The Knicks won a thrilling Game 1 over the Pacers on Monday night, with a final score of 121-117.
The game went down to the final possessions, and controversy ensued as there were four missed calls in the final two minutes, including a kicked ball violation on Aaron Nesmith where his foot never touched the ball.
The Knicks are favored at home in Game 2 on Wednesday by 4.5 points. Can they pull off another win at Madison Square Garden? Or can the Pacers level the series with a crucial road victory?
Let’s break down the matchup.
Pacers analysis
The Pacers have continued to rely on their depth throughout the postseason, and nine different players played 13+ minutes in Game 1. That starkly contrasts with the Knicks, who played four starters for 40+ minutes. That depth nearly helped Indiana pull off the road, upset as they had 46 points off the bench to the Knicks’ 3.
However, the onus will be on star point guard Tyrese Haliburton to be more productive in Game 2. Like in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Bucks, Haliburton was quiet, scoring just six points on 2-6 shooting. He also chipped in with eight assists, but the Pacers need his scoring to have a chance in this series.
Myles Turner was the team’s leading scorer in Game 1 with 23 points on 8-16 shooting, while T.J. McConnell was a monster off the bench with 18 points and three assists. McConnell was also the team’s best defensive option against Jalen Brunson, holding him to just 1-7 shooting (14.3%).
Maximize your Pacers vs. Knicks action with our DraftKings promo code.
Knicks analysis
The Knicks have an incredibly short rotation, with four players seeing 42+ minutes in Game 1. With just one day off between Game 1 and 2, it’s fair to wonder if the Knicks could suffer from some fatigue. That rotation will be cut even shorter with Mitchell Robinson out for 6-8 weeks, leaving Isaiah Hartenstein with a heavy burden.
Jalen Brunson had another stellar game on Monday with 43 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He’s now averaging 36.6 points for the postseason, but sustainability has to be a concern for a 6’2” point guard taking 28.7 shots per game.
Donte DiVincenzo helped ease his scoring burden somewhat in Game 1 with 25 points, including the clutch game-winning three late in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Josh Hart was everywhere, stuffing the stat sheet with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists.
Final verdict
I’m expecting a much better game out of Tyrese Haliburton on Wednesday despite the back issue he continues to play through. The Pacers could have and should have won on Monday despite Haliburton’s worst game of the playoffs.
Brunson and Hart had heroic efforts, and the Knicks shot 47.8% from 3—they still only won by four points. Despite the loss, I’m very encouraged by Indiana’s results. You can get an ML price of +160 on the Pacers, an implied probability of just 38.4%. I see value in that number, and I like the Pacers to pull off the upset here in Game 2.
Best bet: Pacers ML (+164, FanDuel)
