Emergency Pod: Historic Knicks’ Comeback, Boston In Trouble

Summary

Podcast Summary: Emergency Pod: Historic Knicks’ Comeback, Boston In Trouble
Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective
Release Date: May 8, 2025

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Introduction

In this emergency episode of The Hoop Collective, host Zach Lowe and co-host Tim McMahon delve into the implications of a historic comeback by the New York Knicks against the Boston Celtics. The episode, aired unexpectedly due to unforeseen circumstances at the TD Garden, provides an in-depth analysis of the game, highlighting key performances, tactical shifts, and the broader impact on the series.

Historic Knicks’ Comeback

The central focus of the episode is the Knicks' unprecedented comeback in the playoff series against the Celtics. Zach begins by highlighting the rarity of the Knicks’ achievement:

Zach Lowe [02:09]: “The Knicks have won five road playoff games in this postseason.”

These victories were particularly notable as all were secured by margins of three points or less, demonstrating the Knicks' resilience and clutch performance under pressure. The Knicks' ability to win close games on the road is emphasized as a critical factor in their historic run.

Boston Celtics’ Struggles

Contrasting the Knicks’ performance, the Celtics find themselves in a precarious position. Despite having a substantial lead during the game, Boston faltered in the fourth quarter, culminating in a dramatic loss. Zach and Tim discuss the Celtics' inability to maintain their offensive momentum:

Zach Lowe [03:07]: “The Celtics missed 14 or 15 shots and had only one basket in the final eight and a half minutes.”

This collapse is attributed to strategic missteps and the effective adjustments made by the Knicks, particularly through player Mitchell Robinson.

Key Performances and Tactical Shifts

Mitchell Robinson’s Impact:
Mitchell Robinson emerges as a pivotal figure in the Knicks' victory. His defensive adjustments and presence in the paint were crucial in stifling the Celtics' offensive options.

Zach Lowe [04:38]: “Mitchell Robinson was just brilliant in this game. The Knicks were really saved by his minutes on the court.”

Jalen Brunson’s Clutch Play:
Jalen Brunson’s performance in the clutch moments turned the tide in favor of the Knicks. His ability to hit critical shots under pressure underscored his role as the team's closer.

Zach Lowe [13:11]: “Jalen Brunson had nine points in the fourth quarter and made two clutch free throws.”

Tactical Analysis

The discussion delves into the Celtics' defensive strategies and how they inadvertently facilitated the Knicks' comeback:

Zach Lowe [05:17]: “The Celtics fouled to force Mitchell Robinson out of the game, showing their discomfort with his play.”

Additionally, Zach critiques the Celtics’ offensive execution, particularly Jayson Tatum’s shot selection:

Zach Lowe [10:11]: “Tatum was hoisting threes even when Jalen Brunson was on him, which diluted their offensive efficiency.”

Player Conditions and Their Impact

Chris Paul Porzingis’ Health:
A significant concern raised is Chris Paul Porzingis' health. His subpar performance and reported discomfort suggest potential long-term implications for the Celtics.

Zach Lowe [14:37]: “Porzingis is not right. He doesn’t feel well, and it’s affecting his performance.”

The uncertainty surrounding Porzingis’ condition adds another layer of vulnerability to the Celtics' campaign, as his absence undermines their frontcourt strength.

Strategic Contrasts Between Teams

The episode contrasts the Celtics’ tight play when leading with the Knicks’ more relaxed approach when trailing. This strategic dichotomy is highlighted as a key factor in the series' unpredictability.

Zach Lowe [07:24]: “The Celtics play tight when they have the lead, while the Knicks play loose from behind, always bringing it back.”

This difference in approach has led to the Knicks consistently clawing back into games, making the series highly competitive and unpredictable.

Broader Implications and Future Outlook

Zach emphasizes the length and unpredictability of NBA playoff series, reinforcing that no outcome is set in stone:

Zach Lowe [16:06]: “NBA basketball is extremely forgiving because games, playoff series, seasons are long. It’s never over after two games.”

