New York Knicks lose to the Indiana Pacers 114-109, fall down 0-2 in the ECF: A gut punch at the Garden

The New York Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers again at home, falling to 0-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Their postseason run is on life support as they head to Indiana for the next two games.

There was more defense this time, with neither team cracking 30 points in a quarter through the first half. The Knicks deployed more switching, and the only Pacer to respond well was Pascal Siakam. New York’s offense leaned heavily on Jalen Brunson, as usual. At halftime, the Knicks held a slight edge, 52-49.

But the game of adjustments caught up to Tom Thibodeau and his Knicks. The Pacers’ offense built on Siakam’s success, while the Knicks couldn’t find a lineup that could both score and get stops. A brilliant third quarter from Brunson kept the game tied after three, but the Pacers took a lead while Brunson rested in the fourth quarter, and New York never got the stops or made the baskets necessary to come back.

The Knicks could rest on the fact that they were the better team for most of Game 1. But they were thoroughly outplayed in this second half. Their turnovers proved especially costly this time. Let’s look at the tough loss through the performances.