Ashley Nicole Moss seemingly aligns the Knicks’ championship fate with Pope Leo XIV's Villanova roots

Sports media personality and CBS Sports reporter Ashley Nicole Moss drew a long connection between the new Pope and the New York Knicks' playoff journey. On Thursday, the "Triple Threat" host expressed her thoughts on X.

In her tweet, Moss related the new pope and the Knicks based on their common Villanova roots.

"New Pope is a Villanova alum …. GOD HAS SPOKEN," Moss tweeted.

Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, and since then, the masses have been awaiting his successor. On Thursday, Robert Francis Prevost, who took the name Pope Leo XIV, took over as the 267th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, the new Pope is an alumnus of Villanova University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1977. The Knicks' current roster has three alums from Villanova, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. Hence, the reason behind Moss' tweet connecting the New York-based team to the religious figurehead.

The Orange and Blue may have no connection to the Pope, but their recent success speaks for itself. They have had a great start to the playoffs semi-finals series as they command a 2-0 lead against the defending Champions, the Boston Celtics. Both wins came on the road, boosting the team's confidence.

Charles Barkley explains why Game 3 is a must-win for the Knicks

The New York Knicks have put the defending champions under intense pressure after they secured a win in game 2 on Wednesday with a finals score of 91-90 while coming back from a 20-point deficit. After the game, the "Inside the NBA" crew discussed the current standing of both teams in the semifinal series.

Shaquille O'Neal remarked that Game 3 is a must-win for the Orange and Blue and Charles Barkey chimed in to agree with the Lakers legend and express his thoughts on the subject.

"This gon' sound stupid. Game 3 is a must-win for the Knicks because Boston's got a better team... I am telling, I've been in that situation twice, you gotta win that third game," Barkley said.

Barkley highlighted that losing the next game has the potential to flip the mental dedication of the New York-based team, so they have to put in their all to secure a win. The Knicks will host the Celtics for Game 3 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.