The episode concludes with a cautious optimism about the Knicks' potential to continue their comeback and the Celtics' need to address their strategic deficiencies to reclaim control of the series.

Notable Quotes

• Zach Lowe [00:35]: “This is an emergency podcast that Jackson Brow beat me into.”
• Zach Lowe [02:16]: “The Knicks have only led for 12 total minutes.”
• Zach Lowe [16:37]: “There’s always time. It’s never over after two games, never over.”
• Zach Lowe [12:24]: “The Celtics are getting way more good looks.”

Conclusion

This emergency episode of The Hoop Collective provides a comprehensive breakdown of one of the most thrilling comebacks in NBA playoff history. Through detailed analysis of player performances, tactical decisions, and strategic contrasts, Zach Lowe and Tim McMahon offer listeners valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of the Knicks-Celtics series. As the playoffs progress, the Knicks’ resilience and the Celtics’ strategic adjustments will undoubtedly continue to shape the narrative of this high-stakes matchup.

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For those who haven't listened to the episode, this summary encapsulates the critical discussions and analyses presented by the hosts, offering a clear understanding of the game's significance and its implications for both teams moving forward.

Transcript

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[Unknown]

Foreign.

[Zach Lowe]

Welcome to the Hoop Collective podcast. I talk about the NBA. This is an emergency podcast that Jackson Brow beat me into. I don't really think it's appropriate to do an emergency podcast by myself, but here I am early on Thursday morning in Boston.

[Tim McMahon]

I had to evacuate the TD Garden.

[Zach Lowe]

Because there was a fire after the after the game. Jayson Tatum couldn't even do his post game press conference. Couldn't is an interesting word that I just used. He probably was pleased he didn't have to do it.

[Tim McMahon]

You could make a whole bunch of metaphors and I'm sure many people and.

[Zach Lowe]

My media brethren will make metaphors about the fire alarm. I'll just pause for a second while you come up with your own good job. But I, you know, I did want to just spend something Tim McMahon is covering the Oklahoma City game. You know, I didn't watch one second of it. I think they won Jackson, did they win the Thunder? They were winning big. I was busy evacuating, so he's not available. And Tim Bontemps is burping his son. So it's just me for right now. There was a, there's a ton of statistics about this game that are apps about really. These two games are absolutely crazy. You're going to probably hear a lot of them if you take in taking.

[Tim McMahon]

Any media over the next couple of days.

[Zach Lowe]

There's a couple that I'm just going to point out, but there's a, there's literally an unending supply. The Knicks have won five road playoff games in this postseason.

[Tim McMahon]

Three in Detroit and now two here in Boston.

[Zach Lowe]

And they've won all of them by three points or less. All of them.

[Tim McMahon]

To me that is a more jaw.

[Zach Lowe]

Dropping statistic than the fact that they had two 20 point comebacks in the second in the second half of these last two games here in Boston. And Tatum and Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown are one of 12 in clutch time. Boston's 100 or 25 of 100 on three pointers.

[Tim McMahon]

I could go on and on.

[Zach Lowe]

The Knicks have only led for 12 total minutes.

[Tim McMahon]

You know, there's already there's been over.

[Zach Lowe]

100 minutes played because of the, because the game first came into overtime. So they've led, you know, for 10, 10ish percent and they're 2, 0. That's never happened before. Anybody who's.

[Tim McMahon]

There's been like 239 teams that have.

[Zach Lowe]

Gotten up 2, 0 in a series. No one's ever only led for 12 minutes. I could keep going on and on and on. Let me just say I went to.

[Tim McMahon]

Both locker rooms after the game.

[Zach Lowe]

The Knicks were chill. Obviously they were very happy, but they were chill. There was a lot of praise in the Knicks locker room for Mitchell Robinson, who made a key adjustment on the last play of the game. So The Celtics missed 14 or less 15 shots. They had one basket in the last.

