The New York Knicks were blown out by the Indiana Pacers. They looked exhausted from the jump, but the good news is that the series remains tied.
The New York Knicks were blown out by the Indiana Pacers 121-89, tying their second-round series at 2-2. The Knicks started slow, missing shots that allowed the Pacers to attack in transition. Indiana’s fast breaks allowed the Pacers to get comfortable and pushed a Knicks team that looked tired from the start.
We can blame fatigue, the letdown from game 3, injuries, or anything else. However, the fact remains that New York showed little resistance. The Knicks trailed by double figures for most of the game and spent the second half fighting to get within 20 points.
Players looked hurt, tired, or both. But let’s examine their performances for noteworthy action.
The Knicks’ starters take the day off
Jalen Brunson: 18 PTS (6/17 FG, 0/5 3PT, 6/9 FT), 5 AST, 3 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 31 mins
Jalen Brunson played his worst game of the postseason. He started the day missing four shots early that helped dig New York’s hole. New York’s star struggled to explode past defenders and often missed shots even if he got to his favorite spots on the floor. The MVP candidate couldn’t get open jumpers to fall, and even his paint touches ended with inconsistent results.
Brunson’s inability to create separation also hurt his playmaking. But he still picked spots to find open teammates, such as an early pick-and-roll dime to Hartenstein. He also made a respectable effort on defense, though his foot issues showed up in some late rotations.
Brunson fought hard but couldn’t get anything going. The Knicks rely so heavily on his production that they fell apart without it. There was no one to pick him up this time, and the team suffered for it. Brunson gets a 1 out of 5 for a brutal night.
To Brunson’s credit, he’s making no excuses. I suspect we’ll see a fired-up version of New York’s MVP next time, as long as his foot permits.
Donte DiVincenzo: 7 PTS (3/13 FG, 1/6 3PT), 4 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 32 mins
Donte DiVincenzo’s jumper looked flat. I assumed fatigue set in as more shots looked labored as they rattled against the rim. DiVo’s quick-trigger shooting failed him, which impacted the rest of his game.
DiVo tried attacking off the dribble with mixed results. He didn’t finish well, which I’m chalking up to tired legs. But the Big Ragu mixed in quality passing and playmaking off the dribble. He runs the pick and roll well enough to initiate the play more often, at least while Brunson is laboring.
DiVincenzo’s scoring suffered, but I credit him for working at everything else. His defense looked good, and he grabbed five boards on a day when the Knicks were outworked. It’s enough to salvage a 2 out of 5 for his work on everything but shooting.
Josh Hart: 2 PTS (1/6 FG, 0/2 3PT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 2 TO in 24 mins
Josh Hart showed signs of fatigue last game and looked spent this time. We’ve been spoiled by his constant ability to fly up and down the floor, making plays throughout the game. But this time, Hart couldn’t catch up to the speed of the action.
Hart slowing down is understandable, but his hesitation to shoot open looks is increasingly frustrating. He’s being left wide open at the top of the key and has to pull the trigger. I’ve previously mentioned that shooting frequency affects spacing almost as much as accuracy. Hart needs to take those shots when he’s open.
New York’s energizer had no fuel. When the Knicks need a big play, Hart is a reliable player who can make something out of nothing. But he didn’t have it this time. Hart gets a 1 out of 5 for failing to make an impact.
Precious Achiuwa: 8 PTS (4/7 FG, 0/2 FT), 6 REB in 24 mins
Precious Achiuwa had his moments. He grabbed offensive boards frequently, following slashers into the lane and reaping the benefits of the openings they created. That helped him pick up some easy baskets, as he only scored once off the dribble.
But Precious needed more impact everywhere else. He only grabbed one defensive rebound and didn’t clock anything else on the box score. Achiuwa looked out of sorts defensively until he shifted to center in the second half.
Achiuwa’s not at fault for New York’s struggles. But it increasingly looks like he’s not the solution. Precious hasn’t worked at power forward in this series, leading to a rotation in the second half. Achiuwa gets a 1.5 out of 5 for some solid board work, but not much else.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 4 PTS (2/3 FG), 5 REB, 2 TO in 22 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein had it rough. He took a nasty fall in the first half, landing on his shoulder and writhing in pain. But Hartenstein toughed it out and continued to play the rest of the way. Unfortunately, I-Hart didn’t get much of anything beyond a nice dunk to start the game.
