Many believed that the Cavs would find a way to prolong the series, facing a 1-3 deficit in the series and playing in front of the home crowd. However, the Knicks were the more aggressive team from the get-go, building a 10-point lead at the half.

Cleveland attempted a comeback on several occasions in the third and fourth quarters, but each time the Knicks found ways to make stops at the right moment or responded offensively to keep the lead intact.

Jalen Brunson delivered another great performance, scoring 23 points and adding four rebounds and four assists. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley added 21 points and 19 points, respectively.

Donovan Mitchell had 28 points, seven boards, and five assists for the Cavaliers, but struggled from beyond the arc, going 3 of 12. Darius Garland followed with 21 points and four assists.

The New York Knicks will now face the Miami Heat in the semi-finals, possibly doing so without one of their main players. The Knicks’ star forward Julius Randle rolled his ankle late in the first half and didn’t return to the game after. The full extent of his injury remains unknown. 

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With the win, the Knicks have improved to a 46-33 record, meaning that they can’t finish worse than the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference standing. This will be the third playoff trip for the Knicks in the past three seasons. Prior to that, the famed franchise endured a seven-year postseason drought.

The Knicks took on a depleted Wizards team that played without stars Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, but it wasn’t a walk in the park like many assumed. The New York team was trailing eight points at halftime and needed a strong third period, in which they outscored the Wizards by 15 points, to take control of the game.

Four of the Knicks’ starters scored 20+ points, with Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes leading the way with 27 points each. Washington, on the other hand, saw a big night from forward Corey Kispert, who scored 29 points.

While the Knicks will feel good about clinching the playoff spot early, the job might not be done for them just yet. They will need a strong finish of the regular season if they want to be in danger of losing the No. 5 seed to the Brooklyn Nets, who sit as the sixth seed with 2.5 games behind.

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Just 45 minutes before tipoff, the Mavericks confirmed that Brunson would be unavailable for selection. He had previously been labeled as questionable for the game.

This marks Brunson’s first absence this season, having appeared in the reverse fixture of this clash, when the Mavericks soared to yet another overtime victory with the game ending 121-120 in New York City.

Brunson spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dallas Mavericks, emerging as the Mavericks’ second-highest scorer last season as the Mavs made it to the Western Conference Finals.

Although the Mavs hoped to re-sign Brunson for another season, the point guard ultimately decided to agree to the four-year, $104 million deal offered to him by the Knicks.

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After opening the game with an 8-0 run, the Knicks quickly fell behind and were trailing as much as 12 points midway through the second quarter. However, the Celtics took their foot off the gas and allowed New York to regroup.

The Knicks slowly chipped Boston’s lead in the third quarter and emerged at the top of 86-82 score to start the final period. It appeared that New York will wrap up the game in a comfortable fashion from that point onward, but Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart hit a three-pointer each as the clock was winding down to make it 116-116.

The first overtime saw teams exchanging leads before becoming sloppy and failing to get their offense going. The score was locked at 128-128 at 2:42, and neither team managed to make a basket until the clock reached zero.

The Knicks were hungrier for the win in the second overtime and managed to get it done mostly thanks to some big defensive stops and crucial baskets from Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose in the last minute.

Fournier, who spent the second part of the last season with the Celtics, ended the game with 32 points and made six out of 13 three-point attempts. Julius Randle added a near triple-double with 35 points, eight boards, and nine assists. Kemba Walker, another former Celtic, had a quiet night that saw him contribute 10 points.

The Celtics, on the other hand, had a big performance from Jaylen Brown. In 46 minutes on the floor, Brown scored 46 points and added nine rebounds and six assists. Jayson Tatum had 20 points despite a poor shooting night that saw him make only seven baskets out of 30 shots.   

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The departure list includes forward Taj Gibson, shooting guard Wayne Ellington, and point guard Elfrid Payton, who were outright released from their partially guaranteed contracts. All three players are set to earn $1 million from the Knicks in 2020/21 despite the departure.

Forward Bobby Portis is also leaving the Knicks this offseason after the team declined to pick up their $15.75 million option on his contract.

Finally, the team declined the $1.7 million option on forward Theo Pinson while terminating Kenny Wooten’s two-way contract.

With these moves, the Knicks have created $40 million salary-cap space that they can now use to pursue some notable free agents or take on contracts in exchange for draft picks. 

Despite being released, Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson reportedly might still suit up for Knicks next season. The team has an interest in having the duo return but on lower contracts.

Portis averaged 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds last season, while Gibson contributed with 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds.

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New York Times’ Marc Stein reported that Knicks received permission from Lakers to interview Kidd last week. The two sides already talked over the phone on Friday and are expected to schedule an in-person interview in the next two weeks.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania adds that Knicks intend to talk with Brown this week as well, after receiving the blessing from the Warriors.

