Each head coaches got here to the identical conclusion.
Tom Thibodeau and Joe Mazzulla each pointed to the identical space as the rationale behind the Knicks’ offensive struggles, notably in Recreation 3.
“I think for anybody, live-ball turnovers that put you into the open floor, get you easy baskets,” Thibodeau stated Sunday. “So that’s a big part of the game, and that’s the fight. I think it’s the challenge for each team to try to create as many as you can, because you know what it does for your offense. It fuels your offense.”
“We didn’t have [so many] live-ball turnovers,” Mazzulla stated after Recreation 3. “I can’t stress to you the importance of not throwing the ball to the other team and them getting out in transition.”
The Knicks offense has been at its finest within the sequence when it’s driving its protection to simple buckets in transition.
That has largely come within the fourth quarter of Video games 1 and a couple of. A lot of the remainder of the sequence has been a slog offensively.
“We got guys that can make plays, guys that can shoot the ball, guys that can finish at the rim. So for sure that’s when our offense is firing on all cylinders,” Josh Hart — the one who is usually pushing the Knicks to play sooner — stated Sunday. “We’re capable of get out and get all people simple photographs, simple baskets and get everybody into the move of issues.
Comply with The Submit’s protection of the Knicks within the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Sports activities+ subscribers: Join Contained in the Knicks to get day by day e-newsletter protection and be part of Knowledgeable Take for insider texts in regards to the sequence.
“And when you’re not causing turnovers and you’re getting the ball under the rim, taking it out every possession, it’s tough to have that speed, so we have to try to cause more turnovers, play better defense and finish possessions with rebounds and run, and even when we do take the ball out, have pace to our offense and not just be standing around being so stagnant.”
Thibodeau believes that’s additionally behind OG Anunoby’s quiet previous two video games.
Anunoby recorded only a mixed seven factors in Video games 2 and three after erupting for 29 in Recreation 1.
“The hard thing is we gotta get stops so we can get out in the open floor, create easy shots for each other,” Thibodeau stated. “The first game, a lot was created off of the pace of the game, where we were able to create. He made six 3s in that game, so he’s getting a lot of attention 1747030877. He’s not getting the same room he had in the first game. He’ll get some baskets.”
