NBA Game Chat: Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks, 3:30 PM – Metsmerized Online

While the New York Mets are attempting to avoid a sweep in Miami against the Marlins, the New York Knicks are one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.

Game 7 of the second-round series between the No. 6-seeded Indiana Pacers and the No. 2-seeded Knicks is scheduled to tip-off today at 3:30 pm ET,.

Each of the first six games have been won by the home team. The Knicks, who pushed and pushed at the end of the season, earned the right to host a game of his magnitude. On Friday night, the Pacers avoided elimination with a 116-103 win. The Knicks will look to use that and respond in front of their home crowd, where they are 5-1 this postseason.

Pacers Starting Five (Projected)

PG: Tyrese Haliburton

SG: Andrew Nembhard

SF: Aaron Nesmith

PF: Pascal Siakam

C: Myles Turner

Knicks Starting Five (Projected)

PG: Jalen Brunson

SG:Donte DiVincenzo

SF: Josh Hart

PF: OG Anunoby

C: Isaiah Hartenstein

Injury News

Hold your breath Knicks’ fans. Josh Hart (abdomen) and OG Anunoby (hamstring) entered the day questionable. Hart suffered what is being described as an abdominal strain in the first quarter of Game 6 on Friday. Prior to the game, he indicated to reporters he would play. He is officially listed as active and will start.

Anunoby’s status has changed quite a bit in the last 12-to-18 hours. For the better part of the last week, the expectation was that he would only return if the Knicks were to advance to the conference finals. But on Saturday night, reports said Anunoby want to be out there with his teammates in a win-or-go-home scenario at home. He has not played since suffering the hamstring injury in the third quarter of Game 2, back on May 8. Anunoby is active and is scheduled to start.

Things To Watch For

1. OG Anunoby: If OG Anunoby is cleared to suit up and play (which he has been), his role in this game will be critical, regardless of the minutes he ends up playing. In the first two games of this series, he did a great job defending two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam. Since Anunoby went out with the injury, the Pacers forward has averaged 21.8 points on 57.6 percent shooting from the field. Limiting Siakam will be a major point of emphasis for the Knicks’ frontcourt.

2. Miles McBride: Bench scoring is one of the many reasons why the Pacers have gotten to this point. In the regular season, they led the league in that statistic, with 46.8 points per game from their second unit. In their wins, T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin have made their stamp. The Knicks bench unit will likely include Miles McBride, who started the last two games. His scoring off the dribble will be needed if the team wants to survive minutes when Jalen Brunson is off the floor.

3. Tyrese Haliburton: Tyrese Haliburton has been superb in the three home games in the series. But, at Madison Square Garden, he has been more up-and-down. In the three games in New York, has scored six points, 34 points, and 13 points, on 52.9 percent shooting. He has been efficient, but he took six shots in Game 1 and nine shots in Game 5. Pacer fans will hope he is more aggressive today. If he does look for his shot more often, the Knicks cannot afford to let him get comfortable on that end.