Brian Windhorst Praises 'Powerhouse' New York Knicks
ESPN NBA analyst Brian Windhorst praised the New York Knicks, calling them a "certified powerhouse" and one of the best teams in franchise history.
The Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 on May 21 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven NBA Eastern Conference Finals. After coming back from a 22-point deficit to steal Game 1, the Knicks held the lead for essentially all of Game 2, and they never looked back. They are now two wins away from making it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Brian Windhorst Praises 'Powerhouse' Knicks
Speaking on ESPN's "Get Up," Windhorst had nothing but good things to say about a Knicks team that is currently 10-2 in this year's NBA playoffs, and which looks like it will have a legitimate chance of capturing the franchise's first NBA Championship since 1973.
This is a certified powerhouse."
"This is a certified powerhouse. This is a powerhouse team. This is an all-time great Knicks team," Windhorst said.
"They're 10-2 in the playoffs, both losses are by a point (to the Atlanta Hawks), that came down to the final possession. They've routinely beaten teams by double digits."
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After the Knicks beat the Hawks 4-2 in the first round, they swept the Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 in the second round to advance to the ECF against the Cavaliers. So far, so good for the Knicks, as they've won the first two games of the series, taking a commanding 2-0 lead into Game 3 in Cleveland. With the Knicks having home-court advantage for the rest of the series, they are currently being given an 88% chance of winning it and advancing to the NBA Finals, according to Kalshi.
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How Are The Knicks Doing This?
The Knicks are so successful because everyone is chipping in and buying into the collective effort. It's not just a one-man show, as some other teams are in the NBA. This Knicks team has everyone doing their part, and that's why they are winning so many games.
"This is what championship-level teams do," Windhorst said. "They hit you with different things, they handle different things, they beat the snot out of the opposition. That's what the Knicks are doing."
Taking a look at the stats so far during the playoffs, the Knicks have five players averaging double-digits during the postseason, with guard Jalen Brunson leading the way at 27.6 PPG, followed by wing OG Anunoby at 19.8 PPG, and center Karl-Anthony Towns at 17.1 PPG. Right behind them are guard Mikal Bridges at 13.9 PPG and Swiss Army Knife Josh Hart at 11.8 PPG.
In addition to their five starting players all performing extremely well, the Knicks have also received valuable contributions off the bench from Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, Jose Alvarado, and Landry Shamet. And because the Knicks have been so dominant during these playoffs, they have also been able to get their deep-bench guys minutes, so all 15 players on the Knicks' roster have logged time during the postseason, which is an impressive feat in its own right.
The Knicks are a well-oiled machine right now, and they are making head coach Mike Brown look like a genius, as every button he is pushing is the right one. When the Knicks fired former head coach Tom Thibodeau last year, no one knew what to expect under Brown. But so far, this Knicks squad looks like the real deal, and they are now two wins away from playing either the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 10:17 AM.