Playoff Game Preview: New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers, Game 1, May 6, 2024

On Thursday, the New York Knicks concluded a classic first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, winning four games to two and earning the right to move on to the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals. Tonight, they’ll start anew with a tilt against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers.

In their first-round series, the Pacers defeated the Giannis-less Milwaukee Bucks, 4-2. Indiana took the regular season series against the Knicks 2-1. They won 140-126 on December 30 and 125-111 on February 10, while New York took the February 1 game, 109-105.

This season, the sixth-seeded Pacers led the league in points (123.3), shots (92.7 FGA per game), and assists (30.8). They finished with the NBA’s second-best offensive rating (121) and pace (101.7), but the 24th-ranked defensive rating (118). Conclusion: they are fleet of foot and score a bunch but are soft on defense. If the Knicks slow down the game and play their brand of physical ball, they’ll stand a good chance of winning.

A storied history

The two teams have met in the playoffs eight times total: once in the first round (1993), three times in the Eastern Conference Semifinals (1995, 1998, 2013), and thrice in the Eastern Conference Finals (1994, 1999, 2000). The Pacers won four of the seven playoff series, and of the 41 games played, they hold a 22-19 advantage.

Highlights from their epic battles over the years include John Starks headbutting Reggie Miller in the 1993 playoffs, Miller’s ”choke” sign to Spike Lee in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, and Miller’s eight points in nine seconds to keep the Pacers alive in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals. And we will never forget Larry Johnson’s four-point play to lift the Knicks in the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals.

Their most recent playoff matchup was in the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals, where the Pacers defeated the Knicks in six games.

Starters

The Pacers are led by point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who averaged 20.1 points, 10.9 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 69 games this season. He shot 48% from the floor and 36% from downtown on almost eight attempts per game.

In January, he slipped on a drive against Boston and injured his hamstring. He missed several games as a result. Before the injury, he had been shooting 40% from downtown, and averaging 12.5 assists per game. Since then, he’s shot 32% from deep and his dimes have dropped to 9.5 per game. Even injured, he’s still a handful–he averaged 19.7 points, 13.3 assists, and four rebounds in three games versus the Knicks this season.

It’s predicted to be Must-See TV when Haliburton squares off with New York’s Jalen Brunson tonight. Brunson averaged 35.5 points and nine assists in the series against Philadelphia and must be salivating about the potential of a softer defense.

Shooting guard Andrew Nembhard averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in 68 games this season. He shot 50% from the field and 36% from deep on 2.5 attempts per game. The sophomore averaged 10.3 points, five assists, and three rebounds in his three tries against the Knicks this season. He will pair up with Donte DiVincenzo tonight. DiVincenzo averaged 12 points against the Sixers while shooting 36% from deep.

Aaron Nesmith averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 72 games this season. The 6’5”, 215 lb small forward has a nice touch from deep, hitting 42% of his 4.6 attempts. He’ll square off against Josh Hart, who averaged a 16.8-point, 12.3-rebound double-double against Philly.

Like Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, power forward Pascal Siakam was jettisoned from the Toronto Raptors mid-season. Since the trade to Indiana, Siakam has averaged 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 41 games for the Pacers. He’s a player to watch in the series, but perhaps OG and Precious will provide valuable intel about how to neutralize him. Pascal has averaged 19.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in 24 games against the Knicks in his career.

Center Myles Turner averaged 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks this season. A stretch-big, he can stroke the longball, hitting 36% of his 4.5 attempts this season. Turner has averaged 14.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 27 games versus the Knicks in his career. He’ll face off with Isaiah Hartenstein tonight. Hartenstein had a difficult series against Joel Embiid during which he averaged 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. We expect him to have an easier time against Turner.

Bench

For the Pacers, expect Brooklyn’s own Obi Toppin to make an exuberant return to the Garden tonight. The high-flying former Slam Dunk champion averaged 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds, playing all 82 games this season. And point guard T.J. McConnell may not be an imposing character, but he has been a pest when these two teams have met. He scored 16 points in 18 minutes when they last played.

As for the Knicks, Tom Thibodeau’s bench is depleted. Guard Miles McBride averaged 11.3 points and 23.4 minutes in the Philadelphia series while shooting 43% from deep on five attempts per game. Mitchell Robinson, nursing a sore ankle, played five of the six first-round games, averaging 7.8 rebounds in his 20.6 minutes. And Precious Achiuwa appeared in only two games against the Sixers, despite being a big contribution to New York’s Game Four victory.

Prediction

ESPN.com gives the Knicks a 62% chance to win this one. Yessir! The Knicks lack the firepower to keep up with Indiana’s scoring, so a tenacious defense will be the key to victory tonight. Look for New York to apply similar defensive strategies to this Tyrese (Haliburton) that they did for the previous Tyrese (Maxey). The Pacers were at the bottom of the league for rebounding, so New York should flex their collective muscle on the glass and keep those offensive boards coming. No doubt both teams will score in the one-teens, but the freight train of Brunson, DiVincenzo, Hart, Anunoby, and Hartenstein will prove too much for the Hoosiers. Knicks by +4.

Game Details

What: Game One, 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals

Who: New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers

When: 7:30 pm EST, Monday, May 6, 2024

Where: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC

Watch: MSG and TNT

Follow: @ptknicksblog