Ahead of Sunday’s regular-season finale at Madison Square Garden, Jalen Brunson grabbed the microphone and thanked the crowd for its support of the Knicks throughout the year.
Only, the $104 million point guard made sure not to stop there.
“We’re not done yet,” Brunson stressed. “See you in the playoffs.”
The Knicks will get the next five or six days off to prepare for their first-round series against Donovan Mitchell and the fourth-seeded Cavaliers after finishing the 82-game schedule with a 141-136 loss to the Pacers in an MSG matinee.
Their 47-35 record still represents their second-most wins over the past 22 NBA seasons — behind only the 54-28 squad of 2012-13 — and a 10-game improvement over last year’s disappointing 37-45 playoff whiff.
“I think from the start of the season to where we are now, the focus has always been on daily improvement. When you look at where we ended up or where we are right now, there’s been a quantum leap,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Sometimes you don’t recognize that as you’re going through it because there are small steps that you take along the way.
“But then at the end, you see, OK, the numbers are all there to say that you’ve improved in a lot of areas. I think we’re a well-balanced team. I think we’re strong on both sides of the ball. I think we’re unselfish. Those are things you strive for in knowing that in the end, that’s what you need.”
Sunday’s loss means Thibodeau’s team concluded the year with a slightly worse record at home (23-18) than it posted on the road (24-17), the franchise’s best away mark since going 26-15 outside MSG in 1996-97.
He praised the team for improving its 3-point shooting from one year ago and noted that their net rating — point differential per 100 possessions — ranked seventh in the league through Saturday.
Leading scorer Julius Randle is slated to have his sprained left ankle reevaluated later this week to determine his availability for the series against the Cavs, which will begin Saturday or Sunday.
Brunson is expected to be ready after sitting out the final three games for maintenance on his bothersome right hand, which Thibodeau stressed was “just precautionary.”
RJ Barrett needed to score 44 points Sunday to join Randle (25.1 ppg) and Brunson (24.0) as the first trio in Knicks history to average at least 20 points apiece in the same season, but he netted 18 in 37 minutes to finish the year at 19.6 per game.
The season was greatly aided by the summertime addition of Brunson, who emerged as a viable contender for the league’s Most Improved Player award.
Another free-agent signing, backup center Isaiah Hartenstein, was the only player to appear in all 82 games.
The Knicks also went 17-8 in their final 25 games after versatile deadline pickup Josh Hart joined the rotation following a February trade from Portland.
“That’s the challenge every year. When you go into a season, you virtually never come back exactly the same, so then it’s how quickly can you adapt and get everyone onto the same page? It’s been steady progress throughout,” Thibodeau said. “Jalen has been seamless. It was a big part of what our needs were in terms of controlling and managing the team. Jalen brings out the best in everyone.
“I think when you add in Isaiah’s passing, his rim protection, and you add another guy in Josh Hart, who is an all-around type of player, that adds to your team.”
Obi Toppin continued to shine in Randle’s absence over the final five games, scoring 34 points in 36 minutes Sunday to boost his scoring output over those starts to 21.8 per game.
Sixth Man of the Year candidate Immanuel Quickley contributed 30 points and Quentin Grimes had 22 for the Knicks, who now can fully turn their attention to preparing for the Cavs this weekend.
“That’ll be the next step after today,” Thibodeau said. “The best part of it is you get a chance to regroup, re-energize, it’s a little bit of a break, but I think there’s the excitement of what comes next. So people will be locked in and be ready to go.”