The Boston Celtics are in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Their opponent could be decided on Friday night when the New York Knicks visit the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 with the Knicks up 3-2, but the Pacers are favored on the NBA odds to force a Game 7.
| Expert Pick Pacers -5.5 (total 216) What´s the Score? Pacers 116, Knicks 113 |
New York Knicks Betting Line +140
The Knicks rolled the Pacers 121-91 in Game 5 for a 3-2 lead and to move one victory from reaching their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.
Jalen Brunson registered 44 points and seven assists, marking his fifth game this postseason recording at least 40 points and five assists. He joined Michael Jordan, Jerry West, and LeBron James as the only players with five or more games of 40+ points and five or more assists in a single postseason in NBA history. The Knicks record for most 40-point games in a single postseason is six by Bernard King.
His jumper was falling, but Brunson was on the attack all night, with 32 of the 44 points coming in the paint (where he shot 13-for-22) or at the free-throw line (6-for-7). The 26 points in the paint were tied for the second most in his career, topped only by his 30 points in the paint when he scored 61 total against San Antonio in late March.
The Knicks ran some actions to help him get downhill. And Brunson was obviously feeling much better than he did in Game 4 on Sunday when dealing with a knee issue. Asked what was different, Brunson said, “I don’t know. Maybe because of the home crowd. They were phenomenal and I just had to regroup, had to adjust.”
Alec Burks came off the bench and scored 20 points and five made three-pointers. Burks became the third player in franchise history to come off the bench and record five made three-pointers in a playoff game, joining Miles McBride and Hubert Davis. Josh Hart had 18 points and 11 rebounds. After being a non-factor in the Knicks’ Game 4 loss Sunday, Hart bounced back to grab double-digit rebounds for the eighth time this postseason. Hart is averaging 15.8 points on 45.9 percent shooting, 12.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists over 43.6 minutes per game this postseason.
Coach Tom Thibodeau elected to start McBride, a guard, instead of 6-8 forward Precious Achiuwa in Game 5 and it worked as McBride played great defense on Tyrese Haliburton while scoring 17 points himself. Haliburton finished with just 13. It wasn’t a shocking lineup adjustment considering Thibodeau used McBride over Achiuwa to begin the second half in Game 4. McBride was successful as a starter in the regular season, averaging 17.9 points in 14 contests, with the Knicks compiling a 6-8 record.
The Knicks had 29 more shot attempts than Indiana thanks to their dominance on the boards in Game 5. New York outrebounded the Pacers 53-29 overall and 20-5 on the offensive glass, outscoring Indiana 62-36 in points in the paint and 26-9 in second-chance points. Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein had 12 offensive rebounds alone.
The Knicks defeated the Pacers by 30 points, forced 18 turnovers, and outrebounded Indiana on the offensive glass by 15, becoming the first team in NBA playoff history to accomplish this feat. The Pacers were held to 91 points, marking the 10th time this postseason the Knicks held their opponent 100 points or less.
New York forward OG Anunoby missed a third straight game with a hamstring injury and won’t play Friday.
^Indiana Pacers Betting Line -172
The Pacers are 5-0 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the playoffs and have won 10 straight home games including the regular season. Indiana has not lost at home since March 18. In Game 4 of this series, Indiana won 121-89 at home, the team’s third-largest playoff win in NBA franchise history, and its largest since the Pacers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers by 34 in Game 6 of the First Round in 2018.
But the Pacers will be eliminated on Friday if they don’t get more from All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was shut down largely by New York’s Miles McBride in Game 5. Haliburton finished with 13 points and five assists on nine shot attempts, his lowest scoring total since he tallied just six points in Game 1. His minus-22 rating in Game 5 was by far the worst of any Indiana starter.
There were stretches Tuesday when Haliburton drifted on the perimeter, seeming detached from the action, or passed up shots, or simply settled for jumpers instead of driving into the teeth of the defense. Haliburton responded well after also struggling in Game 1, averaging 29.7 points over his next three games. The 24-year-old — who is playing in his first playoffs — vowed to be better in Game 6. The Pacers are not flush with offensive creators so if Haliburton isn’t attacking, their offense stalls out.
