Knicks Bounce Back vs. Pacers

The New York Knicks are celebrating for the first time this season after a 123-98 win against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden.

The victory came just 72 hours after an embarrassing 23-point loss against the defending champion Boston Celtics in the season opener.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was thrilled with his team’s effort on Friday night.

“The character of our team is very strong,” Thibodeau said postgame h/t Posting and Toasting. “No one wants to not do well, but you have to do it together. When you do it together, good things will come from that. I love the way our guys responded.”

The Knicks’ synergy looked much stronger in front of their home fans than it did on the road in Boston. Part of that may have been the desire to come out much better after losing large against the Celtics in the first game of the season.

“Whenever you get your butt kicked on national TV in the NBA, it means you have to step it up,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said postgame. “I think it’s just we laid a big egg that first game. I feel like I didn’t bring it defensively or with energy or stuff like that. We kind of knew this would be a good game for us. One thing I do, whether I make or miss shots, is having that intensity, that energy. Obviously, home opener, the place was electric. That helped.”

The Madison Square Garden crowd certainly fed into their energy, but the Knicks need to be able to channel some of that on the road as well. It won’t be hard every game considering Knicks fans are nationwide, but they still need to their own source of vigor at times in order to keep the winning ways going.

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