Emergency Pod: Historic Knicks Win Reaction + Boston’s Future??

Summary

Podcast Summary: Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective Episode: Emergency Pod: Historic Knicks Win Reaction + Boston’s Future?? Release Date: May 17, 2025

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Introduction

In this riveting episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, hosts Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps dissect one of the most unexpected turnarounds in NBA playoff history—the New York Knicks' emphatic victory over the Boston Celtics. Recorded live inside Madison Square Garden, the conversation delves into the implications of the Knicks' triumph, the future of the Celtics, and previews the anticipated Knicks vs. Pacers conference finals series.

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Historic Knicks Sweep Over the Celtics

A Series Like No Other

The episode kicks off with Brian Windhorst recounting the Knicks' overwhelming performance against the Celtics. Tim Bontemps remarks, “We just watched the Knicks absolutely demolish the Celtics. I don't even know what the final score was, to be honest with you. It's irrelevant. The series is over” (00:59). The Knicks surged ahead, building a staggering 41-point lead in the third quarter, leading to an early termination of the series by Joe Missoula and Tom Thibodeau.

A Surprising Turn of Events

Brian comments on the unprecedented nature of the series, stating, “This has been the weirdest series I've ever covered” (01:28). Tim adds, “The Celtics felt like they should have won basically the first five games” (01:28), highlighting the unexpected dominance the Knicks showcased, a stark contrast to their historical performance in the playoffs.

Impact of Tatum’s Injury

A significant point of discussion is Jayson Tatum's torn Achilles, described by Tim as “one of the most significant injuries in the history of the league” (02:03). This injury not only ended the Celtics' season abruptly but also casts uncertainty over the franchise's future, especially considering their roster's age and salary cap constraints.

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Defensive Brilliance and Key Player Performances

Knicks' Defensive Masterclass

Brian lauds the Knicks' defensive efforts, stating, “They were on a string and engaged everything” (04:21). Tim echoes this sentiment, highlighting, “That was the best half of defense. In particular, the first half this Knicks team has ever played” (04:21). Key defensive plays, such as Deuce McBride’s chase-down block and Mitchell Robinson’s timely interventions, were pivotal in stifling the Celtics' offense.

Standout Performances

The conversation shifts to individual performances, with Brian celebrating Josh Hart’s triple-double, noting it as “only the third Knicks triple double in the playoff history” (06:02). Additionally, Og Anunoby’s stellar game is commended, underscoring the depth and versatility of the Knicks' roster.

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Crowd Excitement and Historical Reflections

Madison Square Garden's Electric Atmosphere

Tim reflects on the palpable tension and subsequent jubilation of Knicks fans, stating, “The Knicks fans gravitate towards teams like the Knicks” (18:46). The Garden was described as “a literal sea of humanity” (06:27), capturing the frenzy as fans celebrated the end of a 25-year wait for conference finals success.

Nostalgia for the 90s Knicks

Both hosts draw parallels between the current Knicks and their 1990s counterparts, reminiscing about legendary moments and players. Tim shares, “This is a team that is much like that 90s Knicks team” (18:46), emphasizing the cultural and historical significance of the Knicks' resurgence.

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Previewing the Knicks vs. Pacers Conference Finals

Historical Rivalry and Playoff Legacy

Tim highlights the storied history between the Knicks and Pacers, mentioning, “No team, no two teams have played more playoff games than the 48 games the Knicks have played the Pacers over those 32 years” (12:03). This upcoming series marks the ninth playoff encounter, promising intense competition and strategic depth.

Strategic Matchups and Game Plans

Brian and Tim delve into the tactical aspects expected in the series. Brian predicts, “The Pacers game plan is really the same game plan that they had a year ago, which is that they will try to wear the Knicks down in the individual games” (12:25). Meanwhile, Tim anticipates key individual matchups, such as Jalen Brunson versus Tyrese Haliburton, which could be game-changers.

Importance of Rest and Momentum

The hosts emphasize the significance of the Knicks securing a decisive win to gain five days of rest before the series against the Pacers. Tim notes, “This rest is critical” (12:58), highlighting how vital recovery and preparation time are for maintaining peak performance in a grueling playoff schedule.

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The Future of the Celtics and Eastern Conference Dynamics

End of an Era for the Celtics

Tim reflects on the Celtics' current predicament, asserting, “This could be the end of one of the real dominant eras of a team for the Celtics” (01:38). With Tatum’s injury and the aging roster, the Celtics face a challenging rebuild, shifting the balance of power within the Eastern Conference.

