Indiana Pacers Upset New York Knicks in High-Scoring 137-134 Overtime Win at the Garden
Offense, offense and more offense, that was the name of the game in this one as the Indiana Pacers were able to outduel the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden to notch just their 14th win of the season.
Siakam Shines as Pacers Unleash a Three-Point Barrage to Guide Them to Victory
If there’s one thing you can expect from the Pacers on a nightly basis, it’s their willingness to pull the trigger from behind the arc, and that approach worked to perfection tonight for Indiana. The Pacers would knock down over 18 threes at a very efficient 40% clip to escape the Garden with a win. While the Pacers were raining in triples at a relentless pace, Pacers’ All-Star Pascal Siakam was putting the finishing touches on a fantastic night. Siakam would finish with a team-high 30 points while getting three steals to lead Indiana to victory.
Siakam also got some great support on offense tonight, as Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard showed off his sharpshooting ability in the win. The former Gonzaga Bulldog scored 24 points while sinking four threes and dishing out 10 assists in a solid outing for Indiana. Both Nembhard’s shooting and playmaking growth have played a crucial part in the Pacers much-improved play over the past two months. Nembhard is shooting a career-high 36% from three while also averaging 7.4 assists per game this season.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Pacers win if the bench didn’t also get involved on offense as well. The Pacers’ second unit would score 43 points, with three players coming off the bench scoring in double figures. That bench effort was led by fan favorite backup guard T.J. McConnell, who led the way in scoring off the bench with 13 points as the Pacers got offensive production from seemingly every player in the game.
Hart and Brunson Star for Knicks Despite the Loss
As much as it was the unsung heroes leading the Pacers to victory, the Knicks also received similar support, combined with a great performance from their star players to boot. The two biggest stars in the game for the Knicks came from its two former Villanova legends in Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, who gave it their all in the loss. Brunson would score a game-high 40 points and eight assists, while Hart would notch the 17th triple-double of his career with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the loss for New York.
The two biggest problems that doomed the Knicks in the loss were the poor play of the bench and the inefficient night on offense for star center Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite sending the game into overtime with two clutch free throws and finishing the game with 22 points and 14 rebounds, Towns would also commit 5 turnovers and shoot just 1-for-6 from three before fouling out in the overtime period. The recently bolstered Knicks bench would also have a tough game tonight, as the second unit would score just 18 points in the loss.
Knicks Move Back Down to 3rd-Place and Pacers Tie Wizards for Second Worst Record in the League
Despite this season being a nightmare one for the Pacers, their recent success has been something to give Indiana fans hope for this season. Tonight’s win marked their 4th win over the last three weeks; the Pacers only had 10 wins over the past three months combined. For the Knicks, after previously moving into the 2nd-place spot in the East with a dominant victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday, they’re now back down to 3rd-place following tonight’s loss against Indiana.
