2024 NBA Playoffs: East Semifinals: #2 New York Knicks vs #6 Indiana Pacers (IND WINS 4-3)

[whatisacenter]

Pacers continue to play the long game by playing a deep bench and pressuring the ball full court. They are throwing Nembhard, Nesmith and McConnell at Brunson giving him 3 different looks from fresh players for the entire game.

I'm surprised NY/Thibs is not running action to get Haliburton switched onto Brunson.

Stoked for the Pacers!

[Nuntius]

Knicks aren’t done yet. While I am pessimistic about their chances, this team has fought all year long. Blowout loss may be a blessing, since all the starters will be better rested. I expect them to go balls to the wall in the next couple of games. They won’t go out like bitches.

For what is worth, I still expect you to win this series.

I don’t know about that.

But I don’t expect them to go down without a fight.

Also, this won’t be the last opportunity for them to get to a conference finals. The core we have is really good. They have all the pieces and picks to upgrade the roster. So whatever happens, I am confident about our future for once.

The reason I believe you will still win the series is twofold:

1) You have a significant experience advantage. Almost all of your guys have been in big games before. For our team, though, it's the first time that most of these guys are playing in those kind of games. Only Pascal, Turner and McConnell had playoff experience before this playoff season. We are just too early in our trajectory for this.

2) Your team is far too tough to lose at home. They have too much heart for that.

It's a 3-game series now and 2 of those games are in MSG. The combination of your team's heart and toughness and our team's inexperience makes me believe that it is very, very unlikely that we win in MSG. It's why HCA matters.

[1993Playoffs]

Lol someone called this series the “Mid-off”

[Nuntius]

Didn't see the game. Did the Knicks just miss shots or was the defense better too

It was a combination of both. Our defense was definitely better. We were aggressive from the get go and we put them in the back foot immediately. They only lead once, at the very start of the game, 2-0. But the Knicks were also missing shots left and right. Brunson was short on most of his shots, his leg clearly affecting him. Their shooters missed a number of good looks too. Burks was the only Knick who was able to score efficiently.

[BooomBaby]

A great, and every impressive W.

Hali has been playing the way he should be playing ever since game 1, looks like a totally different player. I actually love watching him play now, with confidence and fearless.

Very proud of this team.

[shi-woo]

Anyone else been impressed with Ben Sheppard this playoffs? I know his stats won't jump out at you, and he's only playing 20 mins a game, but he has serious Shane Battier vibes to me. Solid defender, good 3pnt shooter, and always seems to make the right rotation.

I think he's going to have a long NBA career, and I like him going forward for this Indy team. He's made the injury to Mathurin hurt a lot less

[Nuntius]

Anyone else been impressed with Ben Sheppard this playoffs? I know his stats won't jump out at you, and he's only playing 20 mins a game, but he has serious Shane Battier vibes to me. Solid defender, good 3pnt shooter, and always seems to make the right rotation.

I think he's going to have a long NBA career, and I like him going forward for this Indy team. He's made the injury to Mathurin hurt a lot less

Yep. He and Mathurin are completely different players but I do agree that he's made Math's injury hurt a lot less.

It really is impressive that a rookie who was picked at 26th has managed to solidify himself as a rotation player who plays around 18-19 MPG in the playoffs. He's actually playing more in the playoffs than he did in the RS which is just all shorts of funny.

Yes, he's an older rookie (will be 23 in two months, he was a 4 year player) and, yes, his current role is to be a low-usage 3&D guy but, still, not every rookie can show this kind of poise when it matters.

Between Sheppard and Nembhard, the Pacers have really hit with these late 1sts/early 2nds in back-to-back drafts. Hitting with those kind of picks is what has enabled us to have this depth advantage that has helped us in our playoffs run.

[Capn'O]

I dunno Nuntius. If Brunson's hobbled like this... dream is over and have fun in the ECF. Hard to say what his health will be and if OG comes back.

[Nuntius]

I dunno Nuntius. If Brunson's hobbled like this... dream is over and have fun in the ECF. Hard to say what his health will be and if OG comes back.

