(2) New
York Knicks versus (6) Indiana Pacers
(50-32) (47-35)
Season
Series: Pacers Won 2-1
Playoff History: NYK def IND 3-1 1993 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
NYK def
IND 4-3
1994 Eastern Conference Finals
IND def NYK 4-3
1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals
IND def
NYK 4-1 1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals
NYK def NYK
4-2 1999 Eastern Conference Finals
IND def NYK 4-2 2000 Eastern Conference Finals
IND def NYK 4-2 2013 Eastern Conference
Semifinals
Whether
it was in the middle or end of the 1990s. The start of the 2000s and the middle
of the 2010s, at some point the boys from “Hoosiers” country have faced off
against the boys from the “Big Apple.” For both squads in their drive to a
championship have had to go through one another. They meet up again where the
contrast of styles and those that occupy the lead guard spot will be at the
center of this latest tilt between the two squads in the postseason.
While
it took one game longer than they had hoped-both the New York Knicks and the
Indiana Pacers shook off disappointing Game 5 setbacks and closed the door on
the seasons of their respective opening-round opponents in the No. 7 Seeded
Philadelphia 76ers (47-35) and the No. 6 Seeded Milwaukee Bucks (49-33) to
setup the eighth postseason series set between the boys from the East coast
against the boys from the Midwest.
In
their first seven postseason series tilts between the Knicks and Pacers, it was
defense, grit, and toughness that took centerstage.
This
tilt features the high octane, run-and-gun, find the open-player,
sharp-shooting offensive attack of the Pacers led by their lanky, pass-first
two-time All-Star floor general, who was head of the snake of a team that led
the NBA in scoring at 123.3 points during the regular season.
Tyrese
Haliburton, who helped the Pacers win their first Playoff series in a decade
was sensational during the regular season where he averaged 20.1 points and a
league-leading 10.9 assists on 47.7 percent shooting from the field and 36.4
percent from three-point range.
In the series against the Bucks, Haliburton like he had during much of the second half of the regular season, particular since he returned from a hamstring injury that shelved him for 10 games, there were times he did not play to the level he did at the start of this season.
While
he only averaged just 16 points, 9.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds versus the Bucks
on 43.5 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from three, his playmaking and
leadership at such a young age of 24 kept head coach Rick Carlisle squad’s
offensive attack moving at the high pace. He also when called upon made it
happened to get the Pacers over the finish line for the win.
In the
Pacers 126-113 overtime win Game 3 versus the Bucks, Haliburton had the fourth
triple-double in Pacers Playoff history with 18 points, 16 assists, and 10
rebounds. Despite shooting just 8/22 from the floor, including 1/12 from
three-point range, Haliburton hit the go-ahead field goal plus a foul that
wound up winning the game for the Pacers with 01.6 seconds left in OT.
In the
Game 6 series clinching victory (120-98) on Thursday night (TNT), Haliburton
had his third double-double of the series with 17 points and 10 assists, with
six boards on 7/16 shooting (2/10 3-Pt.).
“It’s
my first time in the Playoffs. It’s a hell of team over there and it’s just
exciting to win this one,” Haliburton said to Bally Sports Indiana’s Jeremiah
Johnson after the Game 6 victory over the Bucks about winning the team’s first
Playoff series since 2014 East Semis over the Washington Wizards in six games,
which snapped their five First-Round Playoff series losing streak. “So, we’re
going on to Second Round. Be ready to go.”
In the
two losses in the opening round to the Bucks, the Pacers registered just 20 and
25 assists respectively in Games 1 and 5. In the Game 1 loss where they young
Pacers showed their Playoff opening jitters registered just 94 points (109-94)
Apr. 21, 2024 (TNT). In their Game 5 loss (115-92) at the Bucks Apr. 30, 2024
(TNT), the Pacers scored a season-low 92 points, and registered just 25
assists.
To put
this into clearer context, the Pacers during the regular season were held under
100 points only once.
In the
Pacers four wins, they registered 38 in Game 2 (125-108; TNT); 32 in Game 3
(121-118 OT; ESPN); 33 in Game 4 (126-113; TNT); and 33 in Game 6
series-clincher (128-98; TNT).
It is
not surprising because of that high-level of offensive execution that the
Pacers registered 120-plus points in their four wins against the Bucks in the
opening-round.
That
high level of scoring goes beyond the playmaking of Haliburton but because of
the incredible depth the Pacers have from the other four starters behind
Haliburton and the best scoring bench in the NBA during the 2023-24 season.
