The New York Knicks had been cruising with a snug double-digit lead within the fourth quarter, seemingly in management in opposition to the surging Los Angeles Lakers.
However championship aspirations require closing out video games like this, and this extra time loss served as a painful reminder of a troubling sample for the Knicks.
Because the playoffs loom, severe questions on their capacity to compete with the NBA’s elite have gotten not possible to disregard.
“The Knicks at the moment are 0-9 in opposition to the High 4 groups within the NBA this season: vs. Celtics (0-3), vs. Thunder (0-2), vs. Lakers (0-2), vs. Cavs (0-2),” Legion Hoops wrote on X.
The Knicks at the moment are 0-9 in opposition to the High 4 groups within the NBA this season:
vs. Celtics (0-3)
vs. Thunder (0-2)
vs. Lakers (0-2)
vs. Cavs (0-2)😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/lKF31kArgV
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 7, 2025
Final season’s playoff run gave New York followers purpose for optimism, however this 12 months carries weightier expectations, which the staff hasn’t persistently met in opposition to high competitors.
The Knicks’ path by means of the Japanese Convention seems notably daunting given their 0-3 file in opposition to the Boston Celtics and two losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Maybe most regarding is the character of those defeats. 4 of the 5 losses to the Japanese Convention powers had been embarrassing blowouts, every by a double-digit margin.
On paper, the Knicks function one of many league’s most spectacular beginning lineups as Karl-Anthony Cities and Jalen Brunson represented the franchise as All-Star starters, making New York the one staff with two such honorees.
The supporting forged options defensive stalwarts and versatile wings Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.
Nevertheless, their Achilles’ heel has been painfully apparent: bench manufacturing.
The Knicks rank final within the NBA in scoring from non-starters, forcing their first unit to shoulder an unsustainable workload.
As a grueling playoff schedule approaches, this lack of depth threatens to undermine their championship aspirations.
NEXT: Insider Gives Replace On Jalen Brunson Damage