Pacers save their best for Game 7, put away Knicks in MSG

The Pacers recovered from an 0-2 deficit to win four of the next five games and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

May 20, 2024

The Pacers went into a hostile Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon and turned the crowd tame with a wire-to-wire effort that left the short-handed Knicks chasing from double-digits down most of the game, before the Pacers closed out the series with a 130-109 win.

So much going on in this game. So much fun. So hard to know where to begin. I guess with the actual play on the court.

All of the self-inflicted harm in the prior three losses at MSG served as rough lessons that educated the Pacers and had them ready for the Game 7 challenge. Pascal Siakam served notice from the tip, that he was in it to win it, going at his old teammate OG Anunoby which quickly sent OG to the bench since he was quite obviously not ready to play on his balky hamstring.

Siakam scored 11 points in the first quarter on 5 of 6 shots, including a 3-ball. Once, Pascal had the Pacers rolling, Tyrese Haliburton joined the party by hitting a 3-ball and then engaging a courtside fan who had been chirping his way. The shot uncorked a lethal offensive stretch from Haliburton who finished the first quarter with 14 points on 5 of 7 shots, including 4 of 5 from 3-land.

The Pacers scored 39 points in the first quarter of a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. It was good for a 12-point lead and the Pacers kept rolling from there.

The Knicks were doing their Knicks things with Jalen Brunson working and earning every bucket he could get. Donte DiVincenzo was simply nuclear from behind the arc, making 9 of 15 threes en route to 39 points.

After the Pacers won the second quarter, to start the second half with a 15-point lead. But one of DiVincenzo’s threes midway through the third quarter cut the deficit to seven points. It was uh oh city for the Pacers as the shots stop flowing briefly and they were never going to get a friendly whistle the rest of the way.

The Pacers turned it over, giving the Knicks a chance cut the lead further, the Knicks returned the donation and Myles Turner cashed it in with a 3-ball. Then Brunson lost the ball to Haliburton and McConnell leading to a layup for Haliburton that would alter the remainder of the game.

With the lead back to double-digits, the Knicks called a time out but were unable to get the ball in bounds on the ensuing play. The Pacers scored on the third consecutive turnover to complete a critical 7-0 run and the Knicks would never cut the lead below 10 points, again.

Also, on the Haliburton layup, Brunson swiped at the ball but hit Tyrese’s knee which fractured Brunson’s hand. Soon he joined OG and the other injured Knicks on the bench for the remainder. The Pacers just had to keep playing hard and take care of what they do and the series would be theirs.

The Pacers did just that winning of four individual quarters to deliver a 48 minute effort under the brightest lights which didn’t seem possible from this group just a few weeks ago.

I’ve often talked about how immature this group was as a team. Well, they matured in a hurry. It turned out to be blessing for this group to take on the Knicks because the constant effort the Knicks give taught the Pacers some tough lessons early about just how hard you have to play while still taking care of the details. The progress from those Game 1s in Milwaukee and New York to how this team played in Game 7 in New York has been simply impressive.

The trio of Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and TJ McConnell were incredible in their supporting roles which includes making Brunson work for everything he’s trying to do. Along with that defensive effort, Nesmith added 19 points by making all eight of his FGAs, including a pair of 3-balls. The three-point shot has been brutal for Nesmith in the playoffs, so seeing those go down was a pleasant site, as was a couple 3PAs he turned down for easier shots to keep the Pacers moving in a positive direction.

Nembhard and TJ had their crafty offense going, as usual. Nembhard had a few bad turnovers in the first half, but finished with 20 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. McConnell continued to make his way into the paint for his patented floating fade aways and a couple of quick finishes at the rim which are always will killers. TJ Macs finished with 12 points and 7 assists.

Ben Sheppard and Isaiah Jackson delivered off the bench, as well. Shep seems to get a little better every game and his defensive effort is always welcomed. His offense is usually relegated to open threes or layups, but Shep actually made a little runner in the lane as things were going well for the Pacers. More please. IJax scored 9 points in his 10 minutes and also drew a fouls on the Knicks.

James Johnson was also on his game, running on the court during a timeout to diffuse a minor dust up between Siakam and DiVincenzo early in the game. Again, the Pacers were not messing around from the tip.

Two Pacers who I thought were caught up in the Game 7 moment early wereMyles Turner and Obi Toppin. Toppin in particular had no rhythm off the bench an his timing was off in his first stint, but he ended up making some things happen with 4 assists and 3 rebounds in his 15 minutes.

Turner hit an early three, but was slow to react to the ball and or GRAB the ball early in the game. He settled into the action eventually and came up huge in the second half with three big blocks at the rim which kept the Knicks from momentum swinging buckets.

The Pacers move on to play the Boston Celtics starting on Tuesday night at TD Garden. With Kristaps Porzingis expected to miss the first two games, the Pacers should have plenty of confidence left over to try to steal one of those first two games. Tatum and Brown have always been a brutal matchup for the Pacers and they have lofty goals for this season. But that relieves any pressure off the Pacers who seem to enjoy being doubted or in the case of ESPN simply ignored throughout any Game 7 analysis.

Playing with house money, yes. But also an opportunity the Pacers can’t dismiss. You never know.

But for now, it is time to enjoy beating the Knicks once, again in MSG. Fittingly, Reggie Miller had the last word on the series via Instagram. Referencing Josh Hart chastising him after Game 2, Reggie posted…When the series CHANGED!! Jalen Brunson you’re a true BALLER, been the best player in these playoffs, but you and your boys can all heal up together on some beautiful beaches in Cancun, please enjoy!! #PacersKnicksRivalryLives #GodDontLikeUgly

Beautiful. As were the Pacers basking in the postgame glow. Enjoy!

reggiemillertnt