Hartenstein typically does more for New York as a passer and defender than a scorer. That wasn’t the case here. Myles Turner shot a perfect 5/5 on the day and won the matchup outright. Big Hart didn’t pick up a single assist, either.
I-Hart has to be better for New York to stand a chance. He’s been a defensive anchor for most of the season, but he’s losing his matchup in this series. Even the Pacers’ small guards look comfortable attacking the paint. Hartenstein gets a 0.5 out of 5 for one of his worst games as a starter.
New York’s second unit found its scoring but needs to defend
Miles McBride: 16 PTS (6/17 FG, 3/11 3PT, 1/2 FT), 4 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 32 mins
Deuce McBride finally got some scoring going, but it wasn’t efficient. He missed open looks from three more often than he made them. Deuce found some success driving and taking pull-up jumpers inside the arc but didn’t attack frequently enough to make up for his misses.
It’s also notable that a chunk of Deuce’s production came in garbage time during the fourth quarter. The entire quarter was a glorified scrimmage, and Deuce spent that time trying to get his game on track. I hope that reaps benefits in the next few games.
Deuce’s defense had no chance of standing out in this blowout. His production looks good, but it was inefficient and came while the game was out of hand. We’re still waiting for McBride to put his stamp on this series. Deuce gets a 2 out of 5 for finding some success offensively.
Alec Burks: 20 PTS (5/11 FG, 2/6 3PT, 8/10 FT), 2 AST, 5 REB in 23 mins
Alec Burks is the pleasant surprise of the losing streak. He’s provided offense when no one else had it going. The microwave scorer did a fantastic job getting to the free-throw line, which added more efficiency to an already strong performance.
The scorer’s offensive contributions have to be taken in context. Nobody looked good on defense against Indiana, but Burks still stood out for mistakes. Tyrese Haliburton chased after a matchup with Burks and scored repeatedly on him. So, Burks can provide scoring punch, but he can’t be left out there too long; it backfires.
Burks gets a 3 out of 5, but due to his defensive shortcomings, I’d be nervous if he played more than 20 minutes in a game.
Jericho Sims: 4 PTS (1/1 FG, 2/2 FT), 6 REB, 2 STL in 16 mins
Most of Jericho Sims’ minutes came in the fourth quarter, which barely mattered. But he did play some meaningful minutes before that. Unfortunately, it was slim pickings to find anything noteworthy.
Sims LEVELED TJ McConnell on a screen in the backcourt, and that’s one way to calm Indiana down from their full-court pressure on Brunson. As a matter of fact, to set the toughest screen of the series, I give Sims a 2 out of 5.
Tom Thibodeau can’t solve Indiana’s riddle
It’s tough to pin New York’s blowout loss to Tom Thibodeau because no one played well. With everyone playing poorly from start to finish, it doesn’t feel like there was much Thibs could do. However, I still found myself confused by some of Thibodeau’s decisions.
In the last recap, I asked for a starting lineup change, but Thibodeau stuck with Precious at power forward. That failed again, and Thibs went smaller with McBride over Precious in the second half. I didn’t love the first-half rotation and its substitution patterns, either.
Closing Thoughts:
The beauty of the playoffs is that the point differential won’t change the fact that this series is tied. The Pacers can celebrate the win, but this series still comes down to whoever wins two of the following three games. Whether they won by thirty points or not, the Pacers’ victory only served to even the series.
Our real concerns come from New York’s fatigue. If New York is fresh, they can handle this Pacers team, which we’ve already seen. But if Brunson is hurt and other players are out of gas, Indiana’s pace will rule the day.
The Knicks can take this series if they hold serve at home. I expect a better effort when they return to New York, and they’ll get extra rest heading to game six. So, the sky’s not falling, Knicks’ fam. There’s a lot of basketball to be played. I’ll see you next time!
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