The New York Knicks will enter the Eastern Conference Finals after nine days off following the conclusion of their second-round playoff series last Sunday.
Head coach Mike Brown admitted he is uncertain whether the extended rest period will ultimately benefit the team once the series begins Tuesday night.
“I’ve been in both situations, playing while a team’s waiting and I’ve been waiting while a team’s playing,” Brown said.
The coach explained that there are positives and negatives to both scenarios during the postseason.
“You can say a lot theoretically,” Brown said. “You can say they’re going to be tired, but you can also say they have a competitive edge because they’ve been going at it for seven games and we’ve been off.”
The Knicks coaching staff has reportedly spent the downtime trying to keep players mentally sharp and physically prepared heading into the conference finals.
“You keep trying to do different things during the course of the downtime to keep them sharp, keep them focused and try to keep their competitive edge up as much as you can,” Brown said.
Knicks Notes: Bridges, Towns, Robinson, Layoff https://t.co/9ptOuhrzqO
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) May 18, 2026
