INDIANAPOLIS — Donte DiVincenzo scored the most points ever in an NBA playoff game Friday night, knowing Jalen Brunson wasn’t at full strength.
Still, DiVincenzo wasn’t exactly happy with his career-high 35 points in the postseason after falling short in the Knicks’ Game 3 loss to the Pacers.
“We took the L. That’s how I looked at it. It doesn’t mean anything,” DiVincenzo said. “We have to get better in other categories for the next game. And that’s what I’m going to see.”
The improved Knicks had one day off for Sunday’s Game 4, but it was probably a good thing that Brunson played through a foot injury in Game 3.
DiVincenzo, who has missed just one game all season, also appeared cautious after Friday’s game.
“No, I landed on my back. I’m fine,” said DiVincenzo, who played 44 minutes in the third consecutive game of the series. “Just stand up for a second.”
DiVincenzo had a slump in the first round against the 76ers, but bounced back and averaged 29.3 points per game against Indiana.
He made 7 of 11 3-pointers in Game 3, pushing his shooting percentage from beyond the arc to an impressive 56.3 (18 of 32) in the first three games.
“I think he’s said it before, but if he’s going to play, he’s fine. My mindset is, ‘Oh, he’s questionable, he could get beat up, he needs to do X, Y, Z.’ It’s nothing,” DiVincenzo said. “My mindset is to be aggressive every game and just take what the defense gives me.
“and [Friday] He was down from the 3-point line. Just trying to be aggressive to get them to react. That’s all. That was my thinking. ”
DiVincenzo helped the Knicks win by hitting big shots in Game 2 and Game 6 in the first round against the 76ers, but in the remaining four games he shot 39.3 percent (11 of 28), totaling 30. They only scored points and their offensive power decreased.
After Friday’s loss, DiVincenzo credited veteran guard Alec Burks, who scored 14 points in the first overtime of the postseason, with helping him maintain confidence during the struggles.
“In a way, it just kept me growing and always said it would come back,” DiVincenzo said. “He’s been in the league for a long time. He knows how these things happen. And he has the most confidence in me. … My confidence is always high, but I’m not sure if we’re going to get into the series. And throughout the season, there were always different moments where I could have been picked up and he was the first to pick me up.”
