The New York Knicks are still dealing with the wrong thing in Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals.
After returning to the East Finals for the first time since 2000, the New York Knicks could not imagine the outcome of a more devastating series opening.
Already at the time of a 1-0 lead, the Knicks did the best choke job of all time by blowing a 14-point lead in three minutes in regulation, resulting in a 138-135 overtime loss against the Indiana Pacers.
Errors and mistakes including one of OG Anunobys plagued Knik with stretching. And it reconnected to the hero of Tylese Halliburton with a buzzer stab that tied the game, leading the Pacers superstar to mimic Reggie Miller’s iconic chalk celebration.
Recovery from the humiliating meltdown laughed at by Paul Pierce, the Knicks enter Game 2, where they resolved to resolve their score against the Pacers.
But for them to pull it off, Iman Shumpert believes the Knicks should not rely solely on Jalen Branson’s brilliance.
As the surviving clutch player of the year, Branson is always holding the ball at key moments for New York. Shumpert believes this makes the Knicks predictable and the Superstar Guard exhausted.
“I think the Knicks are now putting too much pressure on Jalen Brunson to be effective at the end of the game,” said Shumpert, former Nick and 2016 NBA champion who discussed ESPN’s sports center.
“I think they did a little great work there. I think they ran 8-0, 10-0 towards the end, while Branson was still on a bit of rest.
“When he gets back into the game, I feel like they’re stagnant at times. He’s got a lot of attention, but even in tough circumstances, when he gets those buckets, he’s working too hard for them.
“If you look at the side of things in Indiana, I think they get those easy shots. They drive guys out in rhythm. Just one, two steps and shots, offensive rebounds, tap outs, inside out three, everything they do seems really easy.
“Everything the Knicks do in the end with Jaylen Branson seems really difficult and that’s a lot of dribbling.”
Jalen Brunson showed a spoof of New York’s Steph Curry in Game 1, finishing with a game high of 43 points.
However, he worked overtime and disappeared. Branson registered six points, but went 1-3 from the field. He also tallied two important turnovers as the Pacers’ defense flocked him completely with all offensive possessions.
“You make things easier for Jalen Branson. I love watching him score. We love to see him score every time he scores, but I think the Knicks overlook the fact that Jalen Branson has done so much and has gained that 40 lot of energy,” added Shumpert.
“I want things to look a lot easier for him. I want it to be more pick and roll. He splits that hedge defender, takes a step a times more, or has one step into a nice, simple jumper.
“I think he’s been going through all the way through. At the end of the game, he’s a bit gassing at times, so it’s only natural. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him at the end of the game.”
Will Tom Thibodeau apply a more collective approach when closing the game for the Knicks with the Pacers? We’ll check it out in Game 2 on May 23rd.