Brunson does indeed look to be very hobbled right now. His speed is significantly impacted and all of his shorts tonight were short. But the dude still is a warrior (just like Hart and DiVincenzo). I do expect to go balls to the wall on Tuesday.

All I know is that I believe that the games will still be close. Tonight was an anomaly and I chalk it down to fatigue (which, of course, is part of our game-plan and why keep running).

[LaLover11]

I really hope the narrative of Brunson being a Top 10 player dies after this series... It's nauseating hearing people in Manhattan spout it like it's gospel.

I'm just trying to get a bagel before work, keep yo hot takes to yourself.

Same with Haliburton, mans was way over hyped at the start of the year...

[bmurph128]

Well this round has shown each and every fanbase can and will be humbled. I don't think I remember a round where every series had these kinds of swings

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

[BrianInPhilly]

For what is worth, I still expect you to win this series.

I don’t know about that.

But I don’t expect them to go down without a fight.

Also, this won’t be the last opportunity for them to get to a conference finals. The core we have is really good. They have all the pieces and picks to upgrade the roster. So whatever happens, I am confident about our future for once.

The reason I believe you will still win the series is twofold:

1) You have a significant experience advantage. Almost all of your guys have been in big games before. For our team, though, it's the first time that most of these guys are playing in those kind of games. Only Pascal, Turner and McConnell had playoff experience before this playoff season. We are just too early in our trajectory for this.

2) Your team is far too tough to lose at home. They have too much heart for that.

It's a 3-game series now and 2 of those games are in MSG. The combination of your team's heart and toughness and our team's inexperience makes me believe that it is very, very unlikely that we win in MSG. It's why HCA matters.

I appreciate your non-bias but I think you're going too far in the other direction to not seem like a homer, respectively. Pacers have a better shot of winning Game 5 than Knicks do in Game 6 in my opinion. Game 4 was just 1 game - but the Knicks just looked dead tired to me. That's not just gonna suddenly go away in 2 days by Tuesday. Game 5 will be THE GAME to in at MSG compared to Game 7, and Pacers gotta' rise up and do it. Sure theoretically they are "too early in the trajectory" for this, but things can happen suddenly. The Suns just what 3 years ago went to the Finals with young guys like Ayton, Bridges, and Cam Johnson playing huge roles. It's not out of the question for a young team to get far.

Pacers don't have much playoff experience but they're also not THAT YOUNG either. I mean once you get to your 4th/5th year, you should be seasoned enough for any moment in my opinion. So the only guys who are 3rd year or less guys are Nembhard & Sheppard and they're not asked to do much anyway other than defend and shoot when open. Roster complexities can changed a lot in a short amount of time & thought he Pacers "should" improve next couple years they also got their BIG 3 - Haliburton, Siakham, & Turner - in their Prime right now, and a spark plug guy like McConnell will be hard to replicate as he ages or moves on too. Time is now due to their chemistry - and their opponents injury - to seize the moment and get to the Conference Finals.

[Capn'O]

I dunno Nuntius. If Brunson's hobbled like this... dream is over and have fun in the ECF. Hard to say what his health will be and if OG comes back.

Brunson does indeed look to be very hobbled right now. His speed is significantly impacted and all of his shorts tonight were short. But the dude still is a warrior (just like Hart and DiVincenzo). I do expect to go balls to the wall on Tuesday.

All I know is that I believe that the games will still be close. Tonight was an anomaly and I chalk it down to fatigue (which, of course, is part of our game-plan and why keep running).

I admit, I didn't watch today. Mother's Day and I had a bad feeling. But the difference with and without OG is pretty big and I don't know where Brunson can get back to. A lot of contingencies.

[Nuntius]

I don’t know about that.

But I don’t expect them to go down without a fight.

Also, this won’t be the last opportunity for them to get to a conference finals. The core we have is really good. They have all the pieces and picks to upgrade the roster. So whatever happens, I am confident about our future for once.

