Some Within Knicks Reportedly Were Worried How Team Would Handle Adversity in Playoffs

The New York Knicks' impressive season came to an end with Saturday's loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but it sounds like they weren't even expected to reach that far.

The Athletic's James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz reported after the Knicks' loss that there were "some within the organization who went into the postseason worried about how this team would handle adversity."

The Knicks appeared to silence their doubters time and time again with multiple hard-fought comeback victories throughout the first two rounds of the playoffs. Those wins seemed to galvanize the team as it sought its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.

"You can’t get experience without getting experience," star point guard Jalen Brunson said. "It’s helped out a lot, brought us closer together. I think, for the most part, we see a lot, we hear a lot, but we make sure we’re on the same page together. Regardless of what anyone else says, we got each other’s back."

However, the Knicks' chemistry issues resurfaced during the series against the Pacers. Inconsistencies on offense and defensive lapses doomed New York from the very start, as it dropped the first two games at home and created a deficit that proved to be insurmountable. In Saturday's Game 6, the team allowed Indiana to turn a four-point halftime lead into a 17-point victory.

On paper, a core led by Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart should be enough for the Knicks to maintain their status as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference next season. However, the disappointing loss to Indiana could lead to changes in New York as the franchise searches for new ways to break through and earn its first NBA championship since 1973.