NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 29: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks drives against Tyrese … More
The Indiana Pacers and their fan base have waited 25 years for an NBA Finals return; they can remain patient for two more days. It’s a trip back to Madison Square Garden that would weigh heavy on the heart.
Thursday’s visit to the world’s most famous arena was far from pleasant for the visitors. Yes, the Pacers won this series’ first two tilts there, but what were the odds they’d go 3-0 at the Mecca? Indiana ending the New York Knicks’ season on their home floor seemed less likely than a Game 6.
But probabilities and sentiments don’t determine outcomes. Credit the hosts for getting the job done with a defensive-driven 111-94 win.
New York circumnavigated shooting 8/29 [27.6 percent]
from beyond the arc. The Knicks fared 15/22 [68.2 percent] from the free-throw line. The Pacers produced nine more points than them at the charity stripe.
Feeding off the energy of the celebrity-filled home crowd, the hosts didn’t allow long-range misses or the pressure of a do-or-die matchup to take from their focus.
Instead, as Timothy Chalamet, Michael Strahan, Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan, and, of course, Spike Lee, among other high-profile attendees, cheered on their beloved Knicks, the team remained dialed in defensively.
A potent blend of deterring drives, crisp rotations, and quality first-shot defense held Indiana to 40.5 percent shooting. The visitors went 10/30 [33.3 percent] from three-point range.
New York also limited them to 34 points in the paint. Minimizing the damage from distance and around the basket is no easy feat, especially against the group generating the third-most points per game in the playoffs [116.9]
.
All that work would have been for nothing if it wasn’t for the Knicks’ effort on the defensive glass. They yielded only eight offensive rebounds, leaving little wiggle room for the visitors to overcome a poor shooting performance.
One of the Pacers’ greatest strengths undermined them in Game 5
Indiana entered Thursday’s contest averaging 12.1 giveaways, tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth-fewest turnovers among playoff teams, per NBA.com. In the regular season, the Pacers only coughed the ball up 13.2 times. That again matched the Cavaliers, this time for the third-fewest turnovers.
But in Game 5, they uncharacteristically struggled to take care of the ball. Errant entry passes, kick-out attempts that landed in the waiting arms of the opposition, and transition attacks gone awry undermined Indiana.
Primarily, credit the Knicks for earning this win. But the comeback attempts staged by the visitors were repeatedly quelled by one of their greatest strengths.
The Pacers committed 19 turnovers on Thursday. The hosts parlayed those into 13 points in a game they won by 17.
That comes on the heels of Tyrese Haliburton’s historic performance. Indiana’s star guard manufactured 32 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds without committing a turnover in the Pacers’ 130-121 victory in Game 4. He’s the first player to do so in the postseason.
“We’re fine,” said Haliburton after Thursday’s loss. “There’s no need to panic.”
The two-time All-NBA selection is spot on. Panic doesn’t do anyone any good. And Indiana’s proven to be the better side to this point in the series, hence its 3-2 lead.
It’s not lost on this author that the Knicks haven’t played for the Larry O’Brien Trophy since 1999. However, the Pacers are the ones in the driver’s seat.
The prospect of a New York team with an identity forged from refusing to yield under pressure forcing an anxiety-inducing Game 7 at Madison Square Garden looms large.
But after 25 years without an NBA Finals appearance, like the team Indiana will have to vanquish, the Pacers and their fan base have waited long enough. Saturday’s the time to end their drought.
