INDIANAPOLIS — It’s all about Game 7.
The Knicks, who had a chance to clinch the franchise’s first conference finals appearance in 24 years, suffered a 116-103 loss in Game 6 on Friday night, but the Pacers’ balanced inside attack gave them the home advantage. , and little was gained from the star point guard.
This led to a do-or-die Game 7 at MSG on Sunday afternoon. It was the Knicks’ biggest game since Patrick Ewing put on a uniform.
And they’ll need even more talent from Jalen Brunson.
The All-Star, who had the worst first half of his Knicks career, made just 11 of 26 shots and was unable to overcome Indiana’s pressure, resulting in an inefficient total of 31 points.
The Pacers, who are currently on an 11-game winning streak at home, have made stopping Brunson their defensive priorities No. 1, 2 and 3.
When he dribbled in the backcourt, they pestered.
They swarmed as he dribbled to his left inside half court. right? It was flooded. In the paint? Double teaming was automatic and there was also an option to triple team.
The plan worked, especially in the first half, but it didn’t do Brunson himself any favors. He attacked and forced the issue despite constant pressure.
Shots were short and decision-making was often flawed. That first half was atrocious, including Brunson’s 11th straight missed field goal, the longest of his career.
As a result, the Knicks trailed by 10 points at halftime and never recovered.
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Trailing by as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter, the scene was reminiscent of the Mother’s Day massacre in Indy five days earlier, albeit less lopsided.
It certainly didn’t help that Josh Hart, the glue that holds everything together for the Knicks, suffered an abdominal injury after taking a hit to the midsection early in the game, reducing his effort for 31 minutes.
Without Hart cleaning up the mess as usual, the Pacers had complete control in the paint. They won 47-35 in rebounds and 62-38 in points battles in the paint.
Ultimately, the Knicks announced that Hart was removed from the game in the fourth quarter due to “abdominal pain.”
He joined a long line in the team’s infirmary, but his status for Game 7 is unknown.
For Brunson, it was a continuation of his disappointing performance in his last appearance in Indianapolis, where he was hampered by apparent foot soreness and missed Game 4.
There was no obvious excuse for Brunson’s lackluster performance in Game 6. After a physically dominant Game 5 at home, the Knicks took two days off between games to get plenty of rest.
Asked if rest would help, Hart said: “I wouldn’t say it’s a relief, but it’s doubly helpful.” Of course, rest and prepare your body. We were pretty dominant against them in Game 5, so they probably had questions about their physicality, their energy, their rebounding. That’s all they’ve heard in the past 2 ¹/₂ days. Therefore, they will come out with a renewed sense of energy and physicality. ”
The Pacers certainly stuck with it. Meanwhile, Hart was injured.
When the forward first appeared to be experiencing abdominal discomfort and was benched in the first quarter, Tom Thibodeau quickly dismissed the concerns.
“He’s a tough guy. I’m sure he’ll get through it,” the coach said in an on-court interview.
In the end, Hart couldn’t get over it. He left for the locker room before the fourth quarter and never returned.
By that time, the Knicks had already lost.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers in scoring with 25 points and used his size to beat the Knicks. The Pacers shot 54 percent overall.
The bench led by Obi Toppin and TJ McConnell combined for 36 points.
The Knicks’ defense was poor. They now head into Game 7, win or go home.
