Knicks lose 130-109 to the Pacers in Game 7 to be ousted from the playoffs.
Before a car finally sputters to the side of the road, there are a number of indicators that it is running low on gas.
When there are only 20 to 30 miles remaining in the tank, a bright light flashes beneath the empty sign on the dashboard.
The car itself gets harder to maneuver, making it harder for the driver to apply brakes and turn.
It could cough from the engine. The vehicle may shake. Additionally, the electricity can completely shut off if you're traveling uphill.
Ultimately, the engine's demand for gasoline is greater than the available supply.
In the third quarter, Brunson claimed he struck his leg instead of his hand while attempting to steal a point from Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, breaking his hand.
After the Game 7 defeat, he commented, "To be honest with you, I thought I just jammed it." "I knew something wasn't right when I looked down."
But even before Brunson's injury, the series was already decided in favor of Indiana. Then, after defeating the league MVP Joel Embiid and his Philadelphia 76ers in a six-game first-round playoff series, the exhausted, worn-out Knicks forced the Pacers to the verge of elimination before running out of gas in the second round.
The winner of the Pacers' next Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Boston Celtics advances to the NBA Finals, where they will take on the Western Conference winners.
After losing the first two games of the second-round series at Madison Square Garden, Indiana won four of the next five games to win the series, making history as the 34th team in NBA history to come back from a 0–2 hole.
Up to Sunday afternoon's season finale at The Garden, a staggering 92.7 percent of teams that took a 2-0 series lead ultimately went on to win the series, which puts the Knicks in exceptional company.
"That was a capable group. I will not denigrate them or treat them with disrespect. Josh Hart remarked, "That's a good team with a good coach, and they fought." They overcame a 2-0 deficit. 3-2, they could have given up, but they chose not to. Give them due credit.
Still, the indicators were clear.
Midway through the first round, the Knicks' gas tank began to empty as both Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson suffered serious injuries. This further hindered the team, which was already without its three-time All-Star Julius Randle, who hasn't played since January 27 due to a dislocated right shoulder.
Before sustaining a second stress injury to his left ankle that required surgery, Robinson participated in Game 1 of the second round.
After playing in Game 1, OG Anunoby had to leave due to a strained left hamstring. plainly limited in movement, he barely played the first five minutes of Sunday's Game 7 before plainly tiring out for the rest of the contest.
Josh Hart also persevered in Friday's Game 6 loss of the Knicks against the Pacers in Indianapolis despite suffering an abdominal strain.
The Knicks never give up, though. They never experienced a point of no return from the injuries.
"We fought at the end of the day, but there are moments when you look and see someone getting hurt again and it's just like, 'damn.'" We had a fight, Hart stated. "This season is everything we've worked for. Guys had injuries throughout play. Men risk their lives for others. I believe you observed that in all of them. obviously didn't work out or unfold as planned, but I'm really happy of the work we accomplished this season.
In a sense that is difficult for me to describe, this squad is unique, Brunson continued. "The way we just fought, without making any justifications." That was our way of thinking—we just kept doing the best we could. I really adore that mentality that we shared.
Even yet, the Pacers needed to play their best game ever to finally put the Knicks out of their misery.
Before getting hurt, Brunson ended with 17 points and 9 assists. Alec Burks, who came off the bench, finished with 27 minutes of scoring, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Hart finished with 10 points.
The Pacers, who began Game 7 on Sunday by shooting 75.7 percent from the field and 72.7 percent from three-point range in the first 21 and a half minutes, were not to be stopped by any stretch of the imagination.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, it surpassed the San Antonio Spurs' first half in Game 3 of the 2014 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat as the best shooting half in a postseason game in the previous 25 years.
For this reason, supporters who had gathered at The Garden for Game 7 stood to applaud the conclusion of a great season.
When Hart fouled out with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, they let out a cheer.
With fewer than 40 seconds remaining and the Knicks trailing 21 points, they let out a cheer when Donte DiVincenzo, who finished with a game-high 39 points and set a new record with nine made 3-pointers on 15 attempts, checked out.
Even though Brunson spent the fourth quarter in the locker room recovering from a fractured hand, fans nevertheless chanted "Ja-len Brun-son."
The Knicks' season came to an end on Sunday afternoon, but they are only getting started as a team full of talented players and intriguing trade chips.
The front office now has a solid base to grow from thanks to this crew. The Garden's future is bright, even in loss.
It's difficult. It just wasn't our day to win," Hart remarked. "We didn't give up. We didn't offer justifications. We fought each other. And maybe for years to come, New York can be hopeful and proud of that.