Knicks Frustrated After Loss to Pacers

The New York Knicks are not happy after their 132-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Despite having a lead going into the fourth quarter, the Knicks were unable to withstand the barrage of Pacers offense in the final 12 minutes, resulting in a disappointing loss.

“They’re a great offensive team. And we gave up way too much,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting. “We don’t challenge shots, they’re going to make. So too big of a discrepancy from the three-point line. They made 21, we made 7. That’s a problem. Our offense, we score 121 points, we shoot 55 (percent). We got to the line a lot. Outrebounded them. But we didn’t cover the 3-point line.”

The loss brings the Knicks to 4-5 on the season, and while other teams in the Eastern Conference are struggling alongside them, New York has higher expectations for itself.

The loss frustrated Karl-Anthony Towns in particular.

“This is my 10th year in the NBA. Last year was a year where I had a tremendous amount of experience garnered going to the Western Conference Finals, and I know when we were in Game 80, 81, 82 against the Suns, we looked back at those Game 1, Game 4, you looked back at the ones you gave away that put you in a better position whether it’s to be in the No. 1 seed, No. 2 seed, No. 3 seed, or gives us a chance to choose our destiny,” Towns said. “That’s why I’m disappointed. Experience has taught me a lot. This is just as important as Game 82, and we just didn’t come out with a win. That’s what’s so disappointing to me.”

While the Knicks won’t be able to get that game back against the Pacers, Towns is right. They cannot take any of these games for granted.

Last year, the Knicks won 50 games, which got them the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat, just four games back with 46 wins, were the No. 8 seed. That means every game should matter in the gauntlet that is the East, because a lot of the contenders are pretty even in terms of talent and quality. The final standings at the end of the year could very well come down to these tight games early in the season, so the Knicks need to treat each matchup like a playoff game.

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