Regardless of the sport, the media would seem a hostile beast to fans, especially when their favorite team has historically faced ridicule. For the diehard New York Knicks fans, who often feel the team is under constant attack, they at least have Stephen A. Smith to speak up for them, defend the Knicks, or air grievances on behalf of the fanbase, most recently on Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury.
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On Wednesday evening, just before the OKC Thunder’s Game 5 tip-off against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Smith joined ESPN’s pre-game panel, where he expressed his concerns about the Knicks. He spoke about what they must do to extend the series beyond the next game.
The first thing Smith said was his hope that Towns, who sustained a left knee contusion late in Game 4 after colliding with Aaron Nesmith, recovers and is cleared to play. Despite the injury, the center finished the game with 24 points and 12 rebounds. However, his status for the “do-or-die” Game 5 remains unconfirmed.
Towns’ uncertainty raises immediate concerns about the Knicks’ frontcourt depth and their ability to compete.
“Pray for the health of Karl-Anthony Towns. Obviously, [he sustained a] bruised knee. We’ve got to see if [he is still] questionable for the game,” Smith said. Never one to bite his tongue when it comes to New York, the Bronx native then went for the jugular.
#InjuryAlert
Karl Anthony Towns took a hit to his knee and was seen limping after it.
He’s still playing through the pain while the Knicks are down 9 points with 1 minute in the 4th.#nyc #KnicksPacers #pacers #KAT #NBAPlayoffs #NBA pic.twitter.com/G10hDFkAL9— Global Gleanings (@GlobalGleanings) May 28, 2025
Not only did Smith plead for Jalen Brunson to be more clinical, but he also called on him to step up defensively. SAS echoed what Heat legend Udonis Haslem had said earlier in the day.
Smith’s criticisms are not unwarranted. Although Brunson posted a team-high average of 31 points, he shot 47.4% from the field, including a disappointing 33.3% from long range. But it doesn’t stop there.
Brunson, a two-time NBA All-Star, needs to be more efficient with the ball in his hands. Despite recording five assists against the Pacers in Game 4, he also committed three turnovers, resulting in a lackluster assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.67. That’s well below his regular-season mark of 2.8.
That said, Brunson wasn’t the only culprit who contributed to the Knicks’ 17 turnovers in Game 4. Fan favorite Josh Hart, who turned the ball over five times, led the team in that unflattering category, and Smith called him out for it, too.
“I need Josh Hart to make better decisions with the basketball. [He had] too many turnovers at key pivotal moments,” added Smith.
Perhaps the person who received the harshest criticism was Mikal Bridges. President Leon Rose traded Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton, five future first-round picks, a future pick swap, and a future second-round pick to bring in Bridges for moments like this.
However, the former Brooklyn Net practically went missing in the second and third quarters of Game 4 and finished with the fourth-lowest plus/minus on the team.
“Mikal Bridges, he goes in these little spurts where he’s making shots. How about making them consistently from the first through [to] the fourth quarter as opposed to just five minutes in a particular quarter, and then we can’t find you the rest of the game? You don’t have that much help. And you don’t even get me started on what you are defensively,” Smith said.
The Knicks’ superfan was relentless in his attack. Sitting in Oklahoma, he expressed his wish that Isaiah Hartenstein, Julius Randle, and Donte DiVincenzo were still with the team. The trio brings physicality — something he feels the current roster lacks, felt Smith.
“The New York Knicks are not soft, but they are soft compared to what they were last year,” he added.
Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday, May 29, at Madison Square Garden. And the Knicks will need a collective effort to overcome the Pacers and force a Game 6.