[Tim McMahon]

Eight and a half minutes.

[Zach Lowe]

They had some free throws, but they had one actual basket. That's how you blow a 16 point lead in the fourth quarter because that's where they were when that started going down. And that basket came on a Jason tatum dunk with 18 seconds left.

[Tim McMahon]

Then the Knicks had taken the lead.

[Zach Lowe]

And Joe Missoula called timeout. And they ran a really good play where Al Horford, he was like a pulling guard. He was a ridiculous moving screen that he wiped out OG Anunoby on the play. But there's moving screens everywhere. I'm not focusing on that. And it moved, moved, you know, Mitchell Robinson was kind of caught in no man's land. Tatum went right by him and dunked it. And so when Jalen Brunson hit two free throws to put the Knicks ahead by one point with 12 seconds left.

[Tim McMahon]

Joe Missoula had a timeout left and.

[Zach Lowe]

He decided not to take it. He didn't want the Knicks to be able to take Jalen Brunson out of the game. They had already had Towns out of the game. I gotta say, Mitchell Robinson, he was just brilliant in general in this game. The Knicks were really saved by his.

[Tim McMahon]

Minutes on the court.

[Zach Lowe]

And in the fourth quarter the Celtics started playing hack a Mitch.

[Tim McMahon]

They were hacking Mitchell Robinson.

[Zach Lowe]

He, he took a free throw in the fourth quarter. I think it was in the fourth quarter where he shot at about 13ft.

[Tim McMahon]

From the 15 point free throw line. It was embarrassing.

[Zach Lowe]

You know, I'm sure it was all over social media. But let me just tell you what wasn't embarrassing. That the Celtics fouled him to force him to be taken out of the game. He's a non skilled backup center and the Celtics were so unnerved by him.

[Tim McMahon]

That they fouled to get him out of the game.

[Zach Lowe]

And if you saw what he did in the last play, maybe you would get it because he was in the games for Karl Towns. And they elected to run the exact same play. Tatum got the ball, started his full court run.

[Tim McMahon]

This time, instead of coming way up.

[Zach Lowe]

Towards center court, Mitchell Robinson hung back.

[Tim McMahon]

And I asked Og Anunoby, I said.

[Zach Lowe]

Did you and Mitch talk during the game?

[Tim McMahon]

Because there wasn't a timeout. Nobody called timeout. And I said, did you two talk.

[Zach Lowe]

Like how you were gonna defend it.

[Tim McMahon]

Differently if they ran it again? And OG said, no, we didn't.

[Zach Lowe]

We just knew what to do, which was to not come too far up the court. And so when Tatum came down, Anobi was more ready for Al Horford, you know, pulling as a pulling guard. And he, and Robinson backed up a little bit so he didn't get caught flat footed. And Tatum ended up making contact with Al Horford and he kind of lost his dribble.

[Tim McMahon]

And then all hell broke loose.

[Zach Lowe]

He was scrambling, looking for a shot.

[Tim McMahon]

Missoula could have called timeout in that.

[Zach Lowe]

Moment, but he tried to call timeout.

[Tim McMahon]

At the end of the game on, on Monday, and he couldn't get the.

[Zach Lowe]

Timeout, so Tatum went hunting for a shot. Missoula said he thought he had a, he had a look. And we didn't get to ask Jayson Tatum about it because the fire alarm went off. But I'm not going to spend a lot of time breaking down the last play.

[Tim McMahon]

Just know that in the Knicks locker.

[Zach Lowe]

Room, they were praising Mitchell Robinson up one side and down the other for how well he played. And when you talk to the Knicks, you know, you tell your players and coaches, you say, like, what's going through.

[Tim McMahon]

Your mind when you're, when you're coming.

[Zach Lowe]

Back from these 20 points down?

[Tim McMahon]

And it's a weird thing. What's going on right now in this series is sort of inverse.

