At the Buzzer: R2G6 — Pacers 116, Knicks 103
At the Buzzer: R2G6 — Pacers 116, Knicks 103
The last three games have all ended up being blowouts. But with their season on the line and after being challenged by coach, the Pacers fought and dominated the inside play to force Game 7.
The Pacers were in a must-win situation for the first time this season. How would they respond, especially coming off an “embarrassing” Game 5 performance in New York City?
Tyrese Haliburton stressed the importance of a good start and to finish possessions while coach Rick Carlisle’s challenged his team with a simple message: play hard. It shouldn’t have to be said, but this is a young team going through this together for the first time.
Like I wrote for Game 1, this series is a war of attrition — and it favors the Pacers.
The game officials were Zach Zarba, John Goble, David Guthrie, Karl Lane (alternate).
The Knicks were without OG Anunoby (left hamstring strain), Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanovic, Mitchell Robinson.
Tyrese Haliburton was NOT on the Pacers’ injury report for the first time since Game 4 of their first-round series against the Bucks. Bennedict Mathurin, who’s out for the season, was their only player listed.
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🏀How it happened: For the Knicks, they needed to close it out tonight. Up 3-2 and with two days between games, they needed to put their foot down and not give the Pacers any hope. But that didn’t happen.
The Pacers’ intensity and focus was obvious immediately. They extended pressure the full length of the floor and veteran Myles Turner had that look in his eyes to play determined basketball. He wanted for their season to continue. The Pacers had an early 7-2 advantage on the glass and the officials set the tone by calling just one foul in the first five minutes.
The Pacers hit 3s to start and end the first period, but everything else was decisively inside. They were attacking and scoring inside as successfully as they have in the series, but they trailed by one after 1.
Pascal Siakam, who has a championship didn’t force anything. So smooth and comfortable in the mid-range, picking his spots and winning his matchup. He had 15 points by halftime. As the Pacers got in an offensive groove, the Knicks misses six shots in a row. But then Donte DiVincenzo made one his three 3s just before halftime to cut it to 10, 61-51.
The Knicks threatened out of the half, getting a technical foul shot and then two quick layups — an 8-0 jolt including DiVincenzo’s 3 to end the half — which prompted head coach Rick Carlisle to spend a timeout after just 38 seconds out of the locker room. The Pacers answered with consecutive 3s from Andrew Nembhard and Tyrese Haliburton from almost the same spot on the left side, then they stretched the lead to 18.
Knicks forward Josh Hart, who does all the dirty work, dealt with an abdominal strain on his left side for most of the game and he did not finish the game. The Pacers won the hustle stats: rebounding (+12), paint points (62-38), and in the third quarter, they converted five offensive boards to 10 points. That changed the game.
The Pacers blew the doors open in the fourth, leading by as many as 23 and never trailing in the second half. They survived — and now they’ll try to advance.
🏀What it means: Game 7 it is, set for Sunday afternoon. Then it’s a tight turnaround for the winner with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals starting Tuesday in Boston. (The Celtics will have had almost a week between games.)