Pacers, Knicks Tangle In Game 2
The New York Knicks will host the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Knicks lead the series 1-0.
The Knicks will aim to build off their Game 1 victory, even if that means riding the hot hand of Jalen Brunson once again. The star point guard has carried the Knicks on his back during the entire postseason, and he’s on a sizzling run of four straight games with 40 or more points. The Knicks have been employing a short rotation of seven players of late, and it remains if that will take a toll on the players, especially now that Mitchell Robinson will miss the rest of the season due to a stress fracture in one of his ankles. New York has been thriving on offense of late, scoring 110 or more points in three of its last five contests. The Knicks might have to rely too much on Brunson to secure the win here, but if the approach is working of late, the team is not expected to make too many adjustments.
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) will miss the rest of the season for the Knicks. Julius Randle (shoulder) and Bojan Bogdanovic (foot) are also out for the rest of the campaign.
The Pacers had to settle for the defeat in the series opener, though the four-point defeat margin suggests the Pacers can go toe-to-toe with New York even if they’re not at full strength. As has been the case all season long, Indiana will rely on its offense to get the job done against a stout defensive unit such as the Knicks, and this means the likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam will need to be at their best Wednesday. The Pacers have scored at least 120 points in four of their last six playoff contests, so that should bode well for their chances of competing here. With Haliburton banged up, however, it’s unclear whether the Pacers can hold on against a physical team such as New York. Earning a positive result here would represent a huge boost for Indiana’s chances of pulling the upset.
Tyrese Haliburton (back) is questionable for this game. Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) is out for the Pacers and will miss the rest of the season.
The Knicks will aim to build off their Game 1 victory, even if that means riding the hot hand of Jalen Brunson once again. The star point guard has carried the Knicks on his back during the entire postseason, and he’s on a sizzling run of four straight games with 40 or more points. The Knicks have been employing a short rotation of seven players of late, and it remains if that will take a toll on the players, especially now that Mitchell Robinson will miss the rest of the season due to a stress fracture in one of his ankles. New York has been thriving on offense of late, scoring 110 or more points in three of its last five contests. The Knicks might have to rely too much on Brunson to secure the win here, but if the approach is working of late, the team is not expected to make too many adjustments.
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) will miss the rest of the season for the Knicks. Julius Randle (shoulder) and Bojan Bogdanovic (foot) are also out for the rest of the campaign.
The Pacers had to settle for the defeat in the series opener, though the four-point defeat margin suggests the Pacers can go toe-to-toe with New York even if they’re not at full strength. As has been the case all season long, Indiana will rely on its offense to get the job done against a stout defensive unit such as the Knicks, and this means the likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam will need to be at their best Wednesday. The Pacers have scored at least 120 points in four of their last six playoff contests, so that should bode well for their chances of competing here. With Haliburton banged up, however, it’s unclear whether the Pacers can hold on against a physical team such as New York. Earning a positive result here would represent a huge boost for Indiana’s chances of pulling the upset.
Tyrese Haliburton (back) is questionable for this game. Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) is out for the Pacers and will miss the rest of the season.