Knicks Got Gassed Up for Game 5 From, Well, Gas

New York Knicks insider Fred Katz was convinced the New York Knicks would take Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers after a humorous incident in the locker room.

Apr 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Tee shirts for the fans placed on the seats prior to game one / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks are so close to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in over two decades that they can smell it ... perhaps a bit too literally.

A humorous story from insider Fred Katz of The Athletic perhaps provided the source of the Knicks' loose fury and firepower that eventually yielded a 121-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference. With the win, New York took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and has a chance to earn advancement to the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night in Indianapolis (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Apr 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Tee shirts for the fans placed on the seats prior to game one / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Many wondered how the Knicks would respond to the brutality of Game 4, a blowout loss at Gainbridge Fieldhouse that was hardly as close as its 32-point margin suggested. A pregame visit to the Knicks' locker room convinced Katz things would work out in the hosts' favor.

"I'm not going to share one anecdote that showed me how loose they were, because I'm not going to embarrass the guy," Katz said on the Knicks Film School Podcast hosted by Jonathan Macri. "There was an epic fart that loosened up the locker room, a lot before the game, and I'm not going to say who it was. I'm not going to embarrass the guy."

Whatever transpired in the metropolitan locker room, it worked: the Knicks put forth one of their most dominant efforts of the postseason and are just five wins away from making it back to the NBA Finals, the closest they've been since 2000. Jalen Brunson scored 44 points while Josh Hart had a double-double amidst a 17-rebound performance for Isaiah Hartenstein, including a Knicks playoff record 12 on the offensive glass.

The incident, even if it's something perhaps lifted from the script for an Adam Sandler movie, perhaps humorously highlights the Knicks' chemistry despite frequent lineup changes brought about by injuries.

"We low-key hate each other, but we like each other," Brunson said of the Knicks' unique team chemistry following a win in Milwaukee on Apr. 7. "We always joke on each other. We always find something to make fun of the other person. Somehow that turns into great team chemistry, so that's our makeup right now.”

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