Starting 5, May 17: Knicks reach East Finals, WNBA opens, Game 7 awaits

For the first time in 25 years, the Knicks are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

 Knicks In Six: New York didn’t have to make a comeback in series-clinching win

The Breakthrough: How New York reached the East Finals for the 1st time since 2000

Knicks-Pacers: A classic rivalry is renewed with a spot in the Finals on the line

Thunder-Nuggets: Sunday’s Game 7 in OKC will complete the 2nd round

WNBA Tips Off: History made on Friday night, marquee matchups set for Saturday

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Yesterday’s scores 

With no NBA games today, don’t miss the first ABC doubleheader of the 2025 WNBA season. The Liberty open their title defense against the Aces (1 ET) in a clash of the last two WNBA champs. Then, it’s the first matchup of the season between last year’s rookie phenoms when Caitlin Clark’s Fever host Angel Reese’s Sky (3 ET).

It all comes down to Sunday. The Thunder & Nuggets split their regular season series (2-2) and have split the first six games of their West Semis series (3-3). Tomorrow (3:30 ET, ABC), the tie will be broken and one of these teams will meet Minnesota in the West Finals.

1. KNICKS RACE PAST CELTICS, ADVANCE TO EAST FINALS

With a chance to reach the East Finals for the first time in a quarter century, the Knicks finally put together a full game against the Boston Celtics.

The Knicks entered Friday with a 3-2 series lead, but had faced an average deficit of 22.6 points through the first five games of the series.

• Game 1: Down by as many as 20 points, rallied to win in overtime
• Game 2: Down 20, rallied to win in final 15 seconds
• Game 3: Down 31, lost by 22
• Game 4: Down 14, rallied to win by 8
• Game 5: Down 28, lost by 25

On Friday, it was New York that played from ahead. After a Kristaps Porzingis 3-pointer tied the game 16-16 with 2:31 left in the opening quarter, the Knicks came out of a timeout and went on a 26-8 run to take control of the game and never looked back.

Knicks 119, Celtics 81: Jalen Brunson (23 pts, 6 ast) and OG Anunoby (23 pts, 4 3pm) led six Knicks in double figures as New York never trailed beyond the opening minutes – held its first halftime lead of the series – and cruised to the series-clinching win. | Recap

• Exclamation Point: Not only did the Knicks clinch their first series at Madison Square Garden since 1999, they did it with their largest Playoff win (+38) in franchise history, topping the previous mark of +36 from 1970
• Starting 5 Shines: NY’s starters became the 5th quintet in NBA history to feature four 20+ point scorers – Brunson, Anunoby, Mikal Bridges (22 pts, 4 3pm) and Karl-Anthony Towns (21 pts, 11 reb) – and the 5th record a triple-double (Josh Hart with 10 pts, 11 reb, 11 ast) in a Playoff game
• “When you play with that kind of effort, it’s inspiring to the team” – Knicks Coach Tom Thibodeau on Hart, who became the 3rd Knick with a triple-double in a Playoff game and the 1st to do in a series-clinching game
• Magic Brunson: Jalen posted his 25th straight Playoff game with at least 15 points and five assists, which is the 2nd longest such streak in NBA Playoff history behind only Magic Johson’s 29 from 1986-87
• From 3rd To ECF: The Knicks became just the 4th 3-seed to reach the Conference Finals since the league adopted this Playoff format in 1984. They look to become the first 3-seed to reach the NBA Finals since Milwaukee in 2021 

What’s Next: The Knicks advance to face the 4-seed Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 1 is set for Wednesday, May 21 (8 ET, TNT) from Madison Square Garden as the Knicks hold home-court advantage over their longtime rivals (more in Section 4 ⬇️).

2. KEYS TO NEW YORK’S BREAKTHROUGH

The New York Knicks are headed to the East Finals for the first time since 2000.

After being knocked out in the second round in back-to-back seasons, the Knicks were finally able to break through – eliminating the defending champion Celtics in six games to set up a series with the Pacers, who ended New York’s Playoff run a year ago.

How did they do it?