“I just got to do a better job of being aggressive,” Haliburton said. “I said the same thing after Game 1. It’s more on me than it is on what anybody else is doing. So, you know, I’ll fix that next game.”
For Haliburton to have any more success Friday, the Pacers are going to need to run. And that means they’ll need to defend better.
“If we don’t get stops and rebounds, our game is not going to look good. We’re not going to be able to get the ball out. All of our playmakers are not going to have opportunities to get the ball and attack,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “You take the ball out of the net, you’re climbing an uphill battle.”
Pascal Siakam had a nice game with 22 points and eight rebounds in the loss. Siakam was the only Pacer to score 20-plus points in Game 5, and he was the second-leading scorer for the game behind Jalen Brunson. Siakam managed to reach 20-plus points for the second time in three games. He is averaging 19.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in the series.
Myles Turner had 16 points and five rebounds. He was responsible for four of the Pacers’ 12 three-point makes Tuesday, his most in the postseason since Game 4 of the first round vs. the Bucks. He extended his streak of two-plus blocks to three games but committed a team-high four turnovers. Turner is averaging 17.6 points on 49.3 percent shooting, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 blocks in these playoffs.
This is the first elimination game Indiana has faced this postseason. If it wins, Game 7 would be Sunday back at Madison Square Garden.
“There’s no excuses, but all the guys on our roster, I believe it’s the first time they’ve been in a Game 5, tied 2-2, going on the road. So you learn a lot in those situations very quickly,” Carlisle said. “So this is a different circumstance, and as a playoff series, it’s going to get harder and harder.”
^MyBookie | NBA Bracket Lines to Win
Knicks at Pacers Info
When: Friday, 8:30 PM ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Radio: Tunein.com
|
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The Celtics are heading to the ECF after defeating the Cavs😳🔥
— MyBookie – Bet With The Best (@MyBookie) May 16, 2024
CLE +16 / BOS ML -1800 / OVER 205.5✅ pic.twitter.com/tkCssboyLH
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2024 Pacers vs Knicks Playoffs Game 2
Behind another epic game from All-Star Jalen Brunson and a few gift calls from the referees, the New York Knicks rallied to win Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against Indiana and again are solid home favorites on the NBA odds for Game 2 on Wednesday.
Tyrese Haliburton is questionable today for Indiana, and Mitchell Robinson suffered a stress injury to his left ankle which will sideline him for at least 6-to-8 weeks.
| Expert Pick Knicks -5 (total 220.5) What´s the Score? Knicks 112, Pacers 109 |
Indiana Pacers Odds +119
Yes, the Pacers are down 1-0 in the series but they probably should have and would have won Game 1 if not for two really bad calls against them late. With the game tied at 115 in the final minute, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson dribbled the ball over halfcourt. He then delivered an errant pass that bounced off the hand of Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith and into the hands of Indiana teammate Andrew Nembhard for an apparent turnover. But officials whistled a kick ball on Nesmith, and the Knicks retained possession. Shortly after, Donte DiVincenzo hit a 3-pointer to give the Knicks a 118-115 lead they would never give up. Officials have admitted they blew that one.
Then with under 20 seconds left and New York up 118-117. Tyrese Haliburton dribbled over halfcourt, and Myles Turner set a screen on his defender New York’s Donte DiVincenzo. However, Turner was called for a moving screen, which was absurd. Was he moving? Maybe, but you don’t call that in the final seconds of a playoff game. The Pacers challenged but were unsuccessful.
“I don’t want to talk about the officiating. We’re not expecting to get calls in here,” Coach Rick Carlisle said after. “It would’ve been nice if they’d laid off that one, but they didn’t. That’s just the way it goes. We challenged it, they reviewed it. They got a bunch of people in New Jersey that agreed with them, so, that’s just the way it goes.”
Overall, Game 1 featured 12 ties and eight lead changes. The Pacers trailed by three points after the first quarter, led by six at the half, and took a five-point advantage into the final frame. However, Haliburton had one of his worst games of the season with just six points on 2-for-6 shooting, eight assists, four steals and two rebounds over 36 minutes. Haliburton posted his lowest point total of the postseason thus far, failing to reach double digits for the second time in seven playoff contests. He has been dealing with back spasms, and that may have affected his performance Monday.
