Knicks advance to second round for second year, Elmsford’s Donavan Mitchell and Ossining High School’s Obi Toppin represents the 914 in Eastern Conference Semi Finals
While I celebrate my New York Knicks making it to the Eastern Conference Semi Finals for second year in a row, 914 will also be represented in the second round of the playoff. Ossining High School grad and former Knick Obi Toppin will face the Knicks with his new team The Indiana Pacers and Elmsford native Donavan ‘Spida’ Mitchell and his Cleveland Cavaliers will face off with the Boston Celtics.
The 5-time All-Star and 2018 NBA Slam Dunk Champion led the Cavs over the Orlando Magics in the 2024 playoffs’ only Game 7, Sunday afternoon. Mitchell who finished the game with 39 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists in the Cavs 106-94 victory, avoiding their second first round exit.
“I’m tired of losing in the first round,” Mitchell said. “You work too hard. We work too hard. That was my mindset … for me, just be in attack mode. I’m battling through what I’m battling through, but I could battle through it and figure it out, or rehab it for the next three or four months. That’s where I’m at mentally.”
Mitchell has been laboring through a knee injury, the same one that’s lingered all season. Throughout the game, he hobbled around, grimaced and fought against his body. But, in his eyes, he had no choice.
Mitchell put together another superstar performance after the Cavs fell behind the Magics by 18 points in the second quarter. In the first half, Mitchell shot 3-for-13 for 15 points. But he went hard at Magics shooting gaurd Jalen Suggs-who had the task of guarding him-to score 17 points in the third quarter and fuel a ferocious comeback.
The 6′ 3″ 215 pound guard, who is the successor to LeBron James in Cleveland in so many ways, led the franchise to its first playoff series victory without The King since 1993. LBJ may be Cleveland’s favorite son after bringing home the city’s first title, but the city belongs to Spida right now.
The Elmsford native totaled 89 points (50 points in game 6 and 39 points in game 7), one of the best performances second only to The Answer, Allen Iverson. AI scored 90 points combined in games six and seven of the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It is The Cavs first time making it to the second round without LeBron James in 30 years. Caris LeVert finished with 15 points, Max Strus got 13 and Garland had 12. Evan Mobley got 11 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks and held Orlando to 6-of-22 shooting as the primary contester.
No time to celebrate the Cavs advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals to face the league number one teams, the Boston Celics who beat the Miami Heat in five games, winning 118-84 on Wednesday night.
Eastern Conference Semifinals schedule
- Game 1: Tuesday, 7 p.m. in Boston
- Game 2: Thursday, 7 p.m. in Boston
- Game 3: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. in Cleveland
- Game 4: Monday, May 13 7 p.m. in Cleveland
- Game 5: TBD in Boston (if needed)
- Game 6: TBD in Cleveland (if needed)
- Game 7: TBD in Boston (if needed)
Ossining’s Obi Toppin returns to MSG
Obi Toppin is coming back to NY and The Indiana Pacers face the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs starting Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
The No. 6 seed Pacers beat the depleted No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks in six games, while the No. 2 Knicks eliminated the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers in six games.
Game 1 is set for Monday, May 6 at Madison Square Garden at 7:30 PM ET and will air nationally on TNT. The Knicks will also host Game 2 on Wednesday, May 8 at 8:00 PM ET (also on TNT).
Here’s the full schedule for this second round series in the Eastern Conference.
No. 2 Knicks vs. No. 6 Pacers schedule
Game 1: Pacers @ Knicks, Monday, May 6, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Game 2: Pacers @ Knicks, Wednesday, May 8, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3: Knicks @ Pacers, Friday, May 10, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 4: Knicks @ Pacers, Sunday, May 12, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
*Game 5: Pacers @ Knicks, Date TBD, Time TBD, TV TBD
*Game 6: Knicks @ Pacers, Date TBD, Time TBD, TV TBD
*Game 7: Pacers @ Knicks, Date TBD, Time TBD, TV TBD
During the regular season, the Pacers and Knicks met three times, with Indiana winning two of those games. They last met on Feb. 10, when the Pacers topped the Knicks 125-111 in a road game.
The teams have a storied history in the NBA Playoffs, meeting six times in the postseason between 1993 and 2000 during the Reggie Miller era. They played in the conference finals three times during that span.
914 will be well represented in the 2024 Eastern Conference Semi Finals
