Even if they complete a miracle comeback against the Pacers, an NBA championship is not in the Knicks’ future, at least according to Stephen A. Smith.
During Friday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith was brutally honest about his team, saying the Knicks have practically no shot against the Western Conference champion Thunder in the Finals.
“I give them zero chance, zero, of beating the Oklahoma City Thunder if they were to advance to the Finals,” Smith said. “Days ago, I’m like, ‘Hey, we got a chance.’ And then I watched OKC, having to cover the Western Conference Finals and I see those bodies that they throw.
“Then I see the New York Knicks’ style of play and the lack of personnel, and you just see it in the way Oklahoma City defends. And that has taken some of the luster off my championship aspirations for the New York Knicks.”
Despite the gloomy attitude about the Knicks’ chances against Oklahoma City, the longtime sports commentator said he can see them at least reaching the NBA Finals.
“Getting there, I’m all for it. But I would have to cover an NBA Finals where I’m a New York Knick fan and I literally believe from the bottom of my heart that nothing short of divine intervention would propel them.”
Smith has remained tough on the Knicks throughout the Eastern Conference finals, particularly calling out the decisions of head coach Tom Thibodeau following their Game 2 loss.
“I don’t understand for the life of me how in the hell he has KAT playing just 28 minutes,” Smith said in a video posted on X. “[Thibodeau] is going to try to tell us it was defense. But with Mitchell Robinson on the court, the deficit increased.”
Following their 111-94 Game 5 win on Thursday, the Knicks have to win the last two games to complete the 3-1 comeback, a feat that has occurred just 13 times in NBA history.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, however, is not worried about a potential Knicks comeback, remaining confident that his team will bounce back following Thursday’s loss.
“We’re a resilient group. We always want to respond when things don’t go well,” the star Pacers point guard told reporters after Game 5.
“We understand what the stakes are and we understand the conversation — what it’ll be around our group. But we’re fine. We’re fine. There’s no need to panic or anything.”
Game 6 is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. in Indiana.
