The Knicks’ bench has been stepping up with solid performances, but it seems unlikely that one of the key players will make an appearance this time.
Jose Alvarado was anticipated, but Jordan Clarkson wasn’t really expected.
Unfortunately, the Knicks started slow and faltered down the stretch, meaning they couldn’t keep their streak of 13 playoff wins alive. The game against the Spurs ended with a score of 115-111, which is—well, disappointing to say the least.
Despite the overall result, both Alvarado and Clarkson made notable contributions. Alvarado helped rally the Knicks, narrowing the points gap, while Clarkson displayed some impressive shooting, finally reaching double digits in the postseason.
It’s interesting, really—Clarkson was initially left off the rotation entirely. He didn’t see any action in Game 1 and had limited minutes since the series began. However, he scored 10 points in just 13 minutes this time, including two three-pointers, along with three rebounds to add to his plus-eight rating.
On the other hand, Alvarado posted four points and three rebounds over 12 minutes, gaining a plus-five rating. He’s made quite an impression in this series, especially after stepping up following Jalen Brunson’s knee injury in the first game.
“He was huge,” Knicks coach Mike Brown mentioned. “We discussed it during our film session—when Jalen went down, he stepped in, and we were a bit sluggish, so he really helped stabilize us and got us into our offense.”
The Knicks’ bench has been instrumental in their postseason journey, especially since this is their first trip to the Finals since 1999. Last year, they fell short against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals after running out of steam.
Yet, this time around, even when the starters were struggling, Brown had the option to unleash his bench and pull out some impactful plays.