Before joining the Lakers ahead of this season, Jason Kidd previously served as the head coach of Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. He reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals in his lone season with the Bucks, while failing to advance past the First Round during his time with the Bucks.

Mike Brown had head coaching gigs with Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. Brown coached the Cavs between 2005 and 2010, making five straight playoff appearances and reaching NBA Finals in 2006/07. He has one Conference Semifinals with Lakers.

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Knicks fired their head coach David Fizdale back in December, replacing him with assistant Mike Miller, who took over the team on an interim basis. And while the front office is pleased with Miller’s work, the organization would like to proceed with a more experienced and reputable name.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that Knicks will interview a number of candidates as part of the process, but are currently leaning towards Thibodeau. The former Brooklyn Nets’ head coach Kenny Atkinson is also expected to receive consideration.

Tom Thibodeau has a reputation for being a tough and demanding coach, which is why he would fit with the New York Knicks perfectly. Knicks have been a laughingstock of the NBA in recent years, so Thibodeau’s hard-working regime might help the franchise get back on track.

Thibodeau previously served as a head coach of Chicago Bulls between 2010 and 2015, leading the franchise to playoffs in each season he spent there. He reached Eastern Conference finals once and was NBA Coach of the Year in 2011.

In 2016, Thibodeau took over the Timberwolves and helped the franchise reach the playoffs for the first time in 14 years during the 2017–18. He was fired by Minnesota in early 2019 and has been without work ever since.

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It is hard to believe that anyone in the near future is going to surpass his achievement of 1.021 consecutive matches in the starting lineup. And just to add, that number is still increasing.

Melo has a chance to became the leader in this category if he starts all the games in the upcoming season. At the moment, the only person on the list in front of him is the legendary Patrick Ewing, who played 1.118 matches as the starting center of his New Your Knicks, a former club of Anthony.

There are several players who might be able to reach 1000 games limit, and the closest ones are Chris Paul with 862 matches and Kevin Durant with 742. All other guys had at least one start from the bench, even LeBron if you were wondering about that. That happened back in 2007, on December the 11th. King James was out with a finger injury for five games, and in the one in which he returned, coach Mike Brown left him on the bench.

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Many believed that the Cavs would find a way to prolong the series, facing a 1-3 deficit in the series and playing in front of the home crowd. However, the Knicks were the more aggressive team from the get-go, building a 10-point lead at the half.

Cleveland attempted a comeback on several occasions in the third and fourth quarters, but each time the Knicks found ways to make stops at the right moment or responded offensively to keep the lead intact.

Jalen Brunson delivered another great performance, scoring 23 points and adding four rebounds and four assists. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley added 21 points and 19 points, respectively.

Donovan Mitchell had 28 points, seven boards, and five assists for the Cavaliers, but struggled from beyond the arc, going 3 of 12. Darius Garland followed with 21 points and four assists.

The New York Knicks will now face the Miami Heat in the semi-finals, possibly doing so without one of their main players. The Knicks’ star forward Julius Randle rolled his ankle late in the first half and didn’t return to the game after. The full extent of his injury remains unknown. 

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With the win, the Knicks have improved to a 46-33 record, meaning that they can’t finish worse than the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference standing. This will be the third playoff trip for the Knicks in the past three seasons. Prior to that, the famed franchise endured a seven-year postseason drought.

The Knicks took on a depleted Wizards team that played without stars Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, but it wasn’t a walk in the park like many assumed. The New York team was trailing eight points at halftime and needed a strong third period, in which they outscored the Wizards by 15 points, to take control of the game.

Four of the Knicks’ starters scored 20+ points, with Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes leading the way with 27 points each. Washington, on the other hand, saw a big night from forward Corey Kispert, who scored 29 points.

While the Knicks will feel good about clinching the playoff spot early, the job might not be done for them just yet. They will need a strong finish of the regular season if they want to be in danger of losing the No. 5 seed to the Brooklyn Nets, who sit as the sixth seed with 2.5 games behind.

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Just 45 minutes before tipoff, the Mavericks confirmed that Brunson would be unavailable for selection. He had previously been labeled as questionable for the game.

This marks Brunson’s first absence this season, having appeared in the reverse fixture of this clash, when the Mavericks soared to yet another overtime victory with the game ending 121-120 in New York City.

Brunson spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dallas Mavericks, emerging as the Mavericks’ second-highest scorer last season as the Mavs made it to the Western Conference Finals.

Although the Mavs hoped to re-sign Brunson for another season, the point guard ultimately decided to agree to the four-year, $104 million deal offered to him by the Knicks.

