New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers: Ending on a high note

The New York Knicks split games on back-to-back nights against the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers. New York looked flat at home against Indiana, but came back with a vengeance against the Sixers.

The Knicks forgot to play defense against Indiana, losing 137-134 in overtime. The Pacers have one of the league’s worst offenses this season, but they torched New York. But the game stayed competitive thanks to an impressive offensive performance from the entire team, led by Jalen Brunson’s 40 points and Josh Hart’s triple-double. Brunson ran out of steam late, and the team had no gas to steal the game in overtime.

The Knicks came out angry the night after in Philadelphia. Jose Alvarado even picked up a technical for defending Mitchell Robinson after a hard foul. But more importantly, the defense was back to being active while New York’s offense was more potent than ever. The Knicks beat Philly, 138-89, the largest margin they’ve ever beaten the Sixers by.

Let’s revisit the double-header by looking at the players’ performances.

Vs. IND: 40 PTS (15/31 FG, 4/14 3PT, 6/8 FT), 8 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 42 mins

Vs. PHI: 8 PTS (3/6 FG, 2/3 3PT), 4 AST, 4 REB, 2 TO in 30 mins

Jalen Brunson smoked the Pacers’ defense for the majority of three quarters. But he looked fatigued in the fourth quarter and started forcing the issue down the stretch. The Captain wasn’t his typical clutch self, dampening an otherwise great game.

Brunson’s teammates gave him a break with their stellar play a night later in Philadelphia. Brunson didn’t have to push himself, and didn’t press for his looks. He let his teammates go off, and it was nice that he got to take it easy for a change.

Vs. IND: 15 PTS (5/8 FG, 2/3 3PT, 3/4 FT), 11 AST, 11 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 41 mins

Vs. PHI: 6 PTS (2/9 FG, 1/3 3PT, 1/1 FT), 9 AST, 7 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 29 mins

Even though Jalen Brunson played well, Josh Hart is my player of the game against Indiana. He notched a triple-double by playmaking in transition and providing effective shooting on offense. The Pacers couldn’t give Hart space, or he’d hit the jumper or get a running start toward rebounds.

Hart’s scoring slipped the next night, but his playmaking and rebounding remained a joy to watch. Hart threw some absolute dimes to Mikal Bridges in transition and off cuts.

Vs. IND: 4 PTS (1/5 FG, 0/3 3PT, 2/3 FT), 5 AST, 1 REB, 1 TO in 18 mins

Vs. PHI: 26 PTS (8/13 FG, 8/13 3PT, 2/3 FT), 4 AST, 3 REB, 5 STL, 2 TO in 19 mins

It looked to me like Jose Alvarado caught some “Garden debut” nerves. He was hesitant early and didn’t shoot well.

Alvarado was a completely different animal in Philadelphia. He hit threes, forced turnovers, and stood up to Trendon Watford after Watford body-slammed Mitchell Robinson. He fired up the team, then crushed Philadelphia with ridiculous production in under 20 minutes.

I cannot wait to see Alvarado and McBride defending together.

Vs. IND: 22 PTS (8/17 FG, 1/6 3PT, 5/6 FT), 3 AST, 14 REB, 5 TO in 32 mins

Vs. PHI: 21 PTS (8/13 FG, 1/1 3PT, 4/4 FT), 5 AST, 11 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 26 mins

While Karl-Anthony Towns battled to a reasonably efficient 22 points and 14 rebounds, he didn’t always play smart. KAT’s five turnovers were exacerbated by the fact that some were offensive fouls. He forced overtime, then quickly fouled out while setting a screen.

Everything came together for Towns in Philly. They didn’t have Embiid and no one else was big enough to handle him. So, Karl attacked the basket with impunity and moved the ball well to boot. This version of Towns takes the Knicks to another level.

Vs. IND: 22 PTS (9/15 FG, 2/6 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 38 mins

Vs. PHI: 22 PTS (9/15 FG, 1/5 3PT, 3/3 FT), 6 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 29 mins

These two games showed the aggressive approach to offense I’ve been begging for from Mikal Bridges. Bridges went right at defenders, shooting over players with his patented fade-away jumper.

In both games, Bridges attacked the defense instead of passively waiting for his chances. The best part is that he can take these performances up a notch when his three-pointers start to fall.

Vs. IND: 17 PTS (6/14 FG, 4/11 3PT, 1/3 FT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 1 BLK in 38 mins

Vs. PHI: 9 PTS (4/6 FG, 1/3 3PT), 5 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 24 mins

Landry Shamet played well against Indiana, but missed a go-ahead three at the end of regulation. Otherwise, he shot well and found his flow with the starters.

Shamet didn’t get as many open looks against Philadelphia, but he still functioned as connective tissue, finishing with nine points and five assists.

Jose Alvarado brought intangibles that the Knicks have been missing. His toughness and the chip on his shoulder remind me of Donte DiVincenzo. They never backed down, and it gives the Knicks an edge!

The All-Star break is here, but I’ll be back when the Knicks return. It’s time for the home stretch. See you next time, Knicks’ fam.