Siakam,
who the Pacers acquired in the middle of January from the Raptors, who helped
win the 2019 title, started the opening-round in grand fashion averaging 36.5
points and 12 rebounds with four assists on 65 percent from the field and 50
three-point percentage (4/8 3-Pt.). He came back down to Earth in Games 3-5
averaging just 14 points, 7.3 boards with four assists on 42 percent from the
floor and connecting on just 1 of his 11 triple tries.
Siakam
was solid in the Game 6 triumph over the Bucks with 19 points and seven
rebounds.
Turner
battled four-trouble in Game 6 and registered just five points with five
boards. In the Pacers’ three wins in the middle of the series, the longest
tenured Pacer of nine seasons was a serious presence in the paint and as a
shooter. In the Game 2 victory, Turner had 22 points with seven rebounds, six
assists and three blocks going 9/15 from the floor and 3/6 from three. In Game
3, Turner scored 29 with nine rebounds on 10/21 from the floor and 4/10 from
three (5/6 FTs). He scored another 29 with nine boards and three blocks on
10/17 shooting, including 7/9 from three.
The
seven made triples by Turner are the most by a starting center in a Playoff
game since two-time Kia MVP of the Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic. Turner also
tied single-game franchise record in the postseason with Chuck Person (1991),
Hall of Famer and NBA on TNT television color analyst Reggie Miller (1995,
2000), current Los Angeles Clippers perennial All-Star Paul George, and current
Knick Bojan Bogdanovic (2018).
While
they may be overlooked compared to star teammates and well knowns in Haliburton
and Siakam, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith have been solid as starters on
both ends and made big plays on both ends.
Flanking
Haliburton in the starting lineup is veteran Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Aaron
Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard, who were solid in the opening round versus the
Bucks.
Nembhard
averaged 13.8 points and 4.7 assists on 59.6 percent from the floor and 45
percent from three-point range. While his shooting was down in the First-Round
versus the Bucks (35.1 FG%, 30.8 3-Pt.%), Nesmith averaged 11 points and played
solid defense, especially in the Game 6 clincher on Bucks All-Star swingman
Khris Middleton, holding him to just 14 points.
Along
with a strong starting five, the Pacers have the best scoring bench in the
league led by veteran lead guard T.J. McConnell. Former Knick Obi Toppin, and
Ben Sheppard.
In the
Game 6 clincher versus the Bucks, the Pacers reserves outscored the Bucks bench
50-10. Toppin led the way off the bench scoring a Playoff career-high 21 points
on 8/15 shooting, including making three triples with eight boards. McConnell
also was great off the pine with Playoff career-highs of 20 points and nine
assists with four steals on 7/9 shooting, making both of his triple tries.
Also, in
the clincher for the Pacers, Nesmith scored 15 on 3/7 from three. Nembhard
scored 14 with two steals.
“Not
being in the Playoffs since the bubble and not being able to, you know, advance
since 2014, you take great pride in being able to advance and extend our season
and play in the Second-Round,” McConnell, who is in his fifth season with the
Pacers said in his postgame presser about being able to play in the East Semis.
In
their three-games season series against the Knicks where they took two of the
three tilts, the Pacers outscored the Knicks by an average of 123.3-115.3.
Haliburton
in the season-series against the Knicks averaged 19.3 points and 13.3 assists
on 51 percent shooting from the floor.
In
their six-game defeat over the Bucks, the Pacers had an average of 30.7
assists/turnover ratio, the highest for any team in a Playoff series at least
in the past three decades. This is on the heels of a record-setting 2.38
assist/turnover ratio, the highest in the 47 seasons where turnovers have been
tracked in “The Association.”
Amongst
the 20 players that totaled at least 25 assists in the postseason through
Thursday’s Playoff action, Siakam (25/3), Nembhard (28/5), McConnell (27/6) and
Haliburton (56/16) had the second, fourth, and five highest assist/turnover ratios,
respectively.
Valuing
the basketball to that level is how the Pacers averaged 2.4 more field goal
attempts in the opening-round than the Bucks.
For the
series against the Bucks, the Pacers were a plus-7 on the boards (263-256);
plus-14 in paint points (276-262); plus-17 in three-pointers made (84-67)
plus-10 in points off turnovers (75-65); plus-88 in bench points (184-96) and
plus-33 in fastbreak points (71-38).
