Knicks Must Make Statement vs. Pacers

The last time the New York Knicks played a game with anything on the line at Madison Square Garden came five months ago in the team’s Game 7 loss against the Indiana Pacers.

Now, the Knicks and Pacers have returned to the scene of the crime when Indiana stole homecourt advantage and a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The series loss against the Pacers is something star point guard Jalen Brunson has thought about all offseason long.

“Game 3 in Indiana, I think, was a missed opportunity on our part,” Brunson said in video from SNY. “Then in the following Game 4, we didn’t show up, so how we closed out that series was not ideal, them winning four of the last five. … That’s something that I’ve thought about. Whenever you don’t win, you think about what you did to lose.”

The Knicks have had a long time to digest and stomach the loss, but with the Pacers back in town, it’s an opportunity to heal from that defeat a little bit.

The playoff loss will still sting, and it may never go away. But in order for the Knicks to not let it affect them as much during the season, a win filled with revenge against the Pacers would give the team a lot of confidence going forward.

After the team’s season-opening loss earlier in the week against the Boston Celtics where they allowed an NBA-record 29 3-pointers, getting in the win column for the first time this season will do a lot for the Knicks moving forward.

A loss won’t derail things or mean too much in the long run, but it’s important to start applying winning culture and traditions sooner rather than later.

The Knicks and Pacers are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and MSG.

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