The reason I believe you will still win the series is twofold:

1) You have a significant experience advantage. Almost all of your guys have been in big games before. For our team, though, it's the first time that most of these guys are playing in those kind of games. Only Pascal, Turner and McConnell had playoff experience before this playoff season. We are just too early in our trajectory for this.

2) Your team is far too tough to lose at home. They have too much heart for that.

It's a 3-game series now and 2 of those games are in MSG. The combination of your team's heart and toughness and our team's inexperience makes me believe that it is very, very unlikely that we win in MSG. It's why HCA matters.

I appreciate your non-bias but I think you're going too far in the other direction to not seem like a homer, respectively. Pacers have a better shot of winning Game 5 than Knicks do in Game 6 in my opinion. Game 4 was just 1 game - but the Knicks just looked dead tired to me. That's not just gonna suddenly go away in 2 days by Tuesday. Game 5 will be THE GAME to in at MSG compared to Game 7, and Pacers gotta' rise up and do it. Sure theoretically they are "too early in the trajectory" for this, but things can happen suddenly. The Suns just what 3 years ago went to the Finals with young guys like Ayton, Bridges, and Cam Johnson playing huge roles. It's not out of the question for a young team to get far.

Pacers don't have much playoff experience but they're also not THAT YOUNG either. I mean once you get to your 4th/5th year, you should be seasoned enough for any moment in my opinion. So the only guys who are 3rd year or less guys are Nembhard & Sheppard and they're not asked to do much anyway other than defend and shoot when open. Roster complexities can changed a lot in a short amount of time & thought he Pacers "should" improve next couple years they also got their BIG 3 - Haliburton, Siakham, & Turner - in their Prime right now, and a spark plug guy like McConnell will be hard to replicate as he ages or moves on too. Time is now due to their chemistry - and their opponents injury - to seize the moment and get to the Conference Finals.

I do agree with you when it comes to your assessment of the Pacers. It's true that while young, we aren't THAT young. We were the 8th youngest team in the league, not the youngest one. And, indeed, given the injuries that our opponents have faced so far, this is a golden opportunity for us.

And, yes, I would like to believe that we can win that game 6 in Indy. I just don't know if I can believe that we can win one at MSG. The Nova trio turns into the 90s Bulls in MSG. And they're so good in the 4th. We have shown that, given the current circumstances, we can definitely hang with them, even in MSG. But can we actually close a game out in MSG? I am just not certain that we can.

[goinrogue]

31 free throws and the Knicks still couldn’t win? What more do the refs have to do?

[Wizop]

We've had a number of games with 7 in double figures and some with 8. I think we had 6 today plus one with 8 and one with 9. We're going to need fresh legs to win in NYC.

[Wizop]

31 free throws and the Knicks still couldn’t win? What more do the refs have to do?

A reporter said the number of free throw attempts by Pacer starters was

Spoiler:

zero.

[xBulletproof]

I don't know the answer yet, but I think game 5 will be when we know. Are the Knicks players burned out, or was it just a bad day? They should be angry. Angry, and the season on the line. If they can't show up Tuesday and hit the Pacers in the mouth immediately we will know it was more than just a bad day.

At this point I feel like it's just guessing, but I was excited in the 3rd quarter when I looked up game 5 and it was Tuesday. Not much of a break to recover.

[Wizop]

I was excited in the 3rd quarter when I looked up game 5 and it was Tuesday. Not much of a break to recover.

The Fever have a home game Thursday so game 6 will be Friday. The extra day could matter.

[Capn'O]

I don't know the answer yet, but I think game 5 will be when we know. Are the Knicks players burned out, or was it just a bad day? They should be angry. Angry, and the season on the line. If they can't show up Tuesday and hit the Pacers in the mouth immediately we will know it was more than just a bad day.

At this point I feel like it's just guessing, but I was excited in the 3rd quarter when I looked up game 5 and it was Tuesday. Not much of a break to recover.

Right. We'll either be healthy or we won't and you're
still tough with momentum if we're healthy.