Tom Thibodeau hopes Nova Knicks can be 'forgiven for their sins' by new Pope

The New York Knicks are two wins away from punching their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000 after stealing two games from the Boston Celtics on the road. Some might say that's because the Knicks matchup well with the Celtics this season, but others might call it destiny — or better yet, divine intervention.

That's especially true now that there's an indirect correlation between the Knicks and the new Pope. Pope Leo XIV, the first-ever Pope from the United States, is an alumnus of Villanova University, the same university that "Nova Knicks" stars Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges went to and played basketball at.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was asked if the Pope's Villanova connection could help his team in any capacity, and the typically-stern coach gave an answer that met the moment.

"Now they can be forgiven for their sins," Thibodeau told reporters on Friday before flashing a smile.

The Knicks will host the Celtics for Game 3 on Saturday evening. The get-in price at Madison Square Garden is $540, according to the latest listings on StubHub.

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