The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers have renewed their playoff rivalry in the 2024 NBA postseason. However, the Knicks are suddenly in cruise control after winning the first two games of this series at home. On Wednesday for Game 2, Jalen Brunson missed the final 15 minutes of the first half with a sore right foot, but he returned at the start of the third quarter and helped spark a rally that put the Knicks ahead. The sixth-seeded Pacers will try to bounce back on Friday when the series shifts to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Brunson ended with 29 points, and 24 of them came after he returned from the injury. His floater with 41.7 seconds left served as a knockout blow to the Pacers in New York’s 130-121 win. OG Anunoby had 28 points for the Knicks but left the game early and will miss Game 3 with a hamstring strain. Donte DiVincenzo added 28 points and hit half of his 12 3-point attempts.
The Knicks and Pacers met six times in the playoffs over an eight-year span between 1993 and 2000. The names are different this time around. Instead of Miller and Patrick Ewing, it’s Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton. The stakes, however, are just as high. The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Here’s everything you need to know as the Knicks and Pacers continue their renewed rivalry.
Knicks vs. Pacers schedule, scores
All times Eastern | * If necessary
- Game 1: Knicks 121, Pacers 117 — New York leads 1-0
- Game 2: Knicks 130, Pacers 121 — New York leads 2-0
- Game 3: Friday, May 10 — Knicks at Pacers, 7:00 p.m., ESPN/fubo
- Game 4: Sunday, May 12 — Knicks at Pacers, 3:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
- Game 5*: Tuesday, May 14 — Pacers at Knicks
- Game 6*: Friday, May 17 — Knicks at Pacers
- Game 7*: Sunday, May 19 — Pacers at Knicks
Knicks vs. Pacers, Game 3
Where to watch
Time: 7 p.m. ET | Date: Friday, May 10
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis
TV channel: ESPN | Streaming: ESPN/fubo
Storylines
Knicks: Even when Brunson missed the last 15 minutes of the first half, the Knicks still managed to find a way to win Game 2. That seems to be the theme for them this postseason, always finding a way. They dominated on the boards again, shot extremely well from 3-point range, and withstood a 34-point performance from Tyrese Haliburton. All five starters scored in double figures, but perhaps the only downside to the win is the status of OG Anunoby for Game 3. Anunoby played just 28 minutes after exiting in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. There was no update following the win, and if he’s unable to go in Game 3, it will be another costly blow to the Knicks’ already limited depth.
Pacers: Rick Carlisle went on an epic rant after the loss on Wednesday (and was fined for his comments) about what he feels is an unfair whistle. His players don’t feel the same way and would rather focus on the things they can control going into Game 3. I’ll side with the players on this one because even on a night where they got 20 points out of Obi Toppin off the bench, and shot over 51% from the floor, their defense was far too porous. It’s been an issue all season with Indiana, who have a high-powered offense, but if they can’t slow the opponent down then all those points don’t mean anything. The defense needs to tighten up for the Pacers if they want to avoid going down 3-0.
Prediction
Opening series odds: Knicks -265, Pacers +210
Series odds after Game 2: Knicks +218, Pacers -270
As this series shifts to Indianapolis I imagine the Pacers will feed off their home crowd to try and win. Couple that with the shaky status of Anunoby, and I think Indiana closes the gap here. The Pick: Pacers -7
