Donte DiVincenzo’s game-winning three-pointer and drawn charge on defense essentially secured the Knicks’ Game 1 semifinals victory Monday night at Madison Square Garden. But the stout defending throughout his 44 minutes of action against Indiana’s rising superstar can’t be overlooked in Monday’s winning effort.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton dished eight assists and grabbed three steals, but mustered just six points on six shots in Game 1. Haliburton’s nagging lower back spasm injury could be hindering the star, but Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau putting DiVincenzo as the primary defender on the guard generated positive results for the Knicks.
DiVincenzo hounded the young star at the point of attack and even got through some screens by Indiana’s bigs. Haliburton ended up being -12 in his 36 minutes on the court. He also turned the ball over three times. DiVincenzo, meanwhile, knocked down five crucial three-pointers and shot 10-for-17 from the field while logging 25 points. And the game-clinching drawn offensive foul called on Pacers center Myles Turner — with Haliburton on the ball — was the icing on the cake that cued the MSG crowd to erupt.
“He’s someone who is athletic, has the quickness, the speed, physicality, the height to get over screens,” Josh Hart said about DiVincenzo after Game 1. “He [blows up] dribble hand-offs, contests shots. If we need to switch, he’s able to guard some of those bigger guys. He’s someone that, like I said, he wants those matchups. He wants to guard the best — the other team’s best guards. We need him every game. I think that really, those tough defensive assignments really get him going on the offensive side.”
DiVincenzo couldn’t do it all on his own, though. The Knicks’ team defense looked in unison for stretches throughout the night. Josh Hart and OG Anunoby’s versatility allowed for harmless switches on the Pacers guard in Game 1. And the Knicks didn’t get burned by Haliburton on possessions when he got switched on to bigs Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson.
“I mean just being on a string,” Hartenstein described what the team effort was like defending the young star. “I think we can still do a lot better. But I think the biggest thing is just communication. And I think we have a lot of guys that sacrifice and play team defense.”
Indiana’s advantage in bench scoring, 27-1, gave them a six-point lead going into halftime. They eventually won in that department, 46-3. Myles Turner (23 points) and Pascal Siakam (19 points) led the way while Haliburton attempted to push pace and create for teammates.
The Pacers held a two-point advantage with 1:33 remaining in regulation but quickly relinquished the lead after clutch buckets by Jalen Brunson and DiVincenzo. The road team needed one last push from their young superstar but couldn’t get it.
“Yeah, just being aggressive, not letting him kinda dictate what we’re gonna do,” DiVincenzo said. “Just try to make it as difficult as possible. He’s an All-Star for a reason, and he’s gonna make adjustments. He’s scanning the defense, reading, so just trying to not let him have as much time to scan the defense, survey what he wants to do. But like I said, you can’t stop a player like him. He’s gonna make adjustments going into the next game. We have to be ready.”
DiVincenzo was the main culprit for Haliburton’s troubles — just like he was defending Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey in the series-clinching Game 6 against the 76ers. Thibodeau hopes his team can continue pressuring Haliburton throughout the series.
But he knows it won’t be easy.
“Haliburton — I say this all the time — he’s an offense unto himself,” Thibodeau said postgame. “And then when you throw in Nembhard and McConnell, that’s a lot in terms of their versatility, but he’s pushing tempo the whole time, so he’s impacting the game in a lot of different ways. And if you leave him open, he’s gonna make, and if you’re slow to pick him up, he can make a read, so sometimes they miss good shots and you’re fortunate. So we know we’re gonna have to do a lot better.”