The six shots were his second-fewest attempts in a game this season after a game in January when he left in the first half because of an injury. The Knicks’ game plan included trying to deny him the ball at times, but there were several moments when Haliburton appeared timid when shot opportunities presented themselves.
“I erred on the side of playmaking … and that wasn’t the right decision for me,” Haliburton said Tuesday following the team’s practice. “I still got to be who I am, but yeah, I’ll just be better tomorrow.”
Indiana’s bench outscored New York’s second unit 46-3 in the game. Six Pacers players scored in double digits, as Turner topped the Pacers with 23 points, Pascal Siakam added 19, and T.J. McConnell supplied 18 off the bench.
Pacers Hall of Famer and longtime Knicks antagonist Reggie Miller is set to join the TNT broadcast for Game 2. Indiana and New York squared off in the postseason six times over an eight-year stretch from 1992 to 2000, with Miller frequently playing the role of villain at Madison Square Garden, where he routinely feuded with Knicks players and fans.
“I’m sure I’ll hear the chants, I’m sure I’ll hear all those naughty words,” he said. “I will be surprised during the game if I don’t hear, ‘Reggie sucks.’ Actually, I’ll be a little hurt if I don’t hear, ‘Reggie sucks.’ I kind of want that.”
New York Knicks Odds -145
After a tight 36 minutes, the Knicks dropped 39 points in the fourth quarter — while coming with some clutch late-game moments — to post a 121-117 win over the Pacers in Game 1 on Monday. New York guard Donte DiVincenzo hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to make it 118-115 Knicks before Indiana’s Pascal Siakam scored a close-range bucket to cut it to one point with 27 seconds left.
Indiana then got the ball back by forcing a Jalen Brunson turnover, but on the next possession Pacers center Myles Turner was called for an offensive foul on a screen with 12 seconds left. In the final ticks, Brunson made a trio of free throws and the Knicks got a defensive stop to clinch it.
Brunson, who entered the night leading all scorers in the postseason at 35.5 points per game, finished with 43 points on 14-for-26 shooting (14-for-14 from the free throw line), DiVincenzo logged 25 points, and Josh Hart recorded 24 points and 13 rebounds. All three of those guys played at Villanova. It marked the first time in NBA playoff history that three players from the same college scored at least 20 points each.
Brunson now has 40 points in four straight playoff games. Added to his six assists in Game 1 , he became the first player in NBA history to have a run of four consecutive 40-point, 5-assist playoff games. Brunson also has recorded at least 30 points and five assists in five consecutive playoff games. He is also the fifth player in NBA history to accomplish this, joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. Brunson also registered his fifth game this postseason with 25+ points and five or more assists. He passed Walt Frazier for the most such games in a single postseason in Knicks history.
Brunson has scored or assisted on 321 points in his past five games, the second most over a five-game span in NBA postseason history. He trails only Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic from last postseason (329 over five playoff games).
“The little things can go a long way,” Brunson said. “So yeah, the 40 points are cool and all, but it’s the little things that help us win games like that. So I’m just happy I have the group of guys that I do. I just know that we’re going to fight every single day. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
Hart scored his 24 points on 69.2 percent shooting and became the first player in franchise history to record at least 20 points on 65 percent shooting, 12 rebounds, and eight assists in a playoff game. DiVincenzo joined Larry Johnson as the only Knick to record at least 25 points, five made three-pointers on 50 percent or better from three without making a free throw in team playoff history.
All five Knicks starters recorded double figure scoring and at least one three-pointer for the first time in team playoff history. The Knicks shot 47.8 percent from three, marking the first time the Knicks shot at least 47 percent from three in a playoff game since 2000.
Pacers at Knicks Info
When: Wednesday, 8 PM ET
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app
Radio: Tunein.com
Injuries to Consider
Indiana Pacers
| Date | Player | Position | Status |
| May 7 | Tyrese Haliburton | PG/td> | Day-To-Day |
NY Knicks
| Date | Player | Position | Status |
| May 7 | Mitchell Robinson | C | Out |
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