• It began with tweaking the roster in the offseason. The Knicks not only resigned OG Anunoby, they acquired both Mikal Bridges (from Brooklyn) and Karl-Anthony Towns (from Minnesota) to shake up their Starting 5
• By adding Bridges alongside Anunoby, the Knicks have an elite defensive wing duo, which was needed when having to go through the championship tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the Playoffs
• By adding Towns, the Knicks have a stretch big that opened up the floor for the likes of Jalen Brunson (10.2 ppg in the paint) and Josh Hart (9.6 rpg, 1st among guards) to attack the basket and crash the boards, respectively
• King Of The Clutch: Last season, Brunson scored 106 clutch points (T-9th as NY went 15-15 in clutch games. This season, Brunson scored 156 clutch points (2nd) on helping NY go 17-11 and winning Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year
• In the Playoffs, Brunson leads all players with 43 clutch points, including a series-clinching 3 in the first round, as New York leads the postseason with six clutch wins (against only two losses)

Despite the changes to the lineup, the Knicks did not need long to get acclimated to the new talent in the rotation. It definitely helped that Bridges had played collegiate ball alongside Brunson and Hart already.

• New York was a top 4 team in the East by Nov. 14 – just three weeks into the season – and held 3rd place in the East every day from Dec. 15 until the end of the regular season
• The Knicks had a season-high nine-game win streak, but never dropped more than three straight all season, showing a consistency and resiliency that carried over to the postseason – New York has yet to drop consecutive Playoff games

“Found a way… keep sticking together.” – Those were the words of Brunson as he walked off the MSG court on Friday, after being serenaded with MVP chants from the New York faithful, who have a connection to this team that plays with grit and determination each night.

• Bridges: “I know how much New York loves their sports, especially the Knicks… I am happy for them.”
• Towns: “Especially in the Playoffs, you need to have that New York grit, that unrelenting belief you will never lose.”

3. FIRST LOOK: KNICKS-PACERS RENEW RIVALRY IN EAST FINALS

Reggie. Patrick. The Davis Boys. Oakley. Mason. Starks. Smits. Mark Jackson. Riley. Larry Brown. Larry Johnson. Carmelo. PG. Roy Hibbert. Haliburton. Brunson.

Spike. Knicks vs. Hicks. Eight Points In Nine Seconds.

The names and moments spring to mind. We’re back to the beasts of the East. It’s the Knicks and Pacers once again, with a berth in the NBA Finals on the line.

It’s a rematch of last year’s East Semifinals, won by the Pacers in seven games, which is their 3rd straight head-to-head series win in this storied rivalry. They’ve matched up nine times in the Playoffs overall (IND 5-4) and this is their 4th clash in the East Finals (NYK 2-1). 

• 1993: Knicks in 4 (1st Round)
• 1994: Knicks in 7 (East Finals)
• 1995: Pacers in 7 (East Semis)
• 1998: Pacers in 5 (East Semis)
• 1999: Knicks in 6 (East Finals)
• 2000: Pacers in 6 (East Finals)
• 2013: Pacers in 6 (East Semis)
• 2024: Pacers in 7 (East Semis)

The moments in the rivalry are legendary:

• Miller Time: Reggie’s 25-point 4th quarter at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals went down in history, including the legendary eight points in nine seconds
• Ewing Strikes Back: The Captain dropped 24 points, 22 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks in Game 7 in 1994, taking the Knicks to the Finals, including a game-winning putback slam 
• A Miracle: Larry Johnson’s four-point play helped lift the Knicks to the Finals in 1999 – one of three huge threes he hit in the contest
• Hibbert Bars The Way: Roy Hibbert’s huge block on Carmelo Anthony epitomized the Pacers’ defensive toughness in 2013

It’s always been close. The Knicks and Pacers have played 198 regular season games – the Knicks have won 102 to the Pacers’ 96.

They matched up again for seven games in last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, with Indiana taking the decisive with an all-time shooting performance, knocking down 67.1% of their field goals.

• Down Swinging: The Knicks were shorthanded last year – Anunoby, Brunson, Julius Randle, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson missed time during last year’s series. They’re healthy now, adding talented swingman Mikal Bridges and stretch big Karl-Anthony Towns to the mix
• Obi, Oh My: Obi Toppin, selected by the Knicks with the No. 8 pick in 2020, was traded to the Pacers in 2023. He’s averaging 8.5 PPG for Indiana this postseason

The Knicks won this year’s season series, 2-1. Towns led New York, averaging 30.3 pts and 12 reb on 56.6 FG%, while Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 25.3 pts on 61/52.6 shooting splits, including a career-high 38 in Indiana’s win on Nov. 10.

Who will step up as a classic rivalry is renewed?

4. FIRST LOOK: NUGGETS-THUNDER GAME 7 ON SUNDAY

This moment is one that Denver knows well. In a way, it’s been inescapable.

The Nuggets lost in seven games to the Timberwolves in last year’s West Semis. They opened this postseason by taking the Clippers to seven and claiming their First Round matchup.

