The New York Knicks are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals, but question surround the team’s upcoming schedule. New York is waiting to play the winner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons series.
It appears as though the Knicks will have some rest ahead of the ECF. When will the Eastern Conference Finals start?
The Eastern Conference Finals schedule and dates depend on when the Cavs-Pistons series ends. The NBA revealed that Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals set to start on May 17. This date can be moved up to May 17, if both series ended earlier than expected.
Here’s what you need to know about the latest Knicks news and rumors ahead of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks Will Face Either the Pistons or Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals
The Knicks obviously preferred to end the series sooner rather than later. It will now allow key Knicks players to rest and get healthy, including OG Anunoby who has been dealing with an injury.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown pointed to the team’s role players as a major reason for the team’s success.
New York got off to a slow start to the NBA playoffs, trailing the Atlanta Hawks 2-1 in the first round, but the Knicks have since emerged as one of the hottest remaining teams in the postseason
“Sometimes, you start this guy. And what hopefully it shows at the end of the day coming from me is that I have confidence in them, and not only that, your number can be called any time, so be ready,” Brown noted, per New York Post. “And our guys have taken that to heart.
“We’ve got a lot of good guys that are resilient. They’re fighters. And they’ve done a good job of keeping their mind on staying present in whatever we’re doing, and it’s showing when they go out there and get the opportunity.”
The Knicks Have Caught Fire in the NBA Playoffs Since Trailing the Hawks
The Knicks versus Pistons remains the most likely matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Cavaliers are doing their best to change that. Detroit swept the regular-season series against New York 3-0.
New York won two of three games against Cleveland during the regular season. Karl-Anthony Towns pointed to trailing the Hawks in the first round as a turning point for the Knicks.
“The real change for us came before Game 4 in Atlanta,” Towns explained, per SNY.TV. “That’s when we really changed our offense. It’s been great. It’s been something I’ve talked about for a lot of the season, to feel like we can help our guys [on offense] more. We made the right moves.
“It was the perfect time for all of us to really get on the same accord. There’s no better time to be playing your best basketball than right now. So shout out to Mike and really the whole coaching staff for putting us in the best position to succeed.”
Now, the Knicks can focus on getting healthy as the team awaits the winner of the Cavaliers-Pistons series.
Knicks Playoff Schedule: Who & When Does NY Play Next in Eastern Conference Finals?