There are no house-money games in the NBA playoffs. It’s easy to fall into this trap, but we learned a couple of things this weekend.
That only emphasizes the point, underlines it, stamps it in bold-faced type:It’s easy to fall into this trap. Hell, I fell into this trap the other day, calling Game 2 of this Knicks-Cavaliers best-of-seven series a “house-money special.”1. Anyone can beat anyone anywhere at any time in the NBA.The Knicks were one of four road teams who won their playoff opener over the weekend, seizing home-court advantage from a higher seed.
And we also saw how fickle the games can be. We saw the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo limp off a court in Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon, and soon after Miami’s Tyler Herro followed him through the tunnel with a broken hand. We , maybe for the rest of the Lakers-Grizzlies series. We saw Hart roll an ankle, and then have to try twice before regaining his feet Saturday. Adrenaline probably carried him to the final buzzer then, but Tuesday is a different equation.Getty ImagesTyler Herro will miss the remainder of the Heat’s postseason after breaking his hand.No such thing. Not anymore.
“The thing is, each game is different,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said Monday afternoon after Hart was a limited participant in the team’s practice at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “So, you’ve got to get ready for each game and understand the intensity that goes into each game. So if we’re thinking about Game 1, that’s not going to help us in Game 2. We’ve got to think about Game 2 and all the things we need to do better in order to give ourselves our best chance of winning.
“Take it step by step. Don’t skip over anything. And be ready for this game. Don’t look ahead. Don’t look behind. Just concentrate on exactly what’s in front of you. And hopefully, we’ve been building that habit all year long.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jalen Brunson propels Knicks to key Game 1 road win over CavaliersJalen Brunson bounced back from early foul trouble to net 27 points to lead the Knincks to a 101-97 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 1.
Read more »
Brunson, Randle push Knicks past Cavaliers 101-97 in Game 1Brunson shook off foul trouble and scored 21 of his 27 in the second half, Randle returned from an ankle injury to add 19 and the Knicks welcomed Cleveland back to the NBA playoffs by holding them off
Read more »
Brunson, Randle push Knicks past Cavaliers in Game 1The Knicks welcomed Cleveland back to the NBA playoffs by holding off the Cavaliers on Saturday night in Game 1.
Read more »
Julius Randle returns, and Knicks hold off Cavaliers in thrilling Game 1 finishSaturday marked the first playoff game in Cleveland without LeBron James since 1998. The visiting Knicks held off a late rally from the Cavs to win Game 1.
Read more »
Knicks bench’s domination of Cavaliers in Game 1 is edge that has chance to growThe regular season may have been a preview, as the Knicks’ bench dominated the Cavaliers’ reserves again in Game 1 of their first-round series.
Read more »