On Thursday, the Knicks proved that they will not go down without a fight. Facing elimination, with their backs against the wall, they played arguably their best game of this series so far. They blew out the Pacers by 17 points, keeping their season alive. But the thing is—Jalen Brunson and Co. had a slight advantage, playing at MSG in front of thousands of their fans. That support worked as added motivation and helped them get over the hump. However that might not be the case tonight in Game 6.

Yes, the series returns to Indiana and it will be far more difficult for the Knicks to come out with the same energy in enemy territory. That’s why Stephen A. Smith put two stars on notice, reminding them what the Knicks gave up to acquire them and urging them to bring their A game tonight. “Let me be very very clear about what I’m saying. When I’m thinking about OG Anunoby, okay, that’s $212 million. That’s $212 million. $212 million! The contract he got.” Last summer, Anunoby inked a massive five-year deal to extend his stay in New York, and deservedly so.

His stock skyrocketed after he helped the Knicks reach the East Semis as their lethal two-way threat, averaging 15.1 points and six rebounds in last year’s playoffs. Even Stephen A. Smith understands OG’s impact, “Dammit, you came out of Toronto when the Knicks acquired you. Bottom line is, nobody expected you to be a $200 million player, but you’ve developed into that. And I’m very very happy you got your money because Lord knows you can defend.” Now, Smith wants Anunoby to prove his worth once again by helping the Knicks win Game 6, “You need to (defend) tomorrow night. Somebody got to help shut down Pascal Siakam.”

Then, the ESPN veteran shifted his focus to the second Knicks star, “And if you’re Mikal Bridges, my brother, the Knicks gave up five first round picks for you. Four unprotected.” The Knicks gave up majority of their future assets to the Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges, hoping that he would be the piece that gets them over the hump. However, so far, Bridges has averaged only 15.6 points in these playoffs and not been consistent in his performance.

So, Stephen A. issued a stern warning to him on his podcast, “If the New York Knicks can’t get their hands on a Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant to get him to come to the Garden, or somebody else, you know everybody gonna look at you right? Because the New York Knicks will be devoid of the assets to appease a Milwaukee or Phoenix or anybody else for that matter. And as a result, we gonna look at it because most of the assets were given away to acquire you Mikal Bridges.” If the Knicks lose tonight, Bridges could be at risk of getting traded this summer.

Despite his inconsistent performance, Stephen A. Smith continues to have faith in Bridges, as he made his final plea to the forward, “I believe in you brother. I believe in your spirit. I believe in your reliability. I believe in your presence. You got to show up. You got to show up. It’s just that simple.” However, the ESPN analyst is not putting his chips on the Knicks to win tonight.

Stephen A. Smith reveals Knicks’ harsh reality as they aim to force Game 7 vs Pacers

It’s no secret that Stephen A. wants the Knicks to win. When they beat the Celtics to make it to the East Finals, he couldn’t stop celebrating, flooding his social media with Knicks posts. But even he realizes that his home team’s chances of coming out with a win tonight are bleak. “I give the Knicks about a 30% chance to win this game,” Smith remarked.

Then, he further detailed the team’s harsh reality, “I’m hopeful, of course, because I’m a die-hard Knicks fan, because I’m a native New Yorker, and I love my Knicks. But realistically speaking, neutrally, just basketball expertise, I give the Knicks a 30% chance… Who can we really trust?”

Apart from Brunson, no other Knicks player has been a consistent scorer for the team. His co-star, Karl-Anthony Towns, has looked unstoppable on some nights and like a shell of himself on others. Moreover, he has constantly gotten into foul trouble, leaving Tom Thibodeau with no choice but to sub him out during crucial moments.

Meanwhile, the Pacers have been in elite form throughout the series, dominating with their pace. Even history is not in the Knicks’ favor, as only 13 teams have ever won a series from a 3-1 deficit. That’s a 4.4% success rate.

That’s why Stephen A. Smith is relying on OG and Bridges to step up and hopefully catch the Pacers off guard to somehow force Game 7. Do you think they can pull it off?