Scenes from New York fighting off Indy’s best punch to win Game One

In Game One of the 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, the New York Knicks were heavily favored to defeat the visiting Indiana Pacers.

They got off on the right foot, disrupting the Pacers’ offense and finishing the first quarter with a narrow 27-24 lead. In the second quarter, the Hoosiers crept ahead, outrebounding and outscoring the Knicks for a 55-49 advantage. In the second half, the Knicks overtook the visitors for a brief lead, but the Pacers retaliated thanks to contributions from their reserves (TJ McConnell, Isaiah Jackson, and, yes, Obi Toppin) and rode a lead into the fourth quarter. The final quarter saw intense back-and-forth scoring, but Donte DiVincenzo hit another decisive three-pointer, OG Anunoby kept thievin’, and Jalen Brunson eclipsed 40 points again to seal the Knicks win, 121-117.

In a game with eight lead changes and 12 ties, neither team ever took a double-digit lead. Check this chart:

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Indiana’s bench outscored the Knicks’ second unit 46-3. They needed the extra support because New York’s defense limited Tyrese Haliburton to just six points. Myles Turner would lead the Pacer with 23 points, Pascal Siakam would add 19.

New York’s Brunson led all scorers with 43 points and shot 14-of-26 in 43 minutes. Josh Hart was brilliant again, with a 24-point, 13-rebound double-double and playing all 48 minutes. DiVincenzo chipped in 25 points with another dagger three-pointer and a 15-point third quarter. And OG Anunoby finished with 13 points, nine boards, four assists, and three steals, two of which came in the fourth quarter to help propel New York to victory.

The Philadelphia series was a treat for basketball fans. This series is shaping up to be the same. Knicks are up, 1-0!

First Half

The Knicks started hot and went on an 8-0 run at the heart of the first quarter. They were swatting and blocking, disrupting Indiana’s usually potent offense into shooting 9-of-24 for the quarter. The home team’s shooting clanged a bit, too, and New York finished the quarter having hit just 41% from the field and 2-of-7 from deep.

Josh Hart flipped the beast switch again, scoring nine points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block in his first 12 minutes. Heading into the second period, New York held a 27-24 lead.

The Pacers started the second quarter with a 9-2 run and would maintain a small lead straight through til halftime. In the first half, Indiana was beating the Knicks at their own game, outrebounding them for the half 24-21, winning the points in the paint 30-26, and second-chance points 8-3. The Knicks had grabbed only two offensive rebounds. Fortunately, Isaiah Hartenstein hail-Maryed a 46-foot buzzer-beater to cut the Pacers lead to 55-49 at intermission.

Andrew Nembhard was hopeless trying to defend Jalen Brunson, so reserve T.J. McConnell took over in the second quarter. McConnell led the Indy with 10-first half points, the only Pacer in double-digits. In the first half, the Pacers’ bench outscored New York’s, 27-1.

Brunson and Hart shot a combined 11-of-19. The rest of the team had shot 7-of-33. No bueno. The Knicks had run two consecutive post-up plays for OG Anunoby that ended first in an Isaiah Jackson block and then a Pascal Siakam steal. OG would make just 3-of-10 for the half, and Donte DiVincenzo shot 2-of-7. New York would need more offensive output than that if they hoped to rally back after intermission.

Second Half

New York tied the score with a 13-7 run over the first four minutes of Q3. Nembhard took the Brunson assignment again, and again he proved a softer defender than Kelly Oubre had been for Philly in Round One. Donte DiVincenzo scored five points to give New York their first lead since the start of the second quarter. He would score 15 total in the frame.

Indiana went on a 10-0 run put them up by five again, and a buzzer-beater by Myles Turner extended their lead to 87-82. During the quarter, Obi Toppin made a splash in the quarter with this Eastbay dunk.

McConnell stole the inbound pass out of Anunoby’s hands to start the final quarter. OG redeemed himself with a triple, but Toppin responded with the same. Indy’s reserves bossed their hosts around on a 7-3 run, and Isaiah Jackson was a full-blown P.I.T.A. with multiple blocks.

Josh Hart to the rescue!

For Indiana, Nembard and Aaron Nesmith combined for eight points to put the visitors ahead by five. Josh answered with four points by making a layup through contact, missing a free throw, and putting back the offensive rebound.

Funky foul calls resulted in a five-point hole for the Knicks as they approached four minutes to go. This time Jalen bailed out our Bockers with a triple, then two freebies. Then Anunoby committed his second steal of the quarter and drove it to the rim for a dunk and a temporary lead.

A Siakam bucket tied the game with two minutes to go. With 40 seconds on the clock, Donte DiVincenzo swished yet another clutch three-pointer. Siakam scored again, cutting the lead to one. Brunson was trapped with 18 seconds to go and threw the ball off Haliburton, but it hit Jalen as he fell out of bounds. Indy recovered the ball, but Myles Turner made illegal contact with Donte DiVincenzo on a screen that gave it back to New York. Ball Game.

Up Next

Back at the Garden on Wednesday night for Game Two. Thanks for another thriller, Knickerbockers. Sleep tight.

Box Score