The New York Knicks look to take a 2-0 series lead when they meet the upstart Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of their best-of-seven second-round Eastern Conference playoff matchup Tuesday night inside famed Madison Square Garden in NY, New York.
The Knicks caught some breaks late but showed their toughness during a hard-fought and frantic Game 1 win, 121-117, as the home court crowd was treated to another drama-filled and crazy finish.
Bookmaker has installed the Knicks as a solid - 4.5-point favorite.
The Knicks know some of the calls that went in their favor might not be there in Game 2, so they will look to race out to another lead but, this time, try to hold it. We all know the game is about runs, but look for the Knicks' defense to come alive in this one. They had to make adjustments after a very athletic Pacers team could exploit the fact that the Knicks had no interior presence.
New York received some bad news when it was announced that they would be without veteran center Mitchell Robinson, who will miss Game 2 due to left ankle management. With his absence, New York will be vulnerable on the defensive end.
If New York can clog up the lanes and not allow the Pacers guards to have the type of success they had in Game 1, New York should coast. On offense, the Knicks had a nice balanced attack on Monday night, led by the sensational play of guard Jalen Brunson, who poured in 43 points -- as he became the fourth player in league history with four straight 40-point games in the postseason. New York will try to push the pace again, but they will have to do a better job of not turning the ball over late.
The Knicks committed 14 turnovers, while the Pacers only turned the ball over seven times the entire night. New York connected from beyond the arc, draining 11-of-23 for the night, suitable for a solid 43%.
The Pacers have shown that they can play with the Knicks and that they will not bully them. Indiana played well in Game 1, and some late calls went against them. They are hoping the calls even themselves out in Game 2, but they also know they need to push the pace with their stellar guard play and attack the tin and the rim.
The guards are the difference in this series, as point guard Tyrese Haliburton sets the tone for the Pacers' offense. Late word came down on Tuesday night that he is questionable (back) for Game 2. That would be a huge blow and loss for an offense that can not rely on its role players to bail them out.
The bench did an excellent job in Game 1, but the Pacers need veteran power forward Pascal Siakam to turn back the clock and have a vintage 25-plus point game. This is a must-win for the Pacers, and we expect them to come out and play hard and keep this game close heading into the fourth quarter. They can win this game if they can tighten up their perimeter defense late.
The Knicks are 3-2 in their last five games against the spread and 23-17 in their road games against the number, too. The totals have gone over in five out of their last five games, and they have gone over in 15 out of their last 41 games at home. The Pacers are 4-1 in their last five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the number, too.
