The New York Knicks look to bounce back from a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers when they face the Indiana Pacers on Friday, Nov. 13, in an NBA Cup Group Play game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Karl-Anthony Towns enters the matchup one double-double away from setting a new Knicks franchise record, and the Pacers are dealing with a thin backcourt.
Knicks Vs Pacers Game Information
- Date: Friday, Nov. 13
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
- TV/Streaming: Prime Video
- Stage: NBA Cup, Group Play
New York enters at 6-5, sitting third in the Atlantic Division, 3.5 games behind Boston. Indiana is 4-8, third in the Central Division at 4.0 games back of Detroit.
Can Towns Break The Willis Reed Record Against The Pacers
Towns recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds in Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland, giving him 11 consecutive double-doubles to open the 2026-27 season. That streak matches a mark Willis Reed set for the Knicks in 1970-71, a record that had stood for 56 years, according to Sporting News. A double-double of at least 10 points and 10 rebounds against the Pacers would push Towns past Reed and into sole possession of the franchise record for consecutive double-doubles to start a season.
What Happened To Jalen Brunson’s Free-Throw Numbers Against Cleveland
Brunson scored 27 points in the loss to Cleveland but did not attempt a single free throw, part of a lopsided disparity that saw the Knicks shoot just 11 free throws compared to 25 for the Cavaliers. Knicks head coach Mike Brown called the zero-attempt total for his star guard “pretty alarming” and said he hoped to “get a better whistle” from officials going forward, according to Bleacher Report. How Brunson is officiated against Indiana will be worth watching given the frequency with which he attacks the rim as New York’s primary scorer and distributor.
How Are Both Teams Trending Entering Friday
New York had won four straight games, including a 117-85 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks and a 135-105 blowout of the Chicago Bulls, before the 115-107 setback in Cleveland snapped that streak. Indiana split its last two outings, dropping a 125-122 decision to the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 10 before beating the Washington Wizards 114-101 on Thursday, Nov. 12, the night before hosting the Knicks.
Statistically, the Pacers have been the more efficient offensive team through 12 games, shooting 46.8% from the field compared to 43.6% for the 11-game Knicks. New York has offset that gap on the glass, out-rebounding its opponents with 14.2 offensive boards per game against Indiana’s 9.2, and New York also leads in defensive rebounding, 33.9 to 31.9.
Pacers Injury Report Thins Out The Backcourt
Indiana is without Tyrese Haliburton, who is listed as out with a left leg hamstring strain and does not have a return date before Nov. 22. Guards Johnny Furphy and Ben Sheppard are both out as well, Furphy recovering from right leg knee surgery and Sheppard dealing with a left knee issue, neither with a return timeline before Jan. 2. T.J.
McConnell (right leg hamstring strain) and Aaron Nesmith (right knee soreness) are both listed as day-to-day for Friday’s game. With that group of guards compromised, Pascal Siakam leads Indiana with averages of 22.7 points and 6.9 rebounds, while Andrew Nembhard paces the team with 7.8 assists per game.
New York’s offense still runs through Jalen Brunson, who leads the Knicks with 26.0 points and 5.2 assists per game. Towns adds 20.9 points and a team-high 13.5 rebounds per game, numbers that put his double-double streak in context heading into Indianapolis.
What To Watch
The game counts toward NBA Cup Group Play standings, adding stakes beyond the regular-season matchup. New York will look to answer Wednesday’s free-throw disparity and the end of its four-game winning streak, while Indiana tries to build on back-to-back encouraging results against a Knicks roster missing none of its own rotation pieces. Towns’ pursuit of the franchise double-double record against a short-handed Pacers front line adds another storyline to track as tipoff approaches.
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