The New York Knicks were eliminated from the playoffs after losing to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. With still some hope left after winning Game 5, the Knicks came to play in the first half, but the Pacers blitzed them coming out of halftime, and it was over from there.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns did what they could do, but it wasn't enough to extend the series, and now they'll be heading into the offseason. In Towns' first season with the Knicks, he was able to accomplish a few things, but it seems like his favorite thing was playing with Brunson. After their loss, Towns shared what Brunson meant to him this season.
“To be his teammate, I don't say this lightly, it's a blessing and it's an honor that I get to play with Jalen Brunson,” Towns said. JB's one of the top of the list for me of best teammates, best basketball players I've ever got to play with.”
KAT:
"To be his teammate I don't say this lightly it's a blessing and it's an honor that I get to play with Jalen Brunson. JB's one of the top of the list for me of best teammates, best basketball players I've ever got to play with" pic.twitter.com/zHlyjMsPT7
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) June 1, 2025
Towns and Brunson were one of the best duos in the league this season, and they were key to getting the Knicks this far into the postseason. The hope now is that they can build on this and come back better.
Knicks fall short in Eastern Conference Finals
Article Continues BelowLast offseason, the Knicks made several moves so they could try and find themselves in situations like this. Trading for Towns and Mikal Bridges was big, and it signaled that they were serious about winning a championship. Unfortunately, they were not able to make it to the Finals, and head coach Tom Thibodeau talked about the disappointment.
“There's disappointment because you fall short of what your goal is,” Thibodeau said via SNY. “In the end, there's only going to be one team that achieves the goal. And so I think the challenge for us is to look at it for what it is. We finished in the top three, but we're falling short of the ultimate goal.
“So for us, it's to use that for motivation and determination to work all summer to prepare ourselves to make the final step and keep improving so we can achieve our goal.”
Now, the Knicks will go into the offseason and find ways to get better once again. Their starting five seems set in stone, but it's their bench that could use some work.