The New York Knicks have won four straight playoff games, going back to their first-round series against the Hawks, but the story isn't that they won, but how they won. Their 16-point Game 4 win over Atlanta looks like nothing after winning by 29 in Game 5, 51 in Game 6, and 39 in Game 1 over Philadelphia on Monday. That's worth celebrating, right? Not for Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Immediately after beating the Sixers, Brunson said the win was in the past and that the team was already focused on Game 2. He reiterated that in his postgame press conference, saying that the Knicks have to take the victory with a "grain of salt."
"You've got to take this game with a grain of salt and just kind of move forward. I don't think we're going to see that team that we saw in Game 1 in Game 2."
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 5, 2026
- Jalen Brunson pic.twitter.com/pfIHjxc8j8
Karl-Anthony Towns had the same mindset in his presser. A reporter asked him about New York's 135-point differential in the last four games, to which KAT pointed out that what already happened no longer matters.
Q: "Last 4 games 135-point differential…largest in NBA playoff history"
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 5, 2026
…
KAT: "You said last 4 games?
Keyword is Last
Doesn't have anything to do with Next…
Stay locked in" pic.twitter.com/9IyUKSOikL
Fans have had a lot of fun watching the Knicks the past four games and reliving moments in the days after, but the players have no time for that. If they spent time relishing their Hawks beatdown, they might've overlooked the Sixers in Game 1. Clearly, that didn't happen.
Knicks' mindset after playoff hot streak is the correct one
Philadelphia was at a disadvantage after its first-round series against Boston went to a Game 7, leaving the team with one full day of rest before the semifinals started. To be clear, that's a disadvantage they created themselves, as they needed all seven games to come back to beat the Celtics after starting the series in a 3-1 hole. The Embiid hype was at a high.
Still, entering Monday's game, it felt like Philly had more momentum, having beaten Boston after many had picked the Celtics to win the East.
New York didn't care about that storyline and didn't let the Sixers come into MSG and get the first punch. The Knicks were focused on the task at hand, not on what happened last Thursday, and weren't looking ahead to what might come (a championship?).
Brunson earned the title of captain a couple of years ago, and his leadership has helped the Knicks get to where they are now. Towns suddenly entered the picture in 2024, shifting the team dynamics, but he has fit in well with the culture that the star point guard helped to establish.
One thing about New York is that it won't take an early victory lap. The Knicks aren't letting the media buzz distract them from the task at hand. They're all on the same page, taking it one game at a time.
As soon as Monday's buzzer sounded, Brunson let the win fade into the background, while fans at MSG soaked it all in. Maybe if New York reaches its ultimate goal, then the point guard will take a time to pause and do the same. But for now? Nope — onto the next.