Would Knicks Have Better Shot Against Celtics?

The New York Knicks might be kicking themselves a little bit as they watch the Eastern Conference Finals between the team that beat them, the Indiana Pacers, and the team they wanted to chase all along, the Boston Celtics.

On Saturday night, the Celtics roared back late to win Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to take a commanding 3-0 lead, pushing the Pacers to the brink of elimination.

No team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in any best-of-seven NBA Playoffs series. That begs the question, would the Knicks be in that same spot if they beat the Pacers in Game 7?

The Pacers have struggled with injuries during the series, specifically to All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who sat out of Saturday’s Game 3 with a hamstring injury. The Knicks may have gotten off worse in that department.

In this hypothetical scenario, every Knicks injury still exists, which means New York would have been without Jalen Brunson, who fractured his hand in Game 7, and OG Anunoby, who left Game 7 with a hamstring strain. The Knicks would also not have had Josh Hart at 100 percent, but knowing how he handled his abdominal strain for Game 7, he likely would have played through it against the Celtics.

Even though the Pacers nearly pulled out a Game 3 win without Haliburton, it’s hard to see the Knicks doing that without Brunson leading the offense. Brunson had a historic postseason, averaging 32.4 points per game during the 13 games against the Philadelphia 76ers and Pacers. The Knicks would need him against the Celtics in order to even have a chance.

If Brunson was healthy, things may have been different. Perhaps the Knicks would have won a game or two by now, but these playoffs have proven that the best ability is availability.

The Celtics have gotten extremely lucky in the playoffs with all three of their opponents up until now dealing with major injuries to their stars. Jimmy Butler missed the Miami Heat playoff series, Donovan Mitchell couldn’t finish on the court with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and now Haliburton is limping to the finish line with the Pacers.

The Pacers also had some strong injury luck, facing the Milwaukee Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo and a hobbled Damian Lillard. They also faced a bruised Knicks squad, but now that luck appears to have run out.

While these injuries aren’t exactly the result of overuse or fatigue, this postseason has shown why staying healthy has never been more important.

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