INDIANAPOLIS — One of the Knicks’ big strengths all season has been offensive rebounding, but losing that battle led to a Game 3 loss to the Pacers.
The Pacers had 13 offensive boards, including six by center Myles Turner and one by Aaron Nesmith, who connected with Andrew Nembhard’s game-tying 3-pointer with 17.1 seconds left.
“I think we lost by 10 points in the fourth quarter.” [points], so I think that was the biggest thing. There were some rebounds we didn’t get at the end,” Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein said after the game. “It’s still a close game. We could have won that game. However, some important details have to be fixed.”
The Knicks finished third in the NBA in fewest second-chance points allowed (12.3 points per game) during the regular season, but were 13th in that category in the playoffs (13.4 points) through Friday night.
They led the league in offensive rebounds both through 82 games played and in the postseason, but the Pacers held a 13-10 advantage in their first series win.
“For sure. I think that’s our pride and our identity,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “We knew that was going to be a key point for them going into the game.
“We’ll go back and look at the film and figure out how we can clean up some things. We’ll just compete harder in the end and I think it’ll go in a different direction for us.”
Of course, the Knicks will be without three key frontcourt players in Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle and OG Anunoby, and that trio will also be out for Sunday’s Game 4.
With the prized Achiuwa in the starting lineup, Hartenstein played 39 minutes in Friday’s game, the most ever in the playoffs.
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Asked if the short-handed Knicks were “gassed out” in the fourth quarter, Hartenstein said, “You don’t want to make that excuse.” “At the end of the day, we just need to get rebounds. Rebounds usually come last, so it’s an easy fix.”
Josh Hart grabbed a game-high 18 boards, becoming the first Knick player since Patrick Ewing (1999) to grab at least 15 boards in back-to-back playoff games.
Still, the Knicks outrebounded them 15-10 in the fourth quarter, including 5-3 on the offensive glass.
“Yeah, they have a couple. I wouldn’t say it’s extra frustrating, but they knew what they should have done better,” Hart said. “I’m not going to say it’s redundant, but we’ve got to get better. We’ve got to be more solid, especially on long shots. We’ve got to know we have long rebounds.”
When asked what separated the teams in the fourth quarter, guard Myles McBride added: Obviously, that last play was [Nembhard] If he hit a 3, he would have had a second chance. So I think he has to finish the defense. Sometimes I think the ball is just taking a long bounce. In that case, we need to be more astute and absolutely leave no doubts. End the play by making sure everyone is accountable. ”