Emergence of New Contenders

The episode underscores a potential reshuffling of the Eastern Conference hierarchy, with the Knicks and Pacers positioning themselves as the new front-runners. Tim comments, “These teams, they know that they know. They don't know how it's going to play” (02:31), indicating the unpredictable yet exciting future landscape of the league.

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Conclusion

Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps wrap up the episode with optimism for the remaining playoffs, emphasizing the Knicks' well-deserved success and the thrilling anticipation for the Knicks vs. Pacers series. They acknowledge the unexpected nature of this playoff run, stating, “What's so refreshing is that this playoffs has been unexpected” (16:20), celebrating the unpredictability that makes sports captivating.

As the episode concludes, the hosts express their excitement for the upcoming games, promising listeners an enthralling continuation of the NBA playoffs.

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Notable Quotes:

• Tim Bontemps (00:59): “We just watched the Knicks absolutely demolish the Celtics. I don't even know what the final score was, to be honest with you. It's irrelevant. The series is over.”

• Tim Bontemps (02:03): “That injury for Jason Tatum is one of the most significant injuries in the history of the league.”

• Brian Windhorst (04:21): “They were the best half of defense. In particular, the first half this Knicks team has ever played.”

• Tim Bontemps (12:03): “No team, no two teams have played more playoff games than the 48 games the Knicks have played the Pacers over those 32 years.”

• Brian Windhorst (16:20): “What's so refreshing is that this playoffs has been unexpected.”

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This episode offers a comprehensive and insightful analysis of one of the most dramatic shifts in recent NBA history, making it a must-listen for basketball enthusiasts eager to understand the evolving dynamics of the league.

Transcript

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[Unknown Host]

Hello.

[Brian Windhorst]

Welcome to the Hoop Collective podcast. We talk about the NBA, which we're doing inside Madison Square Garden late on Friday night. I'm with Tim Bontemps. Tim McMahon couldn't be bothered. We just watched the Knicks absolutely demolish the Celtics. I don't even know what the final score was, to be honest with you. It's irrelevant. The series is over. And the final score was.

[Tim Bontemps]

The Knicks were up by 41 in the third quarter and Joe Missoula pulled the plug before the third quarter was over. That's all you needed.

[Brian Windhorst]

And Tom Thibodeau pulled the plug like, 25 minutes later. Yes.

[Tim Bontemps]

I was just dreading the inevitable discussion about tibs and minutes until everybody got successfully out of the game. But look, I mean, this has been the weirdest series I've ever covered. You like to say that the NBA, there's never such thing as a weird game. Every game in the series was weird. The Celtics felt like they should have won basically the first five games.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

The one thing we thought wasn't going to happen was that the Knicks could win by a lot. The first 11 games of the playoffs, the Knicks had never won by a lot. They never led by a lot.

[Brian Windhorst]

They didn't win by a lot against the Pistons and.

[Tim Bontemps]

Right. And then they absolutely obliterate the Celtics. And look, I mean, there's a lot to talk about. The Knicks, Knicks Pacers is going to be fascinating. But this very well could be the end of one of the real dominant eras of a team for the Celtics team. And it's hard for me, having spent a lot of time around the Celtics, obviously, you have to. To think much about anything else than. Was this the end of this group?

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, we were walking. We were walking to the. Out of the locker room, and Al Horford went down the tunnel. And I don't know, you know, Al Horford's great Celtic. I don't know. That may have been it. You know, I'm sure it was on his mind. I don't, you know, the players, you know, acknowledge that there's, you know, Derek White said, same team's not going to be back. You know, they know that they know. They don't know how it's going to play. I don't think anybody knows.

[Tim Bontemps]

Look, I wrote about it earlier this week. That injury for Jason Tatum is one of the most significant injuries in the history of the league. When you look at what it could potentially do to this Celtic team, we've talked about what could potentially happen with Giannis this summer. We've obviously talked a lot about what could happen with Kevin Durant this summer. The Celtics have a lot of older players and their best player is going to miss, if not most of next season, all of next season. And they already were looking at being an extraordinarily expensive team. This could be like the warriors in 2020 when they wound up with the second pick in the draft if they decide to move on from their older players, get a ton of stuff for them and reset around Jayson Tatum, who, by the way, will come back even if he misses all next season as a 28 year old guy who's still in his prime, who could still be really good. But that, that's what makes this so crazy.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

Five days ago we were walking in here for game four. I thought the Knicks were going to lose the next three games. Like you thought the Knicks are going to lose the next three games.