So far
through the First-Round of the 2024 Playoffs, the Pacers lead in assists (30.2)
and bench points (30.7). They also ranked No. 2 in scoring (113.0) and made
threes (14.0).
Doing
these small things is how the Pacers will give themselves a chance to defeat a
Knicks squad that has thrived in these areas during the season and how they
advanced past the First-Round over the 76ers.
“We’re
a true team. We’re a group that needs each other,” Coach Carlisle said of how
his team has been successful this season and will have to continue to be
against the Knicks.
The
Pacers have their sensational floor general, so do the Knicks in first-time
All-Star and fellow top All-NBA candidate in Jalen Brunson, who elevated his
game in the regular season despite injuries to teammates like fellow All-Star
Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson.
Brunson
continued his stellar play in the opening-round against the 76ers where he
averaged 35.5 points, nine assists and 4.5 boards. While he struggled with his
shot overall at 42.9 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from three-point
range, Brunson made up for it by shooting 77.8 percent at the foul line on 10.5
attempts.
In the
Game 6 clinching victory at the 76ers on Thursday night, Brunson had 41 points
with 12 assists going 13/27 from the floor, making three triples and 12/16 at
the foul line. It was his third double-double of the series. He registered his
fourth straight 30-plus point game, including his third consecutive 40-plus
point game, the second longest such streak in Knicks Playoff history. Only Hall
of Famer Bernard King had a longer such streak of four straight 40-plus point
games set in the 1984 Playoffs.
“No
matter what the situation is, we’re going to attack it,” Brunson said of the upcoming
tilt against the Pacers.
If
there is anyone that understand the work Brunson put to become the bonified
star that he has become is Coach Carlisle of the Pacers and Haliburton, who was
Brunson’s teammate for the 2023 Team USA World Cup squad.
Haliburton
in speaking with the press over the weekend said he is “excited” to go up
against Brunson and Hart, who also was a part of that USA World Cup squad, who
have become good friends.
“We
talk all the time. Literally, the first call that I had after making the Playoffs
was with Jalen. We Facetimed for a while,” Haliburton added. “So, pretty good
friends. But you know, it’s competition. Fully excited to play against those
guys.”
The
feeling is mutual as Bruson said to the press that he has “all the respect in
the world,” for Haliburton and how he goes about his business on the hardwood.
How he “plays the game the right way.”
Back in
2021 when Coach Carlisle was the sideline leader of the Dallas Mavericks,
Brunson was a role player in their First-Round series against the Los Angeles
Clippers, who they lost to in seven games after leading the series 3-2.
In that
Game 7 setback, which was Coach Carlisle’s final game with the Mavericks,
Brunson watched from the sidelines playing just 10 minutes in that Game 7
defeat (126-111), scoring just two points.”
“Jalen
Brunson is a guy you would never bet against,” Coach Carlisle said of the
former reserve guard, who eventually became a starter in his final season with
the Mavericks in 2022. “You just don’t bet against that guy. I don’t know if
anybody saw this coming, what he’s achieved for two years now, but if you know
him and you know his character, you’re not surprised. You’re not shocked.”
Besides
Brunson, head coach Tom Thibodeau’s team have gotten strong play all season and
in the First-Round of 2024 Playoffs from fellow former Villanova Wildcats in
Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, along with OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, Isaiah
Hartenstein, and Robinson.
Hart in
the regular season averaged 9.4 points, and career-highs 8.3 rebounds and 4.1
assists on 43.4 percent from the floor and 31 percent from three. He rose all
of his numbers in the opening-round against the 76ers of 16.8 points, 12.3
rebounds and 4.5 assists on 43.2 three-point percentage. He registered four
double-doubles in the series, including getting one in the Game 6 clinching
118-115 victory on Thursday (TNT) of 16 points with 14 boards, and seven
assists, going 3/5 from three, including the game-ceiling three late in the
final period.
Brunson
and Hart’s other Villanova teammate in DiVincenzo had a stellar regular season,
especially shooting the ball from three-point range, where he set a career-high
the single-season franchise record 283 made threes.
DiVincenzo
had his ups and downs against the 76ers but showed up in clutch moments. In the
Knicks comeback victory (104-101) in Game 2 Apr. 22, 2024, DiVincenzo scored 19
points, going 4/8 from three, including the go-ahead three with 13.1 seconds
left in regulation.
