Indiana (0-1) at New York (1-0)
When: Wednesday, May 8th 2024
Where: Madison Square Garden,
New York, NY
Time: 8:00 ET | TV: TNT
Opening Odds: New York -4.5/221
If Monday night’s Game 1 is any indication how the Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks series is going to go, then we’re in for a treat. The Knicks will look to hold home court advantage when they host the Pacers for Game 2 on Wednesday night. New York earned a hard-fought 121-117 win in Game 1. Donte DiVincenzo put the Knicks ahead for good with a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 40.1 seconds left and just 12 seconds after Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith was whistled for a kicked ball violation. DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, all of whom played on Villanova’s national championship-winning team in 2016, combined to score 92 points for the Knicks.
The Pacers were displeased with the officiating down the stretch but also blamed themselves for their inability to close out Game 1. New York shot 65.0 percent from the field in the second half, including 7-of-11) from 3-point range. The Knicks shot just 42.9 percent in the first 24 minutes, including 4-of-12 from beyond the arc. Crew chief Zach Zarba said following the game that the kicked ball call on Nesmith was incorrect. Replays showed Brunson’s pass indeed glance off Nesmith’s hand toward Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard.
INDIANA PACERS
The Pacers showed their depth on Monday with the reserves outscoring the Knicks bench 46-3. In fact, all four Indiana reserves had a positive plus/minus rating, while all five starters were in the negative. Six players scored in double-figures led by Myles Turner’s 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Pascal Siakam recorded 19 points, six rebound and five assists, while T.J. McConnell scored 18 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Indiana shot 52 percent for the game and committed only eight turnovers to New York’s 15, however, the Pacers were just 10-of-26 from beyond the arc.
NEW YORK KNICKS
Brunson finished with a game-high 43 points to become the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 40 points in four straight playoff games. He also nailed all 14 of his free throw attempts, while recording six rebounds and six assists. DiVincenzo, Brunson and Hart were terrific in the fourth quarter, combining for 34 of the Knicks’ 39 points. New York trailed 94-85 with 10:28 left before the trio scored the next 24 points for New York over a span of seven minutes. DiVincenzo also help put away the game 12.1 seconds left, when he drew a moving screen against Turner.
Prediction:
I still like Indiana in this series despite the Game 1 loss. They had the game in their grasp but let it get away and were on the wrong end of some questionable calls. They did cover the spread and I think they’ll at least do the same in Game 2, if not win it.
Check out who Bobby Babowski has on his Free NBA Picks page for today.
