The Indiana Pacers battled with the Milwaukee Bucks during the playoff’s first round to clinch the series, winning 4 matches while they sent the Milwaukee Bucks to the offseason.
It’s the Eastern Conference semifinals and the Indiana Pacers’ next opponent is the New York Knicks who beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoff’s first round.
The Indiana Pacers lost their first two games at Madison Square; thus, need to win their game 3 match in their home to extend the semi-final play.
Indiana Pacers have had 4 home wins in their last 4 home matches, therefore, there’s a possibility that the Pacers could win their next home games which includes Game 4. Let’s see how the Game 3 battle against the New York Knicks ended and what to expect in Game 4 from the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana Pacers Game 3 Recap
The Game 3 semi-final playoffs between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers was similar to the Knicks’ Game 5 playoff against the Sixers, with lots of teeth-gnashing moments.
The game started slow for the Knicks as the Pacers dominated the first quarter of the game with pace and led with a 9-point margin. Then, eight minutes till the end of the 2nd quarter, Alec Burks got a bucket and drew a foul which equalized the score: 35-35. However, the Pacers still dominated the game killing any hope of taking the lead for the Knicks.
The game’s momentum and adrenaline kept increasing like a snowball, and then Donte DiVincenzo took the initiative to stop this running engine by equalizing for the Knicks, yet, the Pacers blocked him to give Tyrese Haliburton 20 points in the first half of the game.
Finally, the first half of the game ended with the Pacers 5 points ahead of the Knicks who scored 58 points. Also, the top performers were Donte DiVincenzo and Tyrese Haliburton bucketing 15 points and 23 points respectively.
The Turning Point for the New York Knicks
It’s the first quarter of the second half and nothing seems to change for the New York Knicks. In other words, the Pacers were locked in and hungry to clinch an outstanding performance.
Two minutes before the end of the 3rd quarter, the Knicks weren’t having it, and therefore, focused on stopping the heart of the Pacers’ engine, Tyrese Haliburton, which worked in their favor.
In the fourth quarter, the New York Knicks led the Indiana Pacers. It seemed the Pacers’ pace reduced after displaying dominance in the first half of the game. Thus, it’s time for the Knicks to clinch this game series win.
The Knicks were leading with eight points ahead of the Pacers with DiVincenzo scoring 35 points.
Tension woke up from its slumber when Pascal Siakam grabbed a bucket and got fouled by the Knicks. Thus, this scenario put the Pacers tied to the lead with a score line of 99-99.
The Knicks’ superstar, Jalen Brunson, who’s been quiet since the beginning of the game helped increase the tension by putting the Knicks one point ahead of the Pacers to give the Knicks a total of 101 points.
The Controversy That Favored The Indiana Pacers
It’s two minutes till the end of the second half and these NBA teams were tied to the lead with the scores 102-102 when Josh Hart tried to give the Knicks the lead but Myles Turner blocked it which intrigued some controversies that Turner’s block was/wasn’t goaltending. However, these sentiments were ruled out and the game continued with the Pacers leading the Knicks.
When the Pacers thought the game was done and dusted, Jalen Brunson pointed at some dust the Pacers left by scoring a 3-point to tie the Knicks to the lead 40 seconds to the end of the fourth quarter. Scores were 106-106.
It’s 17 seconds to the end of the second half; the shot clock is down to eight, Tyrese Haliburton handling the ball from the paint tryna drive through defenders to the bucket, and then he sights Andrew Nembhard in the shooting guard position, and decides to put the Pacers’ game fate into Andrew’s hands who stepped back to shot the three-pointer.
In the end, the Indiana Pacers took the lead scoring 111 points with a 5-point margin lead against the Knicks.
What To Expect in Game 4 From The Indiana Pacers
After clinching a win against the Knicks, it seems the Indiana Pacers finally know who to watch out for in Game 4. The Pacers could defend Jalen Brunson well to reduce his offensive capability as he scored 26 points and dished out 6 assists.
Though observing from another angle, it might be a tactic to reduce the Pacer’s eye on Jalen Brunson as Donte DiVincenzo bucketed 35 points in the game.
With the Pacers having the home advantage, they could win Game 4 by focusing their tactics around Tyrese, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner. Finally, they shouldn’t let their guards down around Jalen Brunson because he could come back and take over game 4 with 35+ points.
About the Author
Wisdom is an email and brand copywriter with two years of content writing experience. He started Cloud Kitchen Concept to help startups and business owners elevate their brands from good to great. You can connect with him on LinkedIn and Instagram to enjoy cooked meals for your business’s growth.
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