Game Preview: Pacers at Knicks (Game 5)

Tuesday, May 14 at 8:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden

The Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks has morphed into a best-of-three games series.

Sixth-seeded Indiana will get another crack at taking a game at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday after the Blue & Gold evened their playoff series with the No. 2 New York Knicks, 2-2, over the weekend in Indianapolis.

Indiana enters Game 5 with their most convincing victory over the Knicks yet: a 121-89 thrashing at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.

PLAYOFF CENTRAL: Follow Indiana’s Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>

After leading by 20 points at the end of the first quarter of Game 4, the Pacers never let off the gas. At halftime, Indiana held a 69-51 advantage before the lead ballooned to 43 points in the second half. 

Both sides emptied their benches in the fourth quarter, treating the final frame as a mere formality.

The 32-point win was just two points away from tying the largest margin of victory in a Pacers playoff win ever, and the biggest win by the Blue & Gold in the 2024 postseason.

The Pacers shot 56.8 percent as a team overall (45.2 percent from 3-point range) in Game 4 and held the Knicks to 33.7 percent from the field, including 7-for-37 from deep.

Six Pacers finished in double-digit scoring, led by 20 points from Tyrese Haliburton in 28 minutes and 15 points by T.J. McConnell off the bench. McConnell also dished out 10 assists to record his second postseason double-double ever.

Haliburton’s dominant play has proven vital to the Pacers’ recent success. After a rough Game 1, where he only scored six points on as many shot attempts, Haliburton has averaged 29.7 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.3 rebounds over his last three games.

Indiana’s team defense made headlines in Game 4, especially for limiting Knicks volume scorer Jalen Brunson to 18 points on 6-for-17 shooting. No other Knicks player in the starting lineup recorded more than eight points in the game, and Alec Burks posted 20 points off the bench, while Miles McBride had 16 points in 32 minutes.

Brunson, who has carried the Knicks’ offensive load all season, has seen his scoring numbers decrease each time out since logging 43 points in Game 1. His 18 points on Sunday were a playoff low for him.

Like every other game in the series thus far, both teams will keep an eye on the injury report leading up to the tip of Game 5.

The Knicks could be without ex-Indiana University Hoosier OG Anunoby for a third straight game on Tuesday, as he continues recovering from a calf injury sustained during Game 2. When Anunoby plays, the Knicks are 26-5 this season, including 2-0 against the Pacers in the playoffs.

RELATED: Pacers Not Getting Too High Despite Complete Performance in Game 4 >>

If the Pacers can win Game 5 at MSG, they will feel like they’re in prime position to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 1999 season. 

Game 6 will occur in Indianapolis on Friday, and the Pacers are 5-0 at home in the playoffs. Indiana also hasn’t lost at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since March 18.

New York has lost just one game at home in the playoffs thus far: Game 5 in overtime against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 30.

Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner

Knicks: G – Jalen Brunson, G – Donte DiVincenzo, F – Josh Hart, F – Precious Achiuwa, C – Isaiah Hartenstein

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – questionable (low back spasms/sacral contusion/right ankle sprain), Aaron Nesmith – questionable (sore right shoulder,  Bennedict Mathurin – out (right shoulder labral tear)

Knicks: OG Anunoby – TBA (left hamstring strain), Bojan Bogdanovic – out  (left foot surgery), Julius Randle – out (right shoulder surgery), Mitchell Robinson – out (left ankle stress injury)

May 12, 2024: Unlike the first three games in the series, the Pacers led from nearly start to finish in a 121-89 blowout win over the Knicks in Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. With the win, the Pacers stayed undefeated (5-0) at home in the playoffs.

The Pacers scored at least 32 points in each of the first three quarters to start the game, including leading 34-14 after the first frame. 

Indiana’s lead swelled to 28 points at halftime before exploding to 43 in the second half. Both teams played their bench units for almost the entire fourth quarter.

The Pacers shot an outstanding 56.8 percent from the field while limiting the Knicks to 33.7 percent. The Pacers finished 14-for-31 from 3-point range, while the Knicks made just 7 of 37 attempts.

Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 20 points, T.J. McConnell had 15 points and 10 assists, and Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin each chipped in 14 point for the Blue & Gold.

Jalen Brunson scored 18 points in 31 minutes and Alec Burks scored 20 points off the bench for the visitors. Brunson was the only Knicks starter to hit double digits for points on the night. 

The Pacers won the rebounding margin 52-43, had 31 assists as a team and outscored the Knicks 60-40 in the paint. 

Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)

TV: TNT – Broadcasters TBA

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)

The Pacers will host the Knicks for Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, May 17. The time for Game 6 is TBD. Find Tickets >>