Former Colorado men’s basketball star Alec Burks took on a veteran presence in his 13th NBA season, providing a scoring spark off the bench in the New York Knicks’ seven-game playoff showdown with the Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks ultimately lost the second-round series to the rival Pacers, with injuries plaguing New York as it tried to keep up with Indiana’s explosive offense. Burks missed the entirety of the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a sprained right shoulder, yet quickly received crucial minutes against the Pacers.
Burks returned in Game 2 of the series against the Pacers but only played 44 seconds. In the final five games, however, he averaged 17.8 points on 51% shooting from the field off the bench. He led the Knicks in scoring with 20 points in their Game 4 loss and added 26 points in their Game 7 loss, one point shy of his playoff career-high he set against the Atlanta Hawks in 2021.
The 32-year-old guard was not one to back down in the postseason for the Buffs, averaging 24.7 points per game across the Big 12 Conference Tournament and the National Invitation Tournament during his sophomore year.
With New York’s season complete, Burks is now an unrestricted free agent. He averaged 10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists this past season, beginning the year with the Detroit Pistons before a trade reunited him with the Knicks.
The Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals to face Derrick White, the last former Buff in the playoffs, and his top-seeded Boston Celtics.
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