All-Star teammates Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton now meet as rivals with their respective seasons on the line.
It took a little longer than either of those teams would have liked – both the Knicks and Pacers suffered disappointing Game 5 losses before shutting out the Sixers and Bucks, respectively. But they pulled through in a Thursday matchup to set up a rematch of the franchises exciting 2013 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Indiana won the 2023-24 season series, 2-1, and outrebounded the Knicks by an average of 123.3-115.3. All three meetings came before the All-Star break, so it’s been a while.
Series program
Here’s how to watch the Knicks vs. Pacers:
All times are Eastern Daylight Time
- Game 1: Pacers vs. Knicks, Monday, May 6 (7:30 p.m., TNT)
- Game 2: Pacers vs. Knicks, Wednesday, May 8 (8 p.m., TNT)
- Game 3: Knicks vs. Pacers, Friday, May 10 (7 p.m., ESPN)
- Game 4: Knicks vs. Pacers, Sunday, May 12 (3:30 p.m., ABC)
- Game 5: Pacers vs. Knicks (TBD, TBD) *
- Game 6: Knicks vs. Pacers (TBD, TBD) *
- Game 7: Pacers vs. Knicks (TBD, TNT) *
* = If necessary
Top story
Battle of the point guards. Teammates on the East All-Star team a few months ago, Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton now meet as rivals with their respective seasons on the line and a trip to the conference finals for one. Branson will likely be a top five vote for Kia MVP. Halliburton led the NBA in assists. Both could land on All-NBA teams.
Each was the driving force behind his team, but he gets the job done in his own way. Halliburton is a lanky, first-down playmaker who drove the equivalent of an Indy 500 car, with the Pacers leading the NBA with 123.3 points per game.
Brunson is a strong, rugged grinder who has elevated his game due to injuries to teammates such as Julius Randle, O.G. Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.
This season, Brunson averaged 35.7 points against the Pacers, shooting 49.4 percent and earning 10 trips to the lane per game. Halliburton was Indiana’s leading scorer against New York, averaging 19.7 while dishing out 13.3 assists. Whoever wins this match will likely take their team to another round.
Keep your eyes peeled
Knicks’ D vs. Pacers’ O. The Pacers were held under 100 points just once in 82 regular season games. Then Milwaukee, no longer known for its defense, stopped them to 94 and 92 points twice in the first four games of the first-round series.
Now it’s the Knicks’ turn. Don’t think coach Tom Thibodeau won’t go to school on what the Bucks did with their turnovers and cross-matches. They’ll need every trick they can learn, because the Pacers have scored 30 points or more in eight of the 12 quarters between the teams. Their shooters knocked down 47.6% of their 3-point attempts and 54.6% overall.
The key is to get past Indiana’s offense. The Pacers ranked No. 2 in the NBA in pace and averaged 16.6 fast break points. Forcing them to play in the half court, get stuck in isolation and fight the shot clock is a recipe for disrupting their rhythm.
1 more thing to note about each team
For the Knicks: OG Anunoby. A pesky and versatile defender, Anunoby played just one game against Indiana – and that was way back in November, when he was still in Toronto. He was inactive for all three meetings after his trade to New York. Elbow surgery cost him two months, but the Knicks went 20-3 with him in the lineup and, whatever you think of the plus/minus ratings, Anunoby was a plus in all 23 appearances. Logging minutes with former Raptors teammate Pascal Siakam.
For the Pacers: Myles Turner. Turner is the longest-tenured Pacers dean in terms of playoff experience. He’s in 32 games and over six postseasons, now getting out of the first round for the first time. He had a cunker in the clincher over Milwaukee (1-for-6, 5 points, 4 fouls), but averaged 22.0 points and shot 47.4% from the arc through the first five games. He won’t be the load Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid had for Isaiah Hartenstein and Robinson, but Turner moves better, is more dangerous on threes and finishes strong on the break.
The choice
Knicks at six. New York is more likely to set the pace for this series, which will upset Indiana’s biggest strength, its preferred faster style. Brunson has been unstoppable, averaging 31 points since the All-Star break with a usage rating (35.5) that would match Luka Doncic’s season mark. Role players Anunoby, Hartenstein, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo are tough complements. And while we don’t want to put too much weight on the In-Season Tournament, the Pacers shrunk with the NBA Cup in Las Vegas. This stage is even bigger.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him to X.
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