Getty Donte DiVincenzo reacts during Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers on May 6.
The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same for the New York Knicks, who are increasingly shorthanded for their Game 3 road matchup with the Indiana Pacers.
To the surprise of none who know head coach Tom Thibodeau and the team’s he’s coached over the years, they’re not using anything as a an excuse. Only motivation.
When talking with the media ahead of Game 3, Donte DiVincenzo shut down any talk of New York “punting” Game 3 in order to give guys time to rest.
“Hell no,” DiVincenzo told SNY on May 10. “You can stop there. We ain’t punting nothing. We’re coming in here to win the game.”
Mitchell Robinson is lost for the postseason with an ankle injury.
OG Anunoby is out for at least a game with a hamstring strain, and Jalen Brunson is listed as questionable with right foot soreness.
“We’ll be fine,” DiVincenzo told SNY. “It’s what we’ve done all year. Weather the storm and we’ll be fine.”
It will be the next man up for the New York Knicks yet again, on the road in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Knicks’ Going to DiVincenzo in Late-Game Situations
For every 40-point outing from Brunson, there’s been a corresponding, big-time shot from DiVincenzo.
His late-game shotmaking has almost single-handedly won New York two of their six playoff victories thus far.
DiVincenzo hit a a game-winning three in the Knicks’ series against the Philadelphia 76ers. With 15.8 seconds left in Game 2, he connected on the second of two three-point attempts to give the Knicks a lead, and ultimately a win.
“DiVincenzo a three… BANG! BANG!!!! Knicks take a 1 point lead with 13 seconds remaining!! THE GARDEN IS SHAKING RIGHT NOW!” – Mike Breen
The Knicks win Game 2️⃣ and take a 2️⃣-0️⃣ series lead!!!
And in Game 1 of this semifinals series against Indiana, he knocked down a 29-foot jumper to give New York a lead with seconds remaining.
KNICKS WIN!!
Brunson and DiVincenzo are the NBA’s best three-point shooters when it matters most this postseason.
The NBA defines clutch time as “the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points.”
In such situations, no player in the 2024 playoffs has more three-pointers made than Brunson with four.
DiVincenzo and Josh Hart each have three.
That kind of late-game playmaking will be a requirement for the Knicks in Game 3. Down and out another starter, they face an uphill climb to capture a win on the road.
No Word on Anunoby Replacement
Thibodeau’s choice for Anunoby’s replacement in the starting lineup remains unclear. Miles McBride and Precious Achiuwa represent the two most logical, but varying, options.
The only other player who’s touched the floor for New York this postseason is Alec Burks, who played 40 seconds in Game 2.
McBride has more experience in the starting lineup, with 14 starts in the regular season. But his performance in the postseason thus far hasn’t mirrored his regular season successes.
DiVincenzo isn’t worried about the Knicks’ sixth man. When asked about McBride’s struggles, he cited the series’ record.
“It’s 2-0. He knows it,” DiVincenzo told SNY. “Right now it’s 2-0. I know Deuce, his confidence is gonna be still high. We want his confidence to be high. We’re not worried about it. At any moment Deuce can win us a game.”
McBride is averaging just 9 points per game in the playoffs, but has made just 1-of-6 shots in the series against the Pacers.
Getting him going could be the difference between finishing this series on the road, or returning to MSG for a Game 5.