[Brian Windhorst]

I don't know if I thought the next three, but I thought the Celtics absolutely could still win the series.

[Tim Bontemps]

I just thought the Celtics were winning the series. I thought they're going on to the finals. I still thought they were the dominant team in the league and, or at least in the East. And three days later, five days later, their season's over. They lost here by 1,000 points. Jason Tatum's got a torn Achilles and the whole future of the franchise is up in the air.

[Brian Windhorst]

And by the way, like, the players and coaches were like, we didn't think this was going to happen. You know, we weren't, we didn't think. We had a lot of fatigue. Like we, we liked where we were even down 2 0. They thought they were okay.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, they were up by 20 in each of the first two games.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, they like, like this wasn't like, oh, we saw this coming, you know. You know, maybe I saw them going out eventually to the Knicks in, in a game that wasn't decided by two points. Maybe I could see the Knicks winning a game convincingly here. If you'd have told me tonight that this game wouldn't have gone to clutch time, I would have said, okay, I believe the Knicks would play much better than they played in Game 5. But the way they just collapsed. And I will say this, the Knicks played awesome defense in this game.

[Tim Bontemps]

That was the best half of defense. In particular, the first half this Knicks team has ever played, that was the best half of defense. They've played under Tom Thibodeau by a mile. I have a coaching friend who was here at the game. He said they didn't miss a single coverage the entire first half.

[Brian Windhorst]

All you have to know is Deuce McBride got a chase down block.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, well. But it was everything. It was Mitchell Robinson flying out to the corner to stop Jaylen Brown from shooting a wide open three. They were completely on a string and engaged everything. They weren't in game five. And look, the first few minutes of the game was some real danger time for the Knicks. We talked about it before the game. I thought it was really important that the Knicks get off to a good start because this crowd was juiced.

[Brian Windhorst]

Oh, my God.

[Tim Bontemps]

But this crowd also was on a knife's edge and ready to go. Oh, my God, The Knicks are going to collapse.

[Brian Windhorst]

This. It was. I understand why the Knicks fans were so nervous, because they have only seen disappointment for 25 years.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yes.

[Brian Windhorst]

But they were nervous.

[Tim Bontemps]

No, everybody was nervous.

[Brian Windhorst]

I was like, guys, you're up.

[Tim Bontemps]

And the Knicks were nervous to start the game. Like they hit a couple of baskets. And I thought it was really indicative of the way Karl Towns played. Carl Towns, for as much as Jalen Brunson is the best player on the Knicks, Carl Towns is really the bellwether for the Knicks. And when he gets sideways like he did In Game 5, the Knicks get sideways. And you could see in the first quarter, he was trying really hard. Right. He's chasing for fouls. There's a play down here where he has Jaylen Brown on the block and he tries to go through Jaylen Brown to the other side of the basket and lets Chris Esporzingis block him. He then gets a three point a foul. That negates a three point shot. Sticking his leg out, trying to catch Drew Holiday for no reason. Right. It was just silly stuff.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

But once he got locked in, you know, they got a little early lead, he settled down. And then once they got cooking with a lead, the Celtics just didn't have anything to say.

[Brian Windhorst]

Also, it was a. It was a great Josh Hart game. He had triple double. Only the third Knicks triple double in the playoff history, I think I read.

[Tim Bontemps]

Wow.

[Brian Windhorst]

And Og Adenoby had a good OG Adenobi game.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah. I mean, those guys were all great.

[Brian Windhorst]

They were flying around Yeah, I mean.

[Tim Bontemps]

They were honest and Jalen Brunson barely did anything in the first half and they were up by 27.

[Brian Windhorst]

So as we're doing this right now, it's around midnight, 7th Avenue, just outside. Just outside the garden.

[Tim Bontemps]

A literal sea of humanity.

[Brian Windhorst]

How long are we gonna have to be in here? Until we can safely go.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, I'm leaving as soon as the game's over.

[Brian Windhorst]

And the game is over, my friend.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, I mean, as soon as we're done with the PODC podcast is over. It's been a long day.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

Good luck. It's going to look, it's a scene and I mean look that the Knicks fans, this place is the best place in the league to watch a game and Boston Garden is a close second. And the fans here, as you said, they've waited 25 years to have the Knicks make it back to the conference finals. This is a team, remember that was a lot like the Celtics, like the Celtics broke through and won last year. But it was always like the Knicks, the 90s Knicks, the 90s jazz and this Celtics team until they won. That was most playoff games without winning the title. Most playoff series that winning the title. I mean The Knicks from 99 to 2000 won a playoff series every single season.