While
he had his struggles in Games 3-5, going in total 8/28 from the field,
including 3/17 from three-point range, DiVincenzo scored a series-high 23
points with seven assists, three block shots and two steals on 8/18 from the
field and 5/9 on his triple tries. He began Game 6 going 3/5 from three in the
opening period, where the Knicks led by 22 and led 36-22 after the first
quarter. They overcame a 10-point deficit in the third period for the close
win.
When
the Knicks acquired Anunoby at the close of 2023, the began 2024 with a bang as
they went 14-2 in January and positioned themselves to be a serious threat in
the Eastern Conference.
They
lost Anunoby to elbow surgery for two months after that along with Randle due
to shoulder injury suffered in late January, that eventually required
season-ending surgery.
In the
opening-round, Anunoby was solid on both ends averaging 15 points and 6.8
rebounds on 51.3 percent from the field.
In the
Knicks, Game 4 victory (97-92) last Sunday, Apr. 287, 2024 (ABC) at the 76ers,
Anunoby had a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds with three blocks.
In the Game 6 clincher, Anunoby had a near double-double with 19 points and
nine boards with two blocks on 8/17 shooting.
While
the Knicks went 20-3 io the regular season with Anunoby in the lineup, the only
game he played one game against the Pacers, which was in November 2023 while
still with the Raptors. He missed the other two meetings following being dealt
to the Knicks.
He
figures to log a lot of minutes against former teammate in Siakam and against
Haliburton.
This
might be the series the Knicks miss having Randle as well as Bojan Bogdanovic,
who the Knicks acquired at the Feb. 8 trade deadline from the Pistons. But
Bogdanovic will be on the shelf because of a left foot injury suffered in Game
4 that required surgery and ended his postseason.
That
means Miles McBride (11.3 ppg, 48.1 FG%, 43.3 3-Pt.%); Hartenstein (10.3 ppg,
6.5 rpg, 60 FG%), and Robinson (3.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 46.2 FG%) will have to
continue their fine play in their respective roles to keep up with the deep
Pacers.
This
also might be a series where we might possibly see Alec Burks and Precious
Achiuwa, who the Knicks acquired respectively from the Pistons and Raptors.
For the
Knicks also, it is up to them to keep the tempo slow and dominate the glass,
especially on the offensive boards.
In the
opening-round against the 76ers, the Knicks averaged 5.9 more field goal
attempts because of how they dominated the offensive glass, a jump from a
league-best of 3.9 more shot attempts per game during the regular season.
The
Knicks were a plus-26 overall on the boards (283-247) and a plus-42 in Second
Chance points (115-73); and plus-40 in paint points (258-218) in the
First-Round against the 76ers. The Knicks though were a -10 in made threes
(81-71).
In
their three-game season-series, the Pacers were a plus-45 in points from
three-point range (150-105) and a plus-51 in bench points (130-79), which
includes the play of former Knick in Toppin, who was dealt for scraps to the Pacers
last summer.
This
series will be a contrast of styles where the Pacers want to make this a
high-octane scoring race to see if the Knicks can keep up. The Knicks want to
make this a crawl where they make the Pacers have to execute on both ends and
make them pay if they fail to block out or are impatient offensively.
The
other factor is experience. The Knicks made it to East Semis a season ago and
have the focus to get even further this postseason. The Pacers advance past the
opening-round for the first time since 2014 and while they did display that
this stage is not too big for them when they got to The Finals of the inaugural
In-Season Tournament back in December 2023, they showed their inexperience in
IST Finals where they were taken down by the eventual IST champions in the Los
Angeles Lakers.
The
Knicks have not reached the East Finals since 2000. The Pacers have not been to
the East championship round since 2013.
Prediction:
Knicks in seven games.
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 4/29/2024 12:30 a.m. “Inside the NBA” TNT, presented by Kia With Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal; 5/3/2024 1 a.m. ESPN’s “Sportscenter” from Los Angeles, CA With Linda Cohn and Stan Verrett, and NBA analyst Austin Rivers; 5/3/2024 www.nba.com story, “NBA Playoffs: What To Expect In Knicks-Pacers Series,” By Steve Aschburner and John Schuhmann; 5/6/2024 7p.m. “TNT NBA Tip-Off,” presented by Carmax With Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal; www.nba.com; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4396993/tyrese-haliburton; https://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/ind/indiana-pacers; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4396993/tyrese-haliburton; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3133628/myles-turner; http://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3934673/donte-divincenzo; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3934719/og-anunoby; and https://www.landofbasketball.com/head_to_head_g/knicks_vs_pacers_game_log_pl.htm.
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