When most people get nervous, they get quiet. When Stephen A. Smith gets nervous, he grabs a microphone and starts yelling. The louder he yells, the more nervous he is, and let me tell you friends, Stephen A. is shaking in his boots right now. That’s because his New York Knicks failed to close out the Boston Celtics last night and now have to return home to do it at Madison Square Garden in Game 6 on Friday. Celtics star Jayson Tatum remains out with the torn Achilles he suffered in Game 4, putting all the pressure on the Knicks.
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Some people expected the Celtics to roll over after losing Tatum, but instead, they rallied around Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Luke Kornet, of all people. The Knicks had no answer defensively, as they allowed Boston to shoot over 52% from the floor while knocking down 22 threes.
Despite not having Tatum, the Celtics put up their highest point total of the playoffs thus far, and the Knicks were unable to answer. Jalen Brunson scored 22 but fouled out with over seven minutes to go, and nobody else was able to pick up the slack. Not a single Knick who attempted more than one field goal shot 50% on the night, and OG Anunoby was especially dreadful in going 1-12.
Stephen A. made a surprise appearance on Get Up this morning, and when asked which Knick after Brunson has to play big to close the series out, he didn’t go with Karl-Anthony Towns, who is viewed as the clear No. 2 in the Knicks’ pecking order behind Brunson.
“I’ve lost faith in Karl-Anthony Towns,” Stephen A. said. “That brother can shoot, no doubt about it. He’s a big-time shooter. I don’t like it when he’s posting … It’s not like he’s Olajuwon or somebody with post moves. He’s just trying to bully you.”
Instead of Towns, Stephen A. said it was Mikal Bridges who needed to step up. He implored the former Villanova forward to bring his A game to MSG on Friday: “Mikal Bridges, Mr. Mid-range, Mr. Five First-Round Picks, four unprotected, it’s time to show up.” But the whole team needs to show up to get it done.
The Knicks need a total team effort to close out the Celtics
Stephen A. may be pinning his hopes to Bridges to be the Robin to Brunson’s Batman, but offensively, Bridges hasn’t had the kind of series that deserves that honor. Bridges scored just 9 points last night and has been under his season average in four out of five games, with Game 4’s 23-point performance being the only exception.
Towns has at least been more consistent than Bridges in this series, even if he too isn’t hitting the high marks he did during the regular season. His outside shot has been a problem, as he’s only 6-24 from three. He’s 30-49 from two, though, which completely contradicts what Stephen A. was saying.
The Knicks need to defend much better in Game 6, and they need to do it without fouling. They can’t afford to lose Brunson to foul trouble again, and they need to adjust to the way the Celtics are sharing the ball without Tatum on the floor. Boston’s 27 assists in Game 5 were a series high.
Stephen A. is right to be nervous ahead of Friday’s Game 6. The Knicks have trailed by double digits in all five games, and as SAS pointed out, they haven’t closed out a series in Madison Square Garden since 1999. The Celtics are the defending champs and won’t go quietly. As we all know, neither will Stephen A.
