Knicks Crush Pacers in Game 2. NY 123 Indiana 98

The Knicks played much better defense than in their 1st game of the year, and were smoking from 3 on offense to blow out the Indiana Pacers 123-98 at Madison Square Garden on a Friday night — evening their season’s record at 1-1.

The game was played while the Yankees were playing the Dodgers in the 1st game of the World Series — a tooth-and-nail affair that the Dodgers won in 10 innings.

The new-look Knicks got excellent play from the starting 5 — including

“This is a step in the right direction for us,” said Jalen Brunson afterwards. “We just doing whatever we can to find ways to win; do whatever it takes.”

1. Close at the End of 1st Quarter

This was the first time the two teams played since Indiana eliminated a badly injured Knicks team in last year’s playoffs, and the now-healthy, and very-much retooled Knicks took it to them. But not before the two teams sized each other up at the start with a close, back-and-forth 1st quarter.

Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam, and Bennedict Mathurin were doing most of the scoring for Indiana with some scores from T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin ; Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were doing most of the scoring for the Knicks, with some buckets from Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Anunoby. NY led 25-24 after 1.

2. NY Lays Down the D in 2nd Quarter

Cameron Payne and Miles McBride entered for the Knicks to start the 2nd quarter; Cameron playing the point. The game was close at 40-37 Knicks midway thru the 2nd quarter when Josh Hart and OG Anunoby and the Knicks intensified the D.

Cameron Payne hit a 3 to put NY up 43-37, and a minute later Josh Hart hit a 3 and the rout was starting.

“Josh Hart puts himself — not finds himself — in position to succeed and you never have to run anything for him to be engaged,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Always plays with a purpose, beats you on the glass by outworking you, 50/50 balls become 20/80 balls, defends, unselfish, finds the open man and wants it more.”

A KAT 3 with 4 seconds left in the quarter gave NY a 61-45 halftime lead.

 

3. Knicks Make It a Romp in 3rd Quarter

The Knicks continued to up their lead at the start of the 3rd quarter, then at the end of the 3rd Mikal Bridges got HOT and started to pop 3’s and drive for dunks. Aided by Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson, the Villanova trio made it a rout — NY up by 30 points at 90-6o after a Bridges dunk.

4. NY Holds Haliburton to 0 Points

The Knicks held nemesis Tyrese Haliburton to 0 (zero) points on 0-8 shooting (0-7 from 3) in 26 minutes. Andrew Nembhard was held to 2 points (1-3 shooting) in 21 minutes.

5. Knicks Cruises in 4th

The Knicks held a 30-point lead for most of the 4th quarter — the closest Indiana was able to whittle it down to was 21 points with a minute left.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401704647

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