by Daniel Johnson
May 17, 2025
Spike Lee must be somewhere smiling.
Somewhere, die-hard fan Spike Lee has an ear-to-ear grin as the Knicks head into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals after crushing the Boston Celtics—who blew two 20-point leads in back-to-back games—giving New York a commanding 2-0 lead. The Celtics fought back to force a Game 6, but the Knicks sealed it with a decisive 119-81 win.
According to The Athletic, New York advances to their first conference finals since Rick Brunson, Larry Johnson, and Latrell Sprewell were wearing uniforms, and adding to the throwback 1990s vibe of the playoff series, they will have to face a resurgent Indiana Pacers team led by Tyrese Halliburton; the Pacers eliminated the Knicks from the playoffs in 2024 after they won Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Knicks were never in danger of losing the game after the second quarter. They began that period with a six-point lead, and by quarter’s end, they were up 64-37; led in Tom Thibodeau’s signature style by their starting five.
Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges all scored in double figures. Brunson and Anunoby finished with 23 points each, while Towns and Bridges scored 21 apiece.
Thankfully, Thibodeau’s squad was allowed to rest for much of the fourth quarter, his starters usually play the majority of the game, but they weren’t needed to secure this win.
Although the Knicks head into their first conference finals in 25 years, they are a team with championship aspirations, and the fanbase, although currently joyous, arguably will not be satisfied unless they hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
As Bridges told The Athletic, the players too, want more.
“Josh (Hart) showed me a video, walking over here, of people climbing up lightposts,” Knicks forward Mikal Bridges told the outlet. “It’s crazy, man. Great for them. Happy for them. Obviously, I’m new here, but I know how much New York loves their sports, especially the Knicks. I’m so excited to be a part of it. They can enjoy it for us right now, but obviously, we’ve got way more to go. I’m happy for them.”
Bridges also spoke to the Bergen Record after the win, emphasizing his belief that the job has not yet been completed.
“There’s more to do,” Bridges said. “We’re not done. That’s what it is. We came out there tonight to play hard and handle business, but our season’s not over. We’ve got so much more to go and we play on Wednesday so get ready to prepare for them. Whole different team and a whole new series.”
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