New York Knicks insider reports hilarious incident that "loosened up" team after 32-point Game 4 loss
It might have been an unnerving sight for New York Knicks fans to see their team drop two straight playoff games on the road to the Indiana Pacers after securing a 2-0 lead to start the series. However, The Athletic's Fred Katz shared a locker room moment before Game 5 that calmed his expectations on the team's mindset heading into a pivotal postseason contest.
On the "Knicks Film School" podcast, X user New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) shared the comments made by Katz as the Knicks ball club started off their previous night with a hilarious locker room incident that led to a commanding 121-89 Game 5 win at the Madison Square Garden.
"I felt good about them," Katz said. "I didn't think there was going to be no energy after I left the locker room before Game 5. I'm not going to share one anecdote that showed me how loose they were because I'm not going to embarass the guy. There was an epic fart that loosened up the locker room a lot before the game."
Some fans or experts might think of locker rooms as a highly concentrated atmosphere building up to the start of a postseason game. However, that wasn't the case for the New York Knicks team, which rallied under immense laughter to deliver a crowd-pleasing performance to go up 3-2 in the semifinal round.
New York Knicks coach praises Jalen Brunson's "no excuses" approach to the game
During Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers, Jalen Brunson put up 44 points (18-of-35 shooting, including 2-of-6 from 3-point range), seven assists and four rebounds to help his team head into the opponent's home court for Game 6 with a series lead.
Following the game, New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau praised his superstar point guard and highlighted his "no excuses" style of play on the court, as per the New York Post's Peter Botte.
"Whether it's big shot after big shot — and I just love that there's never any excuse-making from him," Thibodeau said.
"He's never talking about injuries. A lot of times, you hear people talking about their injuries. A lot of it is excuse-making. You never get that from him. It's always, 'I'll be better next game.' Even when he plays a great game."
With the New York Knicks in need of just one more win to punch their ticket into an Eastern Conference Finals meeting with the Boston Celtics, Jalen Brunson's mindset needs to remain intact for Game 6 to pull off a series closeout win.