[Brian Windhorst]

Got 1990. 1990.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, I think it was nine straight years.

[Brian Windhorst]

Right, okay.

[Tim Bontemps]

But they, they made it to the conference final.

[Brian Windhorst]

Said 99 to 2000.

[Tim Bontemps]

Oh, sorry. Yes, I think it was 90. I meant 92. 92 to 2000. Yeah, they made the conference final several times.

[Brian Windhorst]

The Riley a couple times. The Riley Van Gundy year. Yes.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean they had a lot of great, great teams and never quite one. And it's why they show the Larry Johnson four point play all the time here. They show John Starks all the time here.

[Brian Windhorst]

They're going to show the Miles McBride Chase down block.

[Tim Bontemps]

Oh, there. I mean look, this team is going to be like that.

[Brian Windhorst]

The other thing is there's four days off now before and there's a weekend and the Knicks fans are just going to have a weekend, just going to.

[Tim Bontemps]

Be a five day party.

[Brian Windhorst]

Oh my God.

[Tim Bontemps]

Before game one is here. The Knicks. The Knicks have home court advantage in the conference finals. I didn't think the Knicks were going to win a game maybe in this series for. It started. Yeah, I mean, and now things have totally opened up for him. By the way, there's going to be people here speaking of the celebrations, they're going to already be planning going to the finals and not so fast, my friend. To quote our friend, our guy, Lee Corso.

[Brian Windhorst]

That's right.

[Tim Bontemps]

The Pacers are awesome.

[Brian Windhorst]

That's right.

[Tim Bontemps]

This is going to be an awesome series.

[Brian Windhorst]

Both these teams have earned their way here no matter what injuries happened. They kicked the other team's asses, no question.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, look, any questions you had about the Knicks in this series, the way they came out today and took care of business.

[Brian Windhorst]

And again, I want to say that the Celtics down the line were saying this after the game.

[Tim Bontemps]

Oh, yeah, no, for sure.

[Brian Windhorst]

They were like, look, we hate what happened to Jason. We feel terrible right now. The Knicks did a great job. They were extremely complimentary.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, Chris, Jasper Zingis, who obviously was dealing with this illness and did not play well, you know, he obviously is very fond of the Knicks fans and the Knicks and the City. He was very complimentary of both after the game.

[Brian Windhorst]

I mean, Joe Missoula gave like a valentine to Tom Thibodeau after the game.

[Tim Bontemps]

He was like, talk about two guys that are aligned. And we should say. We have, we should have mentioned it. I mean, it's been. Tom Thibodeau made a comment conference finals in his first year as a head coach. He has not made it back since.

[Brian Windhorst]

That's right.

[Tim Bontemps]

And he's had a lot of good teams. He's had a lot of, you know, a lot of playoffs.

[Brian Windhorst]

They got up 1 0, by the way, in. That's in that conference.

[Tim Bontemps]

They did. Yes, they did.

[Brian Windhorst]

To them, to the Heat. I was there.

[Tim Bontemps]

But he, he's had a lot of, a lot of years with a lot of success in not getting back to this point. So congrats to him. More Hoop Collective podcast after this.

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[Brian Windhorst]

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[Brian Windhorst]

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[Unknown Host]

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[Brian Windhorst]

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[Unknown Host]

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[Brian Windhorst]

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[Tim Bontemps]

But I asked Dats Williams during the game because I grew up as a 90s kid watching the NBA NBC watching the Knicks and Pacers. This series will be the ninth time the Knicks and Pacers have played in the last 32 years. Which is a lot of times, especially since the Knicks haven't been in the playoffs a lot the last including a.

[Brian Windhorst]

Seven game series last year.

[Tim Bontemps]

That's right.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

No team, no two teams have played more playoff games than the 48 games the Knicks have played the Pacers over those 32 years. And that is an eight series including one five game series. So that was 48 out of a possible 54 games that those eight series went. And I think we're looking at another six or seven game series here. That's going to be absolutely awesome.

[Brian Windhorst]

And I would say this, the Pacers game plan is really the same game plan that they had a year ago, which is that they will try to wear the Knicks down in the individual games. They will start doing things in the first quarter with the intent to wear them down in the fourth, which by the way, the Knicks are killers. They've been killers in clutch time in the playoffs. And the Pacers will operate thinking about wearing them down by game six and seven. That's right at the start. That will be the Pacers game plan.

