ATLANTA — Two years ago, the Knicks were lovable underdogs.
A year ago, they were a little less lovable — a product of exhausting all their draft assets in trades and losing their rough-and-tumble identity — but they were underdogs, nonetheless.
“ ‘If they make it a six-game series, I’ll be proud of the Knicks,’ ” recalled Karl-Anthony Towns of the punditry surrounding last year’s second round against the Celtics.
Now? They better win. That’s the mandate not only from the outside but also the team owner, James Dolan, who replaced the coach in June and sent a public Finals-or-bust message in January. So it doesn’t matter that the Knicks still aren’t betting favorites to win the East, or that they’ll probably enter as the No. 3 seed.
They either advance past three rounds or they’re a disappointment and Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes the only way out.
“The perception and standards have obviously changed for us ever since we made that stride last year in the playoffs,” Towns said Monday. “Getting through the first round, we weren’t supposed to make it out of there. Then the second round, we definitely weren’t supposed to be making it out of there. We showed the world that we can beat these teams, especially in the playoffs.
“But in doing that, we put the antennas up for the rest of the league as well. They know what we can do and on top of that, coming in with the expectations we had this year, finding a way to win the NBA Cup. Even through all the ups and downs, finding ourselves the third seed. The world is not unaware of how good we are. But it’s up to us to execute in a seven-game series and be disciplined and find a way to win.”
Towns was wrong about one thing. The Knicks were supposed to beat the Pistons in the first round last year and they succeeded in six games. But then they were projected for a beatdown administered by the Celtics and instead compelled mass celebrations outside of MSG.
It’s theoretically easier to play freer when unburdened by expectations. But Towns is taking the “pressure is a privilege” approach.
“Me, personally, I’ve been dealing with expectations since before I stepped into the league,” said Towns, the former No. 1 overall draft pick. “Honestly, it’s really the same thing. It’s been the story of my career. Dealing with expectations that are lofty. On top of that, the expectations I have for myself are even higher than what people give me. So I have a lot of work to do. But I’ve been used to it. So it’s a blessing to have pressure.”
Beyond the team success and the overflow of glory that would come with an NBA Finals appearance, there’s money at stake for individual players. Towns is eligible for a contract extension after the season. Same with Miles McBride. Meanwhile, Mitchell Robinson, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson and Mohamed Diawara could all be free agents. Players get paid off their postseasons. Just ask Mikal Bridges, who got $150 million after his breakthrough opening two rounds of 2025.
This year’s version of the Knicks — and Bridges, especially — doesn’t look as good as the version that beat the Celtics. But momentum is a helluva equalizer.
And if the Knicks can close the season strong against four straight playoff-bound opponents — including Monday against the Hawks — they can carry it into the first round.
“We can get to that level. We’re really good,” Alvarado said. “We just need to lock in on the details and stay like that. What really is in our way is ourselves. We just got to stay consistent and confident in who we are.”
Better late than never, says Towns.
“The playoffs should’ve started 10 games ago [for us],” the center said. “We should be building on our standards all year. That’s what the goal was. We have four good games where we can get some good tape, get our coverages right. See how we can execute different coverages, different things. And we could just find different ways to show what we can do, and have adjustments ready to go in the playoffs.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
