The New York Rangers NHL Playoffs series against the Florida Panthers moved back to the Big Apple on Thursday, so some New York Knicks stars were in attendance to show their support.

Knicks players Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, head coach Tom Thibodeau, and assistant Rick Brunson were in the house at Madison Square Garden.

The Panthers defeated the Rangers 3-2 in Game 4 to even up the series and make it a Best-of-3 as the series shifts back to New York.

While the Knicks didn't manage to reach the promised land in the NBA Playoffs, it's clear that this group is endearing themselves to fans and the entire city of New York. Hopefully, the Rangers are able to use a little bit of the energy that the NBA players brought to the arena and claim Game 5 in order to put the Panthers on the verge of elimination.

New York Knicks came up short in playoffs after exciting season

Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson (22) reacts during the fourth quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against New York Knicks guards Alec Burks (18) and Josh Hart (3) and forward Precious Achiuwa (5) and guard Miles McBride (2) at Madison Square Garden
© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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The New York Knicks’ 2023-24 came to an end earlier this month when they lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals 130-109 to the Indiana Pacers. They technically lost more than just the series, as they suffered another major injury, as well.

Brunson ended up fracturing his hand in Game 7, essentially closing the door on a late-game Knicks rally.

OG Anunoby returned to action for the first time since Game 2. But he was still clearly limited by his hamstring strain. He only played about five minutes in the entire game. And while he was 2-for-2 from the field, he was nearly immobile on defense. And for coach Tom Thibodeau to pull him early in the first quarter, you know something was seriously wrong.

Josh Hart’s abdominal strain was also an issue. Sure, he was better off than Anunoby, but he was limited, as well. Hart played a little more than 36 minutes but was held to 10 points and 8 rebounds on 3-for-9 shooting. And he was clearly laboring, which resulted in the entire team playing with low energy.

Ultimately, Game 7 was ugly. The Knicks simply had too little left in their tanks to compete, and a great game from Indiana sealed the deal.

New York has some major decisions to make this offseason, including two first-round draft picks to make and current players to re-sign. We’ll turn our attention to those decisions in the near future. But for now, let’s try to appreciate an incredible season that was cut short due to an unprecedented number of injuries.