Entering Friday, the New York Knicks sat in third place in the Eastern Conference, just 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics for second.
You'd think that would have the Knicks in position to contend, but ESPN's Stephen A. Smith thinks otherwise.
On Friday during First Take, Smith denounced the Knicks' Finals hopes, saying "it's over" and that New York simply isn't good enough. Naturally, Celtics fans were loving it.
"It's over! They ain't going to no damn Finals, because they ain't good enough."
—@stephenasmith is hurt over his Knicks 👀 pic.twitter.com/knzj6Tci3w
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 20, 2026
Stephen A.'s assessment came on the heels of the Knicks’ 126-111 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
Detroit completed a 3-0 season sweep with the victory, winning by a combined 84 points across the three meetings. On Thursday night alone, the Pistons rolled without suspended centers Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Cade Cunningham dropped 42 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds while the Knicks managed just 23 percent shooting from three-point range (8-of-35). That kind of perimeter collapse against a top Eastern Conference rival does not bode well for April and May.
Detroit now sits atop the East at 41-13. The Knicks, meanwhile, occupy third place and already own a pair of earlier blowout defeats to the same squad—one by 31 points, another by 38.
Jalen Brunson continued to carry the load with 33 points in the latest defeat, and Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 21, but collective execution against the conference’s best has been lacking.
Smith, who has watched this franchise for decades, sees the pattern clearly: regular-season respectability does not equal Finals readiness.
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