Knicks vs. Pacers
New York's Knicks, in this playoff journey, the overall performance is really impressive. Not only were they able to defeat the 76ers with a score of 4-2 in the first round of the series, but they were also able to quickly tie the series to 2-0 in the second round against the Pacers and seize the initiative. It's clear that the Knicks are no longer the league's bosom of the past, and they have what it takes to compete for championship trophies. However, the Pacers have been able to hold on until now, and they are by no means general.
In the previous G3 battle, the Pacers had relied on the successive outbursts of Siakam, Haliburton and Turner to complete the reversal in the final quarter and deny the Knicks 3-0 to win the match point. In this G4 matchup, the Pacers continued to fight at home, and did not give the Knicks a chance, relying on the hot state of 6 players in the team to score double-doubles, once gained a 38-point lead, and with a total score of 121-89, completed a 32-point victory, dragging the series into the battle of Tianwang Mountain.
The specific results
At the start of the game, the Pacers jumped into the field like cheetahs, and they quickly established the lead with a 9-0 offensive run. At the end of the first quarter, the margin had already torn a 20-point gap like a crack, and the Knicks' offense seemed to be walking on thin ice, scoring only 14 points. Entering the second quarter, the Pacers still controlled the rhythm of the court steadily, leading the melody of the game like a conductor. They scored 30+ points in two consecutive quarters, pushing the Knicks to the brink. By halftime, the Knicks had trailed by a whopping 28 points, as if they had been beaten by the onslaught of the Pacers.
Returning in the second half, the Knicks still couldn't find a chance to turn things around. The Pacers were even more powerful, scoring 101 points in the third quarter, and the margin had widened to an astonishing 38 points. And in the final quarter of the decisive game, it was completely reduced to one-sided garbage time. Thibodeau replaced all of his starters, and the Pacers didn't kill anyone, sending out rotation players to consume the rest of the time. In the end, the Pacers defeated the Knicks with an overwhelming overall score of 121-89 and successfully chased the big score to a 2-2 tie.
epilogue
Throughout the game, the Pacers showed strong strength and excellent team cooperation. The win was undoubtedly a major boost for the Pacers, who put the suspense back on the series with a stellar performance. According to statistics, although their starters chose to clock out in the third quarter, all six players on the team scored double-doubles. During this period, Haliburton delivered 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, and McConnell, who came off the bench, also had 15 points, 4 rebounds and 10 assists, which effectively relieved the pressure on the team in all aspects.
On the other hand, on the side of the Knicks who lost away, their starting core Brunson was dumbfounded. In the nearly 31 minutes he played, he shot 6 of 17 from the field, and only had 18 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. DiVincenzo was even worse, shooting 1-of-6 from three-point range, 3-of-13 from the field, with only 7 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, while Hart was only 1-of-6 shooting, delivering 2 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Therefore, even if Burks, who came off the bench, had 20 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, and McBride also delivered 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, he could only be powerless.