Basketball
‘Pacers should pale in comparison’: Knicks are heavy favorites in NBA playoff series
The Indiana Pacers meet the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs starting Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
The No. 6 seed Pacers beat the depleted No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks in six games, while the No. 2 Knicks eliminated the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers in six games.
These teams are essentially opposites: The Pacers like to play a wide-open style, run the floor, shoot a lot of 3-pointers and use a deep bench. The Knicks are willing the slow the pace, are relentless on rebounds and don’t go far into their bench.
Which style will prevail? In the minds of these NBA observers, it’s all Knicks.
All 15 ESPN personalities go with the Knicks, most in 5 or 6 games.
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New York is more likely to set the pace for this series, which will thwart Indiana’s biggest strength, that faster preferred style. Brunson has been irrepressible, averaging 31 points since the All-Star break with a usage rating (35.5) that would match Luka Doncic’s season-long mark. Role players O.G. Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo are gritty complements. And while we don’t want to put too much weight on the In-Season Tournament, the Pacers did shrink with the NBA Cup on the line in Las Vegas. This stage is even bigger.
This isn’t the same Knicks team from the beginning of the year, though. (Knicks coach Tom) Thibodeau is going to have his team prepared to defend in transition, slow down the game and grind out wins.
No postseason foe should be overlooked or dismissed, but the Knicks have the parts to go to war with close to a legitimate contender and MVP-level player. The Pacers should pale in comparison.
Indiana averaged 123.3 points in its three regular-season games against New York, but OG Anunoby didn’t play in any of those contests. He’ll make life difficult for Tyrese Haliburton, who’s the engine of the Pacers’ high-powered offense. Meanwhile, Indiana’s defense doesn’t have many answers for Jalen Brunson. He averaged 35.7 points in the regular-season series and is playing some of his best basketball in the playoffs. New York will slow down the pace, and Brunson will lead his team to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
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