The Knicks got a serious reality check in Game 5, falling to the Boston Celtics 127-102. In a game in which they were missing their All-NBA star, Jayson Tatum, the Knicks came into the game with the energy and effort of a team that was already onto the next round; nothing was more evident of that than their transition defense.
Luckily for the Knicks, they have two more opportunities to fix that effort and make the necessary defensive adjustments against the Celtics. But one thing is clear: the Knicks cannot have that kind of effort next round against an Indiana Pacers team that loves to get out and run.
The Pacers have generated 1.4 points per possession in transition this playoff run, easily the highest mark of any team remaining in the playoffs. On the other hand, they have been the best transition defense by an even larger margin, allowing only 1 point per possession.
The Knicks will not survive against a team like that with a repeat performance of Game 5, that is assuming they are able to handle their business against the Celtics in either Game 6 or 7.
Their worst effort of the year?
To be clear, the Knicks' transition defense wasn't just bad in Game 5, it was horrific. New York allowed 2.07 points per possession to the Celtics, which was not only their worst mark of the playoffs but their worst mark of the entire season.
It is also disturbing that the Knicks have allowed two points per possession or more in only two games this entire season, both of them coming in their two losses to the Celtics this series. The Celtics are one of the best shooting teams and overall offensive powerhouses in the NBA. If they beat you straight up, they beat you straight up.
That said, you cannot let them beat you by lacking effort and concentration on the defensive end, or by giving them easy points. Transition defense starts with sprinting back and communicating, it is an elementary part of the game, and a part of the game that the Knicks can not afford to ignore if they expect to close this series out and have any success in future series.
The players are aware of the problem
IF there is a positive to take from this, it is that the players and coaches seemed fully aware of their inexcusable effort. After the game, Mikal Bridges spoke to the media about the effort, saying, "We didn't get back on defense, didn't communicate at all."
Head coach Tom Thibodeau had similar thoughts, saying, "You've got to sprint back, you've got to communicate and we've got to be matched up. If one guy is slow, you're going to give him an open shot. You can't do that against this team."
Talk is cheap, though. The Knicks will need to back up their words with effort in Game 6 before fans believe it. For a team that struggles with inconsistency with the difficult parts of the game, they can't afford to be inconsistent with the easy parts.