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It was a hard-fought battle but a win is a win. The New York Knicks go up one win to none against the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Coach Tom Thibodeau stuck with the squad that worked for him all season long despite having them play for nearly 45 minutes. Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby saw hefty minutes on the court. Thankfully, it paid dividends during crunch time.
It all started when Andrew Nembhard made a layup to put the Pacers ahead by two points. Jalen Brunson quickly got those points back in the next possession by hitting a 13-foot jump shot. A nice defensive sequence from the perimeter followed next as the Knicks regained the ball and Donte DiVincenzo sank a three-pointer to give his squad the 118 to 115 lead.
Pascal Siakam tried to punch back but all he could do was make a layup. This still had the Pacers behind by two points. A string of bad luck would then hit the Knicks. Jalen Brunson turned the ball over and was subbed out. When they could not get anything done on offense, the star guard was placed back and Isaiah Hartenstein sat on the bench. This bold move paid off for the Knicks. Nembhard fouled the Knicks’ star guard twice and he sank three out of the four free throws to end the game.
A controversial NBA Playoffs clash
Fans absolutely loved how this NBA Playoffs matchup ended. They even had big declarations after the final buzzer sounded.
“As they have all season, the Knicks gutted it out and found a way to win down the stretch of an ugly game. Brunson led the way including two clutch free throws to ice it. The scenes leaving MSG were insane, crazier than last year – no American fanbase rivals us… Another Knicks vs Pacers classic in the books,” a fan wrote.
Some fans were also worried about the officiating in this NBA Playoffs clash, “Everyone’s gonna focus on that illegal screen in Knicks-Pacers, but this kickball call was arguably worse and not talked about enough on the broadcast.”
Everyone’s gonna focus on that illegal screen in Knicks-Pacers, but this kickball call was arguably worse and not talked about enough on the broadcast.pic.twitter.com/pwA84tIXp0
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) May 7, 2024
Others were even further hammering in the fact that the Knicks were undeserving of the win, “115-115, and a phantom kick-ball is called. The Pacers had an easy layup to make it 117-115. Instead, a Knicks 3 makes it 115-118. Knicks don’t score another field goal. Get the win. I HATE complaining about refereeing, but THAT just killed us.”
Knicks stars shine at home
No other arena is brighter than Madison Square Garden and the lights are always brighter in the NBA Playoffs. This did not faze the Knicks at all. Brunson led the way by knocking down 14 out of his 25 field goals with all 14 of his free throws hitting the bottom of the net for 43 points. DiVincenzo then followed suit with 25 points while Josh Hart recorded an insane double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds. OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein also combined for 26 points to round out the double-digit scorers.
Will this be a sustainable strategy for the Knicks?
More must-reads:
- Knicks could get major boost for Game 7 showdown with Pacers
- Even Mike Budenholzer admits the Suns need a point guard
- The 'Most triple-doubles in the postseason' quiz
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