New York’s 13-game playoff winning streak has been driven as much by a tactical shift as by its star power, according to the report. The run included a dramatic comeback in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, when the Knicks trailed the Cleveland Cavaliers by 22 points after 40 minutes. Jalen Brunson scored 15 of his game-high 38 points in the final 7:39, much of it against Cavaliers guard James Harden, and reserve guard Landry Shamet — a late training camp signing on a non-guaranteed deal — hit a 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining to tie the game at 99.
The expanded role for Shamet was one of several changes under coach Mike Brown that have pushed the bench into greater prominence. Brown told reporters in December, “Everybody understands what our standard is. It’s about sacrifice.” Over the postseason, Miles McBride has logged career highs in minutes, scoring and 3-point percentage, Mitchell Robinson has been kept healthier through careful management and is now used in late-game matchups against Victor Wembanyama, and Jose Alvarado has supplied defensive intensity and energy.
Brown replaced Tom Thibodeau amid skepticism about handling expectations and protecting the starters from heavy minutes. The report notes that in 2024-25 the Knicks’ five most-used four-man lineups — variations of Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart — all exceeded 1,000 minutes, with the highest topping 1,300 minutes, roughly a third of an NBA season. This year, by comparison, only one four-man unit passed the 900-minute mark.
One particular four-man group featuring Mitchell Robinson, Anunoby, Bridges and Brunson produced a plus-19.6 points per 100 possessions, bolstered by Robinson’s offensive rebounds and what Brown termed “sprays,” getting into the paint and kicking out to shooters. Brown also credited coaches he has learned from, saying, “One of the many things I learned from Pop and Steve. Steve was really good at trying to play a lot of different guys.”
The Knicks are headed back to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), two wins shy of the franchise’s first championship in 53 years, according to the report.