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After opening the game with an 8-0 run, the Knicks quickly fell behind and were trailing as much as 12 points midway through the second quarter. However, the Celtics took their foot off the gas and allowed New York to regroup.

The Knicks slowly chipped Boston’s lead in the third quarter and emerged at the top of 86-82 score to start the final period. It appeared that New York will wrap up the game in a comfortable fashion from that point onward, but Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart hit a three-pointer each as the clock was winding down to make it 116-116.

The first overtime saw teams exchanging leads before becoming sloppy and failing to get their offense going. The score was locked at 128-128 at 2:42, and neither team managed to make a basket until the clock reached zero.

The Knicks were hungrier for the win in the second overtime and managed to get it done mostly thanks to some big defensive stops and crucial baskets from Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose in the last minute.

Fournier, who spent the second part of the last season with the Celtics, ended the game with 32 points and made six out of 13 three-point attempts. Julius Randle added a near triple-double with 35 points, eight boards, and nine assists. Kemba Walker, another former Celtic, had a quiet night that saw him contribute 10 points.

The Celtics, on the other hand, had a big performance from Jaylen Brown. In 46 minutes on the floor, Brown scored 46 points and added nine rebounds and six assists. Jayson Tatum had 20 points despite a poor shooting night that saw him make only seven baskets out of 30 shots.   

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The departure list includes forward Taj Gibson, shooting guard Wayne Ellington, and point guard Elfrid Payton, who were outright released from their partially guaranteed contracts. All three players are set to earn $1 million from the Knicks in 2020/21 despite the departure.

Forward Bobby Portis is also leaving the Knicks this offseason after the team declined to pick up their $15.75 million option on his contract.

Finally, the team declined the $1.7 million option on forward Theo Pinson while terminating Kenny Wooten’s two-way contract.

With these moves, the Knicks have created $40 million salary-cap space that they can now use to pursue some notable free agents or take on contracts in exchange for draft picks. 

Despite being released, Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson reportedly might still suit up for Knicks next season. The team has an interest in having the duo return but on lower contracts.

Portis averaged 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds last season, while Gibson contributed with 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds.

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New York Times’ Marc Stein reported that Knicks received permission from Lakers to interview Kidd last week. The two sides already talked over the phone on Friday and are expected to schedule an in-person interview in the next two weeks.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania adds that Knicks intend to talk with Brown this week as well, after receiving the blessing from the Warriors.

Before joining the Lakers ahead of this season, Jason Kidd previously served as the head coach of Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. He reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals in his lone season with the Bucks, while failing to advance past the First Round during his time with the Bucks.

Mike Brown had head coaching gigs with Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. Brown coached the Cavs between 2005 and 2010, making five straight playoff appearances and reaching NBA Finals in 2006/07. He has one Conference Semifinals with Lakers.

The post Knicks to Interview Jason Kidd and Mike Brown for Their Head Coaching Vacancy appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Knicks fired their head coach David Fizdale back in December, replacing him with assistant Mike Miller, who took over the team on an interim basis. And while the front office is pleased with Miller’s work, the organization would like to proceed with a more experienced and reputable name.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that Knicks will interview a number of candidates as part of the process, but are currently leaning towards Thibodeau. The former Brooklyn Nets’ head coach Kenny Atkinson is also expected to receive consideration.

Tom Thibodeau has a reputation for being a tough and demanding coach, which is why he would fit with the New York Knicks perfectly. Knicks have been a laughingstock of the NBA in recent years, so Thibodeau’s hard-working regime might help the franchise get back on track.

Thibodeau previously served as a head coach of Chicago Bulls between 2010 and 2015, leading the franchise to playoffs in each season he spent there. He reached Eastern Conference finals once and was NBA Coach of the Year in 2011.

In 2016, Thibodeau took over the Timberwolves and helped the franchise reach the playoffs for the first time in 14 years during the 2017–18. He was fired by Minnesota in early 2019 and has been without work ever since.

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It is hard to believe that anyone in the near future is going to surpass his achievement of 1.021 consecutive matches in the starting lineup. And just to add, that number is still increasing.

Melo has a chance to became the leader in this category if he starts all the games in the upcoming season. At the moment, the only person on the list in front of him is the legendary Patrick Ewing, who played 1.118 matches as the starting center of his New Your Knicks, a former club of Anthony.

There are several players who might be able to reach 1000 games limit, and the closest ones are Chris Paul with 862 matches and Kevin Durant with 742. All other guys had at least one start from the bench, even LeBron if you were wondering about that. That happened back in 2007, on December the 11th. King James was out with a finger injury for five games, and in the one in which he returned, coach Mike Brown left him on the bench.

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