[Tim Bontemps]

That's right.

[Brian Windhorst]

And the Knicks game plan will be get to the fourth quarter and hand it over to number 11. That's the way it'll be. So I.

[Tim Bontemps]

And by the way, if you go back to Pacers, Cavs, what did we talk about the whole time? The Pacers had guys to go at Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs didn't. That is not the case in this series. Andrew Nemhardt, who's a terrific defender, he got destroyed by Jalen Brunson last year before he got hurt. That was. Brunson was unbelievable in that series. The Knicks have Mikhail Bridges, who is a pretty good matchup for Tyrese Halliburton. They've got OG Anunoby, who's a pretty good matchup for his former teammate, Pascal Siakam. Like, this is a much different Knicks team than that team was last year. Missing Julius Randle. Obviously, OG Was hurt by the end of that series. Jalen Brunson was hurt by the end of that series. But I think it's got a chance to be an incredible series. And I thought it was vital for New York in particular to win this game today for the exact reason you said. They get five days off. They obviously play their top guys a ton of minutes. This has been a grueling series. Now they get five days to rest up because that's going to be every other day for two weeks. And we have seen repeatedly over the last two years the Pacers, like you said, take it out of teams over seven games. And if they had to go, even if they won in Boston on Monday, turn around and play two days later against the Pacers, I don't think the Knicks could have won the series then. This rest is critical.

[Brian Windhorst]

And there's some big individual matchups in this. You know, I'm not sure. You know, I don't think Halliburton and Brunson will be guarding each other, obviously, but the way they perform is going to drive their teams. They, you know, Halliburton isn't as high of a points scorer as Brunson is. He's a. He distributes a little bit more than Brunson does. But how he goes defines that is clearly the same way.

[Tim Bontemps]

He tend to disappear sometimes in games. Oh, yes, you saw it. Oh, he's hot and cold right in the Cav series in games three and four, he combined for 15 points.

[Unknown Host]

That's right.

[Tim Bontemps]

Then he had 15 points in a row in the second quarter of game five.

[Brian Windhorst]

So the way that's that matchup goes, you're going to have Miles Turner and Carl Towns. Both of those guys can step out and shoot the three. Both of those guys are a little bit fragile with the way they play when Turner plays well.

[Tim Bontemps]

The Turner has been unreal in these playoffs. Talk about a guy who's made himself some money. Yes, he has made himself some money.

[Brian Windhorst]

And when Turner plays well, the Pacers usually do well. And Siakam has been really. Siakam has been great the whole second half of the season. He does a lot of things for them. And then, you know, you're obviously going to have the Knicks. The Knicks swings. Josh Hart, by the way, was absolutely awesome in this series. And Josh Hart was dinged up a little bit last year as well. He was, he was dealing with some injuries against the Pace.

[Tim Bontemps]

Look, this is just a, it's, it's crazy. I mean, you and I have been covering Eastern Conference playoff games now for a long time, and this really does feel like a turning of a page in that. Again, I, it's, it's hurts to talk about the Celtics like this given how proud a group they are. And as much as I like individually, all those guys who are all great guys, but you kind of have to take them off the board for next year as a contender.

[Brian Windhorst]

For now.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, I don't mean forever, but, but for now.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

And it's hard, it's hard to assume Tatum is going to be back in the same form next year. I think long term he'll be fine. But the Knicks and Pacers, they're sitting here with teams that you have everybody coming back. Like you probably have to go into next season at minimum with them in the Cavs as the three top teams in the east as of now. Now we'll see what happens. But this is, this could be the start of a new chapter in the East. And I'm as a basketball fan, I think this series is going to be awesome.

[Brian Windhorst]

And I just think what's so refreshing is that this playoffs has been unexpected. I mean, the knicks, oh, and 10 against the top teams. How could.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean four against Boston and it wasn't competitive.

[Brian Windhorst]

I know there were some memes about people about the Celtics raising a banner that said 40 against the Knicks in the regular season and then they were.

[Tim Bontemps]

Up 20 in the first two games. This was the strangest series I've ever covered.

[Brian Windhorst]

But that said, the Knicks absolutely earned it 100%. I mean, I got the job done. People going to talk about the Tatum injury, but they were going to win that game.

[Tim Bontemps]

They were already up. They were already up 3 1. They played great in that game. And again, they curb stomped the Celtics today. I did not think. I thought the Celtics could win the next two games. Still coming into today. I did not have this on the board at all. Like, the fact that they were up 41 points late in the third quarter was just. It was. It was truly unbelievable.

