The Knicks didn’t have much to play for in Friday’s 108-102 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. There would’ve been no real boost of confidence for finally beating one of the NBA’s best teams since head coach Kenny Atkinson sat most starters in the matchup.
And the Knicks essentially locked up the No. 3 overall seed before the night ended with the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers slated for a loss in their matchup against the Orlando Magic. The Pacers, who deployed their D-team as starters rested, were down 23 by halftime and eventually lost, 129-115, to the Magic.
The positive, though, is key Knicks players — Jalen Brunson, Miles “Deuce” McBride and Mitchell Robinson — whose statuses were up in the air as the postseason neared continued to like themselves.
That started with the captain.
Without having to deal with the defensive prowess of De’Andre Hunter and the scoring outbursts of Donovan Mitchell, Brunson continued to trend in the right direction after missing 15 games due to an ankle sprain. In his fourth game since the month-long absence, Brunson logged 27 points, two assists, one rebound and one steal.
It’s also the third game he recorded at least 34 minutes since his return. In the first game of a back-to-back against the Pistons on Thursday, the captain logged 29 mins.
“He says he feels good,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said pregame when asked if Brunson needs more time on the court to get back in rhythm. “So just get out there. Obviously, we expected to be some rough [parts], but he feels good overall.”
OG Anunoby drops a no-look dime to Mitchell Robinson and throws on the glasses! 🤣 pic.twitter.com/6R06oryuVo
— Knicks Fan TV 🏀🎥📺🏁 (@KnicksFanTv) April 11, 2025
For Robinson, his bounce and presence around the rim is a welcome sign for player getting on track after undergoing two left ankle surgeries. With Karl-Anthony Towns out, Robinson started the game with an offensive rebound less than two minutes after tip-off. Minutes later, the big received a no-look pass from OG Anunoby that resulted in a slam dunk over Jarrett Allen.
With the depleted Cavs mounting a come back in the fourth, Robinson again grabbed another offensive board before finding Brunson in the corner. Brunson then drained a trey to extend the lead to four with 6:54 remaining in regulation.
The Knicks, however, felt victim to a Darius Garland-led comeback and suffered defeat.
In his third start of the season, Robinson finished with eight points, seven rebounds (five offensive), two assists, two steals and a block.
After last Sunday’s 14-point win over the Phoenix Suns, McBride declared he was “in the clear” after missing eight games due to a nagging groin injury.
That remained as such Friday at The Garden.
McBride surpassed his season average in points (9.4) after recording 12 in 18 minutes of action. The fourth-year guard played his usual role as the Knicks’ sixth man and should continue as such with the Knicks set to take on the Detroit Pistons in the first-round playoff series.
McBride also finished with one rebound, one steal and one block apiece in the loss.