[Zach Lowe]

I'm actually having a hard time quantifying it and talking about it on television and writing about it, because it's, it's on its head. So the Celtics, even though they've got.

[Tim McMahon]

The lead, they play tight.

[Zach Lowe]

And I think it's because they're kind.

[Tim McMahon]

Of, they know Brunson's there.

[Zach Lowe]

It's like, you know, the boogeyman. And it's like, are they going to get it to clutch time?

[Tim McMahon]

And then the Knicks, they play loose. Even when they get, you know, they get down like 16, 18, they always kind of bring it back.

[Zach Lowe]

They kind of bring it back. They kind of bring it back.

[Tim McMahon]

They just, they play very loose from behind. It's unusual because they're on the road.

[Zach Lowe]

And they're the underdog, by the way.

[Tim McMahon]

As of right now, and it might be different by morning.

[Zach Lowe]

The sportsbooks don't know what to do with this series. I actually kind of feel better that I don't really know what's going on because the sportsbooks don't know what's going on either. They still have Boston as the favorite to win the east, obviously, because The Cavs are down 20 as well. But they've got the Knicksters the favorite for the series, which leads me to believe that money's coming in all over the place. Nobody knows what to do here, so that makes me feel better.

[Unknown]

More HOOPP Collective Podcast after this Picture this.

You arrive at your hotel. You have an important online meeting lined up with clients from all across the country.

[Zach Lowe]

Got your laptop open, ready to begin.

[Unknown]

And the WI fi is so terrible.

[Zach Lowe]

You can't even connect.

[Unknown]

These types of stressful situations happen all.

[Zach Lowe]

The time, but they don't have to. When you book a room at La Quincea by Wyndham, you you have access to their free high speed WI fi.

[Unknown]

So you can take care of those critical emails, join your meetings on time, and even unwind by streaming your favorite.

[Zach Lowe]

Shows without having to worry. Tonight La Quinta.

[Tim McMahon]

Tomorrow you shine.

[Unknown]

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[Zach Lowe]

In the Boston locker room, obviously they're, they're upset. But what I'm getting from listening to their players and talking to their players is that I don't think they quite.

[Tim McMahon]

Understand why it's not working.

[Zach Lowe]

They, they feel like they're running good offense now.

[Tim McMahon]

You can pull out individual moments.

[Zach Lowe]

Like Tatum at one point in the.

[Tim McMahon]

Fourth quarter, had Jalen Brunson on him yet again.

[Zach Lowe]

This is where he hoisted a three.

[Tim McMahon]

Pointer several times in, in game one.

[Zach Lowe]

He had Brunson on him and he gave the ball up like two seconds later. And you're like, what are you doing? You know, you guys can't make a shot. You've got Jalen Brunson on you.

[Tim McMahon]

ISO no help.

[Zach Lowe]

Go to the basket or, you know.

[Tim McMahon]

Get in and get a good shot. They started the game posting people up.

[Zach Lowe]

They were posting Jalen Brown up early.

[Tim McMahon]

In the game multiple times.

[Zach Lowe]

They, you know, they were driving in a little. Wasn't like they were abandoning the three because they still, they still took 40 tonight. But they, they were looking to go inside. That was just gone. So. But you can find individual moments where Tatum wasn't aggressive or Jaylen Brown wasn't aggressive, but they feel like they're getting good looks. They don't feel like they're failing in running their stuff. And that's what's confounding them because they feel like it should be working.

[Tim McMahon]

And they've just had two games in a row where their worst three point shooting has happened to Cleveland, too. Cleveland, you know, the number one percentage.

[Zach Lowe]

Three point shooting team.

[Tim McMahon]

They got all these injured guys and they're like, wait, how are we having our worst shooting games when we're also having our star players injured? How is that our lot in life? And this is what Boston's saying, too. How are we shooting this badly? It doesn't make sense.

