3-for-9 shooting. And he was clearly laboring, which resulted in the entire team playing with low energy.

As if those weren’t enough (in addition to the team’s other injuries), Jalen Brunson exited the game in the second half with a fracture in his left hand. The game was already essentially decided when Brunson left the game, but it served as an exclamation point for the series.

Knicks needed better work on the glass

The Knicks lost the important rebounding battle in Game 7. It was close. But the Pacers walked away with 33 rebounds to the Knicks’ 28. That made all the difference in each game, as the team that won the rebounding battle won every game in this second-round matchup. New York technically retrieved more offensive rebounds than the Pacers, but they were held to 14 second-chance points (compared to 26 in Game 5).

Unfortunately, the Knicks just didn’t have the bodies or the energy (or both) to win the rebounding battle. New York must have understood the importance of rebounding entering Game 7, but they just didn’t get it done. There’s nothing else to say.

Knicks’ cold shooting led to season-ending loss