The Knicks… are not too smart

[KnicksGadfly]

Eh, we knew what was gonna happen. It’s Thibs. At least we don’t have Doc though.

[Chuck Everett]

I don't know about the Bucks and the 2-3-4 part of the standings but the Pacers and Magic did control everything indeed. For both teams it was "win and get in". Once they started running away, there was nothing that Philly and Miami could have done.

For sure magic were fighting for their lives. But if u really think the bucks were really trying after the mid 3rd quarter knowing the pacers hawks game status. Than u don’t know about a thing called quiet quitting. It’s like they were playing but not really competing.

It is what it is.

I didn't watch the Bucks-Magic game since I was watching the Pacers one. It is entirely possible that the Bucks quit on the game.

But I do believe that their chances of winning that game were pretty low from the get go. No Giannis and Orlando being hungry to secure that they don't fall in the play-in made that a very tough game to win.

Had Orlando lost, they would have fallen to the 8th spot. You are right, they had a ton to play for.

[bronxknicksfan1]

Knicks are winning this 1st round playoff series, so it doesn’t matter anyway

[durden_tyler]

I love how everyone is so for competitive nature all season, but all I'm seeing right now are people calling for teams to tank to avoid matchups. What do people really want? Yall want NY to tank, Lakers to tank to avoid Denver...

It only means we appreciate the courage but not the stupidity. LOL

[Scalabrine]

Sixers are *rolling* right now with 8 games in a row, but those 8 games came against TOR, OKC, MIA, MEM, SAS, DET, ORL, BKN. That OKC game was without SGA and J Dub. So really the only games against above .500 teams that they played was Miami and Orlando.

Embiid is a monster, and is gonna be a problem no matter what, be he isn't 100% and we have a bunch of size to throw at him.

Ultimately, as a fan, I would have preferred a series against Indiana, but the players are right for playing to win, wanting to get 50, wanting to get that 2 seed. I'd rather that mentality from them, over them wanting to try to pick and choose when they want to compete or not. Home court in the Garden is no joke either, and now it'll be at least two series there if they get there.

[Ursusamericanus]

Loser talk. Cowardly. I wouldn't expect any team actually worth a damn to start ducking people. Knicks are better for not caring.

Thank you. The Knicks are not ducking anyone, we've seen as much with how resilient they've been this season dealing with a ridiculous amount of injuries. Brunson is an absolute dog and the Knicks will give it their all to win each and every game they play. The magic's in the work.

[JimmyFromNz]

Sounds like a lot of slogans.

The reality will hit come 1st round.

The fact there are 2 games separating 2nd and 8th seed in the East is incredible.

Right the same way reality hit the Celtics on April 11th.

Unsure if you're serious or not

[Bob Ross]

Stupid thread. First 50 win season in 23 years and the second seed down one all star. Tanking for position is cowardly and a fools game

[cgf]

They're just not cowards

[Adelheid]

knicks will do battle with any team

the knicks way

[donkki]

I'm sure this Knicks team ain't scared of anyone.

This could be the year they go all the way! Let's go!

[INKtastic]

Lots of talk about the Knicks choosing not to duck Miami/Philly, but is there any hard proof they even knew it was an option? I say they didn’t even realize it til I see otherwise

If they didn't realize the implications, the OP is right.

Philly with Embiid: 32-8 (.800)
Philly without Embiid: 15-27 (.357)

Assuming they beat the heat Tuesday, the Sixers go into the Knicks series as the hottest team in the league on a 9 game winning streak.

[Deshaun Taden]

God why is this losing talk so rampant on this board right now? Teams don't care who they face, they're confident in their ability to beat anyone. Or at least they should be. Losing on purpose to draw another team is weak, loser mentality and no one in the NBA thinks this. Fans are weird.

Just relaying what I've heard/read, but it's a problem with young people today because of the environment they've grown up in. They lack social skills and most have never done anything competitive, or any real group activity. Educators are specifically sounding an alarm since the pandemic lockdowns, but it's been going on longer than that.

[INKtastic]

Wasn't it really a mess where they could finish between 2nd and 5th? How do they know where everyone else will finish and what the possibilities where before the game even starts? I don; think it was easy just to decide before the game to finish 3rd exactly was it?

It was between 2nd and 4th but, yes, you are correct. Milwaukee, New York and Cleveland could all finish anywhere from 2nd and 4th depending on the results of the day. Similarly, Orlando, Indiana, Philly and Miami could all finish anywhere from 5th to 8th.

It really wasn't a scenario where a team could just target they match-up they wanted, even if they actually wanted to do that. Way too many variables.

Cavs and Bucks games were over long before the knicks game was over. As were all of the other relevant games for seeding. It was 2 seed vs Philly or 3 seed vs Indy.

[NyKnicks1714]

It wasn't stupid, and it wouldn't have been cowardly to rest starters. I personally think the 3rd seed was a better spot overall, but can understand either decision and the mindset of not wanting to avoid anyone.

[cgf]

Lots of talk about the Knicks choosing not to duck Miami/Philly, but is there any hard proof they even knew it was an option? I say they didn’t even realize it til I see otherwise

If they didn't realize the implications, the OP is right.

Philly with Embiid: 32-8 (.800)
Philly without Embiid: 15-27 (.357)

Assuming they beat the heat Tuesday, the Sixers go into the Knicks series as the hottest team in the league on a 9 game winning streak.

I suspect this team just doesn't care about facing Philly.

NYK vs Philly w/ Embiid: 1-0...in an absolute beat down; 128-92 with Philly going -29 in Joel's minutes
NYK vs Philly w/o Embiid: 2-1

They can throw size at Joel (Robinson/Hartenstein) or go small against him (Anunoby/Achiuwa), and the knicks have a lot better options to throw at Maxey than the 6ers have to throw at Brunson.

[GiannisAnte34]

It was actually the 2022 Bucks who tanked the last game to avoid the Nets in the 1st round. By doing that they gave up home court to Boston in the 2nd round and Boston won Game 7 at home

oh you mean when Middleton didn't play a game in the series?

how'd it go for Boston when Jaylen Brown didn't play?

Here we go with Middleton again. The gift that keeps on giving. But the subject was tanking and it was costly for the Bucks. They could have beaten the Celtics without Middleton,and homecourt but they chose to avoid the Nets.

Apparently Tatum can’t get out of round 1 with a missing co-Star but Giannis is that much better that he should carry a team past the Finals representative for the conference?

[celtxman]

oh you mean when Middleton didn't play a game in the series?

how'd it go for Boston when Jaylen Brown didn't play?

Here we go with Middleton again. The gift that keeps on giving. But the subject was tanking and it was costly for the Bucks. They could have beaten the Celtics without Middleton,and homecourt but they chose to avoid the Nets.

Apparently Tatum can’t get out of round 1 with a missing co-Star but Giannis is that much better that he should carry a team past the Finals representative for the conference?

....and we continue to dance around the topic of losing a game on purpose and it blowing up in Milwaukee 's face. Their fear of the Nets cost them. That is the topic of the thread

[Oscirus]

so people are applauding the cavs for what they did?

[durden_tyler]

so people are applauding the cavs for what they did?

They will, if the Sixers manage to “upset” the Knicks (in case they meet) and the Cavs take care or the Magic.

Let me be clear; i think the Knicks decision to get that W vs the Bulls is brave, almost admirable but to an extent *not smart* because there would have been an easier path available.

That said, the Knicks will still be (slightly?) favored over Philadelphia and i might even bet on them to win that series. But personally, i thought a Knicks’ bet over the Pacers would have been a more sure thing but alas, here we are.