[Zach Lowe]

Like, I don't think they quite understand.

[Tim McMahon]

Why this is not working. They don't feel like they're getting, you.

[Zach Lowe]

Know, and that's the other thing. That's what I would say if you're.

[Tim McMahon]

If you're a Knicks fan. I don't think the Knicks have played.

[Zach Lowe]

Well yet and that Celtics are a reason for that. I think they're defending well.

[Tim McMahon]

They're causing the Knicks problems with their.

[Zach Lowe]

With their length and their ball pressure.

[Tim McMahon]

That, you know, their Knicks are not Getting a lot of good looks. The Celtics are getting way more good looks.

[Zach Lowe]

And if you're a Boston fan, you're saying, well, that's going to come around.

[Tim McMahon]

And maybe it will.

[Zach Lowe]

But the Celtics are having a difficult.

[Tim McMahon]

Time understanding why they're losing and what's happening in these games. And I am not able to provide.

[Zach Lowe]

Other than reading you statistics and looking.

[Tim McMahon]

At individual moments, I'm not able to provide you a reason why either.

[Zach Lowe]

It's just sort of happening. And a lot of it is, is wrapped in confidence. And, you know, and here's the other thing. Og Anunoby and Mikhail Bridges, the two wings that the Knicks traded for and are paying and all these draft picks and everything, they're outplaying Tatum and Brown in the fourth quarter.

[Tim McMahon]

The two games in this series, Tatum.

[Zach Lowe]

And Brown, like I said, are 1.

[Tim McMahon]

Of 12 in the fourth quarter of.

[Zach Lowe]

These two games, or at least in clutch time, 1 of 12 in clutch time. And the closer, Jalen Brunson's clearly outplaying Jayson Tatum in the closing role. So you have the wings, which is the strength of the Celtics team, getting outplayed by the, by the New York Wings, and you've got the closer closing better. I mean, this was the. Again, Jalen Brunson, he had nine points.

[Tim McMahon]

In the fourth quarter.

[Zach Lowe]

He hit two huge shots, one of.

[Tim McMahon]

Them a three, one of them a driving shot. And then he made two clutch free.

[Zach Lowe]

Throws on the Brunson clutch scale. What do we think it was a 7? Like, I don't even think it's one of his three best clutch.

[Tim McMahon]

I mean, obviously it was a win.

[Zach Lowe]

It doesn't matter, but, like, he's so good, I can parse it. I don't think it was one of.

[Tim McMahon]

His three best clutch games of the five that he's helped them win. And so again, like, if, you know, on Saturday, Brunson could have 45.

[Zach Lowe]

On Saturday, so could Tatum, but Brunson could have 45. Here's something else about the Celtics that should be a little bit worrisome. Chris Habs Porzingis is not right. He played, but he didn't start. And I think it's because he's got no energy. And I talked to him after the game. I shouldn't say I talked to him. I was in the scrum with him, listening to him, and he basically said he doesn't feel well and he's. It's killing him that this is coming back around. And here's the thing, like, I don't know what's going on. I'm not going to say what's going on or what I've heard. He's not like, got a runny nose and, you know, got a cough. He doesn't look, other than maybe just not looking with good coloring. He doesn't look like he has good color. He's not, like, sick, like, you know, got the flu. He's. There's something else going on there. And, you know, he's like, no one's going to feel sorry for me.

[Tim McMahon]

He's like, nobody cares.

[Zach Lowe]

No one's going to feel sorry.

[Tim McMahon]

I feel sorry for him for being.

[Zach Lowe]

Sick because I can't imagine what it's like to be sick.

[Tim McMahon]

And the doctors and I'm sure he's getting.

[Zach Lowe]

I mean, first off, Boston is a.

[Tim McMahon]

Is a medical city. It's one of the leading medical cities in the world.

[Zach Lowe]

I promise you, every good doctor who they could possibly consult, I'm sure has been brought in on this.

