From establishing a rigid postseason hierarchy to mastering the art of the double-digit comeback, Houston must mirror New York’s unwavering identity to transform regular-season flashes into playoff glory.
The New York Knicks are NBA champions, and while every title run is different, there are a few lessons the Houston Rockets would be wise to take from what they just watched.
The first is understanding exactly how to utilize a superstar.
That might sound obvious, but New York never lost sight of who it was. Jalen Brunson averaged 28.4 points per game across 19 games played in the 2026 playoffs and remained the centerpiece of the Knicks offense. When the time came for saving, especially in the final frame, the ball found Brunson.
To be fair, Houston never really got the opportunity to make that adjustment in the postseason. Kevin Durant played only one game during the Rockets’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers with injuries sidelining him for the remainder of the matchup.
Still, the broader lesson remains.
This season was the Rockets test run balancing Durant’s arrival with the continued development of their young core, which is a challenge every contender faces when adding a future Hall of Famer. The Knicks showed what the end goal looks like this year. Growth and development matter, but championship teams eventually establish a clear hierarchy.
The Knicks knew Jalen Brunson was their closer, and they played like it. Everyone else understood where they fit around him, giving New York an identity that didn’t waver when the games tilted and the pressure increased.
The second lesson is one in mental toughness. The Knicks shook the Finals up this year with five legendary comebacks:
They erased a 14-point deficit in Game 1. They came back from 12 down in Game 2. In Game 4, they trailed by 29 points before storming back and winning at the buzzer. Two nights later, they overcame another 16-point deficit to clinch the championship in Game 5.
Most teams fold somewhere along the way. New York never did. Ironically, Houston already showed flashes of that same resilience during the regular season. The Rockets won 27 games after trailing by double digits, tied for the eighth-most in the NBA. The foundation is there.
The difference is that the Knicks carried that belief through four playoff rounds and onto the league’s biggest stage. Talent helped New York win a championship- so did Brunson’s brilliance.
But the defining traits of this title run were clarity and conviction. The next step for the Rockets is proving they can bring the same level of confidence and purpose into May and June.
