New York Knicks split back-to-back games against the Indiana Pacers and the Philadelphia 76ers: The Hangover

The New York Knicks eked out a win against the Indiana Pacers before losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in consecutive games. New York managed to split a pair of sloppy performances that showed signs of fatigue from a long road trip.

The series began with New York defeating Indiana 114-113. Several key players sat out for various ailments, including Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks’ chemistry looked messy with two young starters, but their second unit shone as Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson stepped up in extra minutes. Indiana led throughout the action, but New York staged a furious comeback that concluded with a clutch three from Jalen Brunson and a game-sealing steal from OG Anunoby.

The starters returned, but New York turned the ball over even more while losing to Philadelphia 116-107. The Knicks made brutal mistakes and played poor defense all game. They got another second-unit boost, this time from Mitchell Robinson. They kept the game close throughout three quarters before New York ran out of gas, and the Sixers took off.

The Knicks looked like a team that hadn’t been home for a long while, so I’m taking the split as a moral victory. Let’s look at the performances in these less-than-stellar games.

Vs. IND: 25 PTS (10/23 FG, 3/8 3PT, 2/3 FT), 7 AST, 7 REB, 3 STL, 3 TO in 34 mins

Vs. PHI: 22 PTS (7/22 FG, 1/7 3PT, 7/8 FT), 9 AST, 6 REB in 36 mins

These weren’t Jalen Brunson’s best performances. Brunson dueled with Andrew Nembhard in Indiana with excellent scoring for three quarters. But he struggled down the stretch, missing shots and turning the ball over. Then Nembhard hit Brunson with a hard foul while trying to protect Indiana’s two-point lead with seconds left to play. The Captain responded by hitting a game winning three over Nembhard in the next play.

Brunson started well enough against Philly. He began the game with a pair of crafty layups and showed off his footwork all night. But his jumper had no legs by the fourth quarter, and he kept forcing shots instead of sharing the rock. By the end of the night, he even failed to grab a loose ball, which led to a nail-in-the-coffin three by VJ Edgecombe.

Vs. IND: DNP

Vs. PHI: 22 PTS (7/15 FG, 1/5 3PT, 7/9 FT), 1 AST, 11 REB, 3 TO in 35 mins

Karl-Anthony Towns hurt himself in San Antonio and sat out against the Pacers. But he made it back for a double-double against Philadelphia. KAT’s jumper wouldn’t fall, so he relied on attacking in the paint.

The problem is Towns’ defense was a step slow throughout the game. He didn’t rotate fast enough to help against slashers; meanwhile, Andre Drummond dropped 14 points and 13 rebounds on him.

Vs. IND: 22 PTS (9/19 FG, 4/9 3PT, 0/1 FT), 5 AST, 8 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 37 mins

Vs. PHI: 21 PTS (9/16 FG, 3/7 3PT), 5 AST, 7 REB, 2 TO in 36 mins

Mikal Bridges was the only Knick to play well on both nights. His offense stayed consistent as ever, highlighted by midrange jumpers off the dribble and sprinting ahead of defenders in transition. Bridges’ three-point shooting required a bit of space, but it’s impeccable when he has even a split-second to set up.

The wing did well as a tertiary playmaker, attacking off swing passes and through screens. He also did well to chase long rebounds. Bridges contributed everywhere.

Vs. IND: 16 PTS (5/13 FG, 2/7 3PT, 4/7 FT), 1 AST, 6 REB, 2 STL, 3 TO in 34 mins

Vs. PHI: 2 PTS (1/9 FG, 0/4 3PT), 1 AST, 3 REB, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 31 mins

After Brunson hit the go-ahead three with four seconds left in the game in Indiana, OG Anunoby sealed things with a steal. That concluded a night of great defense against Pascal Siakim. Anunoby wasn’t as good offensively, though his cutting and finishing at the basket helped make up for mistakes.

Anunoby couldn’t get anything going with Philadelphia. There’s no wiggle to his slashing, and straight-line drives into traffic kept getting him in trouble on both nights.

Vs. IND: 16 PTS (7/10 FG, 2/4 3PT), 11 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 26 mins

Vs. PHI: 2 PTS (1/3 FG, 0/2 3PT), 2 AST, 4 TO in 15 mins

Tyler Kolek followed up his outstanding performance in the NBA Cup Final with the best game of his career in Indiana. The sophomore was a spark for the Knicks’ offense in both halves, putting on a masterclass in manipulating defense. His passing was fantastic, but he also played aggressively with off-the-dribble jumpers and floaters.

Then Kolek fell to Earth against Philadelphia. He was unusually sloppy with the ball and threw passes away repeatedly. The Sixers made a point to attack him on defense, and their athletic ball-handlers knocked him into fouls and frustration.

Vs. IND: 18 PTS (6/12 FG, 5/9 3PT, 1/1 FT), 1 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 29 mins

Vs. PHI: 9 PTS (4/6 FG, 1/2 3PT), 2 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 16 mins

The Knicks’ microwave scorer has finally found his jumper. Jordan Clarkson made big shots throughout the game against Indiana. While Tyler Kolek starred off the bench, Clarkson complemented him with excellent scoring and a quality defensive effort.

Clarkson stayed hot against the Sixers, with an efficient nine-point outing. But he kept turning the ball over and wasn’t good defensively.

There’s not much to add, as the Knicks looked tired throughout this series. The NBA Cup winners deserved a break, not a back-to-back. They’re back home, and hopefully can get much-needed rest now.

I’ll see you next time, Knicks’ fam!