[Tim McMahon]

They don't know what it is or if they know what it is, they're.

[Zach Lowe]

Not being able to correct it. And so we know that Porzingis is a huge X factor for them.

[Tim McMahon]

And he did have eight points and four rebounds. He had a couple of good plays. But he is openly saying he does not feel right.

[Zach Lowe]

And so that is something that is coming out of this as well. So I would not say that the Knicks feel like they've got this at all. This is where, as I close here, I go on my pulpit.

[Tim McMahon]

By the way, when I told McMahon.

[Zach Lowe]

That, I was like, I guess I'm just going to do this alone for 15 minutes. He was like, well, you do a long intro for 15 minutes and don't let us talk at the start of every podcast. So just do that. So I appreciate that.

[Tim McMahon]

Now here's where I'm going to make my preach. Over 20 plus years covering the NBA.

[Zach Lowe]

There'S certain truths that I've learned that are. That are just true. And I've just come to believe them. And one of them is that there's always time. You've probably heard me say this before, but here I go. There's always time. NBA basketball is extremely forgiving because games.

[Tim McMahon]

Are long, playoff series are long, seasons are long.

[Zach Lowe]

It's never over after two games, never over. I would say that about the Cavs.

[Tim McMahon]

Pacer series as I compliment the Pacers for how great they've played.

[Zach Lowe]

I'd say that about this series. Boston has won a road game in 11 consecutive series six different times.

[Tim McMahon]

They've won multiple road games.

[Zach Lowe]

So what I'm basically saying there is that the game on Saturday afternoon at The Garden, the 3:30 game on ABC.

[Tim McMahon]

It'S the biggest game at the Garden probably since the 99 finals.

[Zach Lowe]

I don't know.

[Tim McMahon]

I mean, I'm not a chapter and.

[Zach Lowe]

Verse Knicks guy, but I would say probably since the 99 finals, which, by the way, they lost 4:1 and we're not really in, so.

[Tim McMahon]

Because if they go up 3 0.

[Zach Lowe]

No one's ever come back from that. So huge. But there's always time. And the Celtics are in trouble, no doubt, but especially because I don't think.

[Tim McMahon]

That the Knicks have done their best yet.

[Zach Lowe]

Like, it'd be one thing if the knicks shot like 66% on threes. And you know, because you see this in playoff series where one team just gets red hot. The Knicks haven't been red hot, they've just walked them down. And I was watching this game tonight, and there's four minutes left and it.

[Tim McMahon]

And they.

[Zach Lowe]

Brunson gets a basket and cuts it to five points, which automatically makes it a clutch time game, which is, you know, been the whole thing. Just get the. Just get it to clutch time. That's the strategy.

[Tim McMahon]

And I was like, these guys did it again.

[Zach Lowe]

They got it to clutch time and then they just walked him down. So that's what it was like here in Boston tonight. It's, it's one of the more unusual.

[Tim McMahon]

Series I've ever covered.

[Zach Lowe]

I always tell bontemps, like 17 times.

[Tim McMahon]

A year, we'll be at a game.

[Zach Lowe]

And he'll, he'll say on our group chat, this is a weird game. And I go, there are no weird games.

[Tim McMahon]

There's only NBA games. Well, here I am saying this is a weird series.

[Zach Lowe]

This is a weird one. The last three days of watching the playoffs have gotten me scratching my head. Maybe I'll change and add a new mantra. But thank you for watching.

[Tim McMahon]

Listening to Soup Collective emergency Pod.

[Zach Lowe]

I don't know if you liked it. I rambled. Jackson's got to stay up all night. By the way, Jackson stayed up until 8am this is a Jackson sleep update. Jackson stayed up until 8am because we were so late putting that together two nights ago. So Jackson sleep update. And the production call for get up is in five and a half hours. Five hours and 15 minutes. So I'm going to take leave of you now. Thank you for listening and watching. We'll talk to you later this week.