[Brian Windhorst]

I think the Knicks coming into this game had been out. Now, granted, it was largely because of lopsided games in Games 3 and 5. The Knicks have been outscored by 20 points in the postseason.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, they wound up outscoring the Celtics in the series by three, and that was with winning this game by 1,000 points. And they won the series four to two.

[Brian Windhorst]

And they won the Pistons series by less than 10 points.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yes.

[Brian Windhorst]

Combined.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, it's. It's been that kind of. Been that kind of playoffs for them.

[Brian Windhorst]

Jackson was just telling us that the Knicks led more in this game than they led the entire series.

[Tim Bontemps]

Oh, yeah. I mean, by a long shot.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, they barely were up in any of the other games.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, it was a very exciting game here. I was just thinking, I've covered conference finals games in every Eastern Conference city except for Charlotte, Philly and Washington and that. And now in New York and New York and so in my 20. Whatever. Three years. So now I'll be at the Garden for a conference final season.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I'd have to think about that. I mean. Yeah, it's probably.

[Brian Windhorst]

No one has covered a playoff series, conference finals in Charlotte because it hasn't ever happened.

[Tim Bontemps]

No. No.

[Brian Windhorst]

Philly. How long has Philly. Since.

[Tim Bontemps]

It's been 50 years for Washington. It's been 24 years for Philly.

[Brian Windhorst]

Is there anybody in the media right now who is. Who covered the last time Washington? Was Tony Kornheiser covering the Bullets?

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah. Last time would have been 79. Right.

[Brian Windhorst]

Was it down to Koenheiser?

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, I don't know if he was covering. I mean, he was at the. He might have. He was at the post by then, I think. But I don't know if he was. I don't think he was covering the Wizards.

[Brian Windhorst]

But anyway, I'm looking forward to a conference finals in New York.

[Tim Bontemps]

Oh, I mean, this is going to be. This is just going to Be an unbelievable scene, and especially because of this team. Like, this is a team that is much like that 90s Knicks team. Like, people think about New York and they think about glitz and glamour and big star power, but Knicks. New York fans gravitate towards teams like the Knicks. Like stars like Jalen Brunson, a out of nowhere, diamond in the rough guy who grinded himself into a superstar player like that is the kind of thing that New York fans eat up. I mean, look, the crazy thing is he's already zoomed past Carmelo Anthony in terms of accomplishments in New York. And the only guy I was talking to, Mike Vaccaro, the legendary New York columnist and most importantly, legendary Bonaventure figure.

[Brian Windhorst]

I'm glad you got that series started.

[Tim Bontemps]

And I think the only guys ahead of him in Nick history are Clyde Frazier, Patrick Ewing and Willis Reed, which is an unbelievable thing to say about a guy who signed here three years ago.

[Brian Windhorst]

I don't know if you count Spike Lee as the authority on this, but Spike was on First Take today, and.

[Tim Bontemps]

He was as good of an authority as anybody.

[Brian Windhorst]

He was having the same.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I mean, it's. It's an unbelievable accomplishment already. I mean, three years in a row winning a playoff series. This team had won one playoff series this century before he showed up. And yeah, I mean, this, this next couple weeks, especially against the Indiana Pacers, like, this is a team that has so much history here. It's the final TNT series. Reggie Miller is going to be calling all of the games.

[Brian Windhorst]

That's right.

[Tim Bontemps]

I'm sure he'll be getting into it with Spike Lee.

[Brian Windhorst]

The last series for tnt.

[Tim Bontemps]

It's the last series of tnt. You're gonna have Charles Barkley and those guys here, you're gonna have. I'm sure Stephen A. Will be getting into it with Reggie Miller. I'm sure Spike Lee will be getting into it with Reggie Miller. And you've got. Haliburton and Brunson were at WWE last summer. Like, they've got the history of last year's playoffs. There's a lot of fascinating matchups across the board. Like, it's. It's not the series anybody would have imagined we would get a month ago, but I think it's got a chance to be an absolutely awesome basketball series, and I'm fired up to be around for it.

[Brian Windhorst]

You and I will be here, and McMahon won't be.

[Unknown Host]

All right.

[Brian Windhorst]

Thank you for listening and watching the Hoop Collective. Thanks to Jackson and Zach, our producers who came here to the Garden tonight and are going to out to humanity. I'm just walking my hotel. I'll be fine. Thank you. To Bontemps as well. We'll talk to you in a couple days.