Pacers, Knicks Meet In Conference Semifinals
The New York Knicks will host the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on Monday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Knicks had to work hard to get past the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Even though the 76ers had notable performances from Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Knicks had Jalen Brunson leading the way. The star floor general tied a few marks set by none other than Michael Jordan and LeBron James in the series, becoming the fourth player in NBA history to record 39 or more points in four consecutive playoff appearances, which Michael Jordan last achieved during the 1992-93 season. Brunson averaged 35.5 points, 9.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in the first-round series. His contributions will be pivotal in this series as he matches up with another star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, in a massive showdown.
The Knicks don’t have any fresh injuries for the series opener Monday. Bojan Bogdanovic (foot) and Julius Randle (shoulder) are out for the season.
The Pacers pulled one of the biggest shocks in The Association’s first round of the postseason and sent the Milwaukee Bucks home in six games. Granted, the Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Damian Lillard also missed time. However, the Bucks were still a title contender in the Eastern Conference, so Indiana’s performances can’t be overlooked. The Pacers will rely on their offense to continue pulling upsets, and it’ll be interesting to see how Indiana will approach this series against a hard-nosed Knicks team. Ultimately, Indiana’s chances will come down to three names: Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam. The Pacers’ “big three” will determine whether the team can make a strong playoff push or not.
Tyrese Haliburton (back) is questionable for Game 1 of the series Monday. Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) is out for the rest of the season.
These two teams met three times during the regular season. The Pacers hold a 2-1 series lead. They went 1-1 when playing at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks had to work hard to get past the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Even though the 76ers had notable performances from Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Knicks had Jalen Brunson leading the way. The star floor general tied a few marks set by none other than Michael Jordan and LeBron James in the series, becoming the fourth player in NBA history to record 39 or more points in four consecutive playoff appearances, which Michael Jordan last achieved during the 1992-93 season. Brunson averaged 35.5 points, 9.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in the first-round series. His contributions will be pivotal in this series as he matches up with another star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, in a massive showdown.
The Knicks don’t have any fresh injuries for the series opener Monday. Bojan Bogdanovic (foot) and Julius Randle (shoulder) are out for the season.
The Pacers pulled one of the biggest shocks in The Association’s first round of the postseason and sent the Milwaukee Bucks home in six games. Granted, the Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Damian Lillard also missed time. However, the Bucks were still a title contender in the Eastern Conference, so Indiana’s performances can’t be overlooked. The Pacers will rely on their offense to continue pulling upsets, and it’ll be interesting to see how Indiana will approach this series against a hard-nosed Knicks team. Ultimately, Indiana’s chances will come down to three names: Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam. The Pacers’ “big three” will determine whether the team can make a strong playoff push or not.
Tyrese Haliburton (back) is questionable for Game 1 of the series Monday. Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) is out for the rest of the season.
These two teams met three times during the regular season. The Pacers hold a 2-1 series lead. They went 1-1 when playing at Madison Square Garden.
Nuggets Must Bounce Back At Home
By Dan Bruno
The Denver Nuggets play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semi Finals at Ball Arena on Monday evening.
The Timberwolves came up with a momentum-snatching road win in Game 1 and have the defending champs on their heels heading into Game 2. The Nuggets were out to a solid start in Game 1 and led by two points after one quarter. The pace slowed down in the second while the hosts outscored the Timberwolves, 19-17, to take a four-point advantage at the break. The visitors turned up the play in the second half, rallying to a two-point edge heading into the final quarter. The Nuggets regained a brief lead early in the fourth and the score was tied at 84 with six minute to go, before the Timberwolves closed the game on a, 22-15, to steal home-court advantage.
Anthony Edwards took over for the winning team, as he delivered 43 points on 17-for-29 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks, in 42 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns followed up with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Mike Conley logged 14 points, four rebounds, 10 assists and a steal. On the other side, Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 32 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Michael Porter followed up with 20 points, six rebounds, three steals and a block, while Jamal Murray added 17 points and four assists.
The Nuggets must gather themselves quickley with one more chance to get a win at home, where they owned a 33-8 record this season, before facing the risk of a sweep as they hit the road for Game 3 and 4. .
The Timberwolves came up with a momentum-snatching road win in Game 1 and have the defending champs on their heels heading into Game 2. The Nuggets were out to a solid start in Game 1 and led by two points after one quarter. The pace slowed down in the second while the hosts outscored the Timberwolves, 19-17, to take a four-point advantage at the break. The visitors turned up the play in the second half, rallying to a two-point edge heading into the final quarter. The Nuggets regained a brief lead early in the fourth and the score was tied at 84 with six minute to go, before the Timberwolves closed the game on a, 22-15, to steal home-court advantage.
Anthony Edwards took over for the winning team, as he delivered 43 points on 17-for-29 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks, in 42 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns followed up with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Mike Conley logged 14 points, four rebounds, 10 assists and a steal. On the other side, Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 32 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Michael Porter followed up with 20 points, six rebounds, three steals and a block, while Jamal Murray added 17 points and four assists.
The Nuggets must gather themselves quickley with one more chance to get a win at home, where they owned a 33-8 record this season, before facing the risk of a sweep as they hit the road for Game 3 and 4. .