Now with the Thunder as opposition, they’ve produced the first Game 7 of these conference semifinals, marking three consecutive series fought down to the wire.

Sunday afternoon (3:30 ET, ABC) at Paycom Center, Denver and Oklahoma City will duke it out one last time with a West Finals spot up for grabs.

• Mile-High Mania: Before the current streak of Game 7s for Nikola Jokić and Co., they were the last team to play as many in a row – four straight from 2019-20
• Strange Stage: It’s been a while for the Thunder. They last appeared in a winner-take-all contest back in 2020, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was in his first season with the team and Luguentz Dort was a rookie

This series has thrilled from the jump. One bucket decided Game 1, and Jokić’s 42-point, 22-rebound double-double didn’t produce it.

Aaron Gordon was to thank.

• Striking Gold, Twice: The 11th-year forward sank a 3-pointer with less than three seconds remaining to give Denver the 1-0 series lead. Then he drained a midrange jumper to put Game 3 out of reach for Oklahoma City
• Air Gordon: Following his historic jam in Game 4 of the First Round, he now stands alone in the play-by-play era with multiple game-winning shots in the final five seconds of road games during one postseason

The Thunder hit cruise control in Game 2 with the series’ result via a 43-point triumph. But their two other wins came courtesy of:

• Closing The Door: They outscored the Nuggets, 63-37, across the final frames of Games 4 and 5 – the only instance this series where a team has won consecutive games
• Fourth Fortitude: Oklahoma City possesses a 1st-place 94.7 DefRtg in 4th quarters this postseason after finishing the regular season atop the league with 105.9 in that metric.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić have gone toe-to-toe as Kia NBA MVP finalists. They’re averaging a combined 58.6 ppg this series while Jokić boasts 14.7 rpg and SGA owns 7.0 apg.

Which one will shine brightest with their season at stake?

5. WNBA OPENING WEEKEND CONTINUES

The 2025 WNBA season tipped off on Friday with the debut of its 13th franchise – the Golden State Valkyries – headlining a three-game night.

History was made during the first-ever WNBA game played in the Bay Area on Friday. Not only was it the Valkyries debut, but it was the first time Kelsey Plum took the court for the L.A. Sparks – and she put on a show.

• Sparks 84, Valkyries 67: Just after Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier matched the WNBA record for most points in a season debut (34), Plum topped it with 37 to lead the Sparks past the Valkyries in front of a sold-out Chase Center crowd. | Recap | Warriors In The House
• Plum Wasn’t Done: In addition to her 37 points, Plum had six dimes and five steals to become the first player in WNBA history to post a 35/5/5 game. Not just in a season opener – in any game
• Tiffany Hayes had 19 points and nine boards to lead the home team, while Kayla Thornton sank the first bucket in Valkyries history

In addition to the Valkyries debut, Friday saw No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers take the court for her first regular-season game as a pro as the Wings hosted the Lynx.

• Lynx 99, Wings 84: The WNBA GMs tabbed Napheesa Collier as the MVP favorite and she looked the part, dropping 34 points to lead the Lynx, while Courtney Wiliams added 25 pts and 9 ast. Bueckers had 10 points (see her first bucket) and seven boards in her WNBA debut, while Arike Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington combined to add 31 for Dallas. | Recap
• Mystics 94, Dream 90: Lottery picks Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen combined for 33 points, Brittney Sykes added 22 as the Mystics overcame Allisha Gray’s game-high 25 points and a combined 34 from Brittney Griner (18 pts, 8 reb) and Brionna Jones (16 pts, 10 reb) in their Dream debuts. | Recap

The WNBA Tip-Off Test Drive presented by CarMax continues Saturday with another three-game slate, including an ABC doubleheader.

• Aces at Liberty (1 ET, ABC): This is not just a matchup between the past two WNBA champions – the 2022 & 2023 champion Aces visit the 2024 champion Liberty – it’s a rematch of last year’s semifinals as New York defeated Vegas in four games to reach the Finals and dash the Aces’ three-peat hopes
• Sky at Fever (3 ET, ABC): Last year’s rookie phenoms meet for the first time as sophomores in the season opener for both teams. When these two clashed, it brought the WNBA’s largest viewing audiences in two decades. What better matchup to cap off the first ABC doubleheader of the new season
• Storm at Mercury (10 ET, LP): A new era of Phoenix hoops begins following the retirement of Diana Taurasi and the departure of Brittney Griner in free agency. Phoenix added All-Stars Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, who will welcome Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike and the Storm to open the season