Indiana Pacers pummel NY Knicks to stay alive in NBA play-offs

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers produced another big win on their home court on May 17, routing the New York Knicks 116-103 to force a decisive Game 7 in their National Basketball Association (NBA) Eastern Conference semi-final, play-off series.

Pascal Siakam scored 25 points to lead Indiana’s scoring. Tyrese Haliburton added 15 with nine assists and Myles Turner had 17 points as six players scored in double figures.

On the brink of elimination after an embarrassing 121-91 Game 5 defeat in New York, the Pacers played with desperate aggression, out-scoring the Knicks 62-38 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 47-35.

They hustled after loose balls, blocked eight shots and handed out 35 assists to keep their offence firing, and kept Knicks talisman Jalen Brunson in check for much of the night as they improved to 6-0 at home in this post-season.

They will have to follow up on the road, however, if they want to book a clash with the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Knicks hosting Game 7 on May 19 at Madison Square Garden.

“Now it’s a one-game series, and it’s for all the marbles,” Haliburton said.

“Where better to have a Game 7 than the Garden? No team’s won a game on the road in this series, so we’ve got to be ready to go from start to finish in 48 minutes.”

Brunson was limited to five points on two-of-13 shooting in the first half. He found his range after the break, scoring 14 points in the third and finishing with 31. Miles McBride added 20 for the Knicks.

While Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was pleased with his team’s bounce-back win, he was already looking ahead to the test awaiting in New York.

“You can’t sit around patting yourself on the back. That’s what gets your ass kicked the next game,” he said.

The Knicks return home with yet another injury concern after forward Josh Hart departed early in the fourth quarter with what the team called abdominal soreness.

It was just the latest blow for the team, who saw forward OG Anunoby go down to a hamstring injury in Game 2 after they were already without Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson.

“We’ll see,” was coach Tom Thibodeau’s tight-lipped response on whether Hart would be available for Game 7, but he made it clear the Knicks would not be citing injuries as an excuse.

“This is the nature of the play-offs,” he said. “You’re going to get tested physically, mentally, emotionally – and you’ve got to be able to get through all of that.” AFP