The New York Knicks have spent their entire NBA Finals run proving one thing: no game is ever over.
Their latest example came in Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, when they erased a stunning 29-point deficit to pull off one of the most memorable comebacks in Finals history. While talent has certainly played a role, the biggest reason the Knicks have found success is their unwavering belief that they are never truly out of a game, regardless of the scoreboard.
That is the lesson the New Jersey Devils should learn from the New York Knicks.
The Devils possess too much talent to let adversity dictate the outcome. Yet throughout the 2025-26 season, there were multiple instances where the team appeared to lose confidence after a bad break. Most notably, there were games where Jacob Markstrom surrendered a soft goal, and the energy on the bench seemed to disappear almost immediately. Instead of responding with urgency, the Devils often looked dejected, as if one mistake had already determined the final result.
We saw that on many occasions, where the Devils dominated in the first period, failed to score, then let the game get away from them. Other times, the team watched as the opposing score snowballed into something insane, like when they lost 9-0 against the New York Islanders.Â
The Knicks have shown the opposite mentality throughout their Finals run. A poor quarter, a bad stretch, or a large deficit hasn't changed the way they approach the game. They continue to execute, continue to attack, and trust that their talent will eventually shine through.
And they had similar issues as the Devils this season. There was a ton of drama surrounding the Knicks this season, with rumors of infighting and frustration across the board. Fast forward months later, and the Knicks are one win away from winning their first championship since the 1970s.Â
What's frustrating is that there were signs the Devils were capable of doing exactly that. After the Olympic break, New Jersey appeared to play a different brand of hockey. The team looked looser, more confident, and more willing to push the pace. There was a noticeable belief in their game that had not always been present earlier in the season.
That confidence clearly stemmed from Jack Hughes' Olympic experience. Hughes returned from the tournament as a champion after scoring the Golden Goal, and whether directly or indirectly, the Devils seemed to carry themselves differently after his return. The group played with more swagger and more resilience, characteristics that often separate good teams from great ones.
The challenge now is maintaining that mentality for an entire season.Â
When the Knicks fell behind by 29 points in Game 4, they didn't act like a beaten team. They acted like a team that understood how much it needed to tighten up. The Devils need to embrace the same philosophy. A bad goal against, an unfortunate bounce, or an early deficit cannot be enough to derail a team featuring stars such as Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier.
The talent is there. The belief needs to match it. If the Devils can learn anything from the Knicks' incredible Finals run, it's that they're never out of a game until the final horn sounds.
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