Shara Talia Taylor provides a video report.
Thanks to the Atlanta Hawks’ loss Thursday night, New York officially clinched a top-6 seed in the Eastern Conference—securing their postseason spot with several games to spare. But the week leading into that good news was anything but smooth.
After a high-energy 128-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, the Knicks stumbled in a 126-113 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers just one night later. Our video correspondent, Shara Talia Taylor, was at Madison Square Garden for the latter game and spoke with New York Post Sports Host Dexter Henry to get his analysis.
On Wednesday, the Knicks jumped out to an early lead, only to be outscored by the Clippers across the final three quarters. James Harden torched New York’s defense with 29 points, including a blazing second quarter.
Coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t mince words: “We didn’t close the second great. Offensively, I thought we scored enough.”
Injuries continued to pile up. Cameron Payne, who had 10 points in the first quarter, left the game in the second with an ankle injury. With Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride already sidelined, Payne’s exit forced the Knicks to turn to rookie Tyler Kolek and veteran Delon Wright to steer the offense.
“The energy shifted really on defense,” said Henry. “You saw that in the third quarter—the way the Clippers were hunting Tyler Kolek.”
When Shara asked if fatigue from Tuesday played a role, Henry admitted it did: “I think there is some fatigue there, and they’re already short-handed… They’re now going deeper into the bench with some players who are offensively limited.”
Still, there were bright spots. Karl-Anthony Towns carried the load Wednesday with 34 points and 14 rebounds, and Hart, though limited offensively that night, had left his mark on Tuesday’s win.
“I thought he would get to 10,” Henry said of Hart’s triple-double count. “I think he’ll get one more in him over these last 10 games.”
The Knicks now hit the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. With their playoff berth locked in, the focus shifts to health, rhythm, and maybe one more triple-double for the history books.
Watch the full video below and let us know your thoughts in the comments!