Former West Virginia standout guard Miles “Deuce” McBride is in Year 4 of his NBA career with the New York Knicks. Now, he and his team are fighting to make an appearance in the NBA Finals.
After Wednesday night’s thrilling 138-135 overtime loss in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, McBride and the Knicks remain 4 wins away from an NBA Finals appearance. Game 1 was a tightly contested contest, but McBride helped to engineer an impressive New York Knicks run at the end of the 3rd quarter and early into the 4th quarter.
McBride made three notable plays as part of this stretch with a mid-range jumper, knocking down two free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt, and a highlight-reel block on 6’8” Pascal Siakam. McBride’s defensive play which he developed at WVU has certainly translated to the NBA.
Aaron Nesmith and the Pacers went on a sensational run to force overtime. As part of their run late in the 4th quarter, Indiana made 6 consecutive threes, led by Nesmith, who made 5 in a row and finished the night shooting 8-9 from downtown. Indiana outscored New York by a score of 20-6 in the final 2:30 of regulation.
Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers forced overtime with a shot that bounced off the rim and nearly hit the ceiling of Madison Square Garden before going through the net. Had his foot not been on the line, the Pacers would’ve won in regulation.
Deuce McBride finished Game 1 of the ECF with 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block in 25 minutes played. McBride led all Knicks with a +/- of +12.
The former Mountaineer has been a key contributor off the bench for the Knicks through both the regular season and the postseason. Head Coach of the Knicks, Tom Thibodeau, is widely known for operating a short bench, and that has escalated through the postseason. To go along with McBride, the only Knick to log significant minutes off the bench in the playoffs has been big man Mitchell Robinson.
In 64 regular-season appearances, McBride averaged a career high 9.5 points per game in 25 minutes played. With the Knicks eyeing an appearance in the NBA Finals, Mountaineer Nation will undoubtedly be showing their support for McBride. It has been a long time since Mountaineer fans have witnessed a former West Virginia great have the kind of success in the NBA that Deuce is having with the Knicks.
If you are looking to catch McBride and the Knicks in action, game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals is scheduled for Friday night at 8pm ET on TNT. The Knicks will be looking to even the series, 1-1 before heading to Indiana for Game 3.