{"id":909116,"date":"2026-06-03T19:24:50","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T19:24:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/909116\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T19:24:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T19:24:50","slug":"giants-kayvon-thibodeaux-makes-bold-knicks-prediction-ahead-of-nba-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/909116\/","title":{"rendered":"Giants\u2019 Kayvon Thibodeaux Makes Bold Knicks Prediction Ahead of NBA Finals"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York Giants<\/a> edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux was the topic of trade rumors around the 2026 NFL<\/a> Draft in late April, and while ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter <\/a>reported that the Giants \u201cnever came close\u201d to trading Thibodeaux at draft time, the rumors persist.<\/p>\n

For now, however, Thibodeaux is all in on New York<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Giants posted a video showing an energized Thibodeaux jogging out to Wednesday\u2019s OTA while wearing Jalen Brunson<\/a>\u2019s No. 11 New York Knicks<\/a> jersey and declaring to the camera, \u201cKnicks in 5!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs<\/a> will play Game 1 of the 2026 NBA<\/a> Finals in San Antonio<\/a> on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

Thibodeaux might be biased toward the Knicks and the No. 5 \u2014 he wears No. 5, and the Giants drafted him fifth overall in 2022 \u2014 but there are plenty of purely basketball reasons to believe the Knicks can win the Finals over the Spurs in five games.<\/p>\n

\"EAST<\/p>\n

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY \u2013 DECEMBER 11: Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the New York Giants reacts following an NFL football game between the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium on December 11, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Owens\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Knicks are riding an 11-game winning streak into Game 1 of the Finals. And it has been a historic winning streak, at that. According to the NBA<\/a>, the Knicks\u2019 +23.8 point differential over the past 11 games is the highest in any 11-game span, regular or postseason, in league history. The Knicks are also the first team in NBA history to score at least 108 points in every game of an 11-game span.<\/p>\n

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The Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> to win the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Spurs defeated the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> in seven games to capture the Western Conference Finals.<\/p>\n

That set up a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals, the last time the Knicks appeared in the Finals, where the Spurs dispatched the Patrick Ewing-less Knicks in five games. Both teams have their best players this time around. Let the series begin.<\/p>\n

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