NBA Playoffs: What to expect in the Knicks-Pacers series

Will Jalen Brunson and the Knicks dependent on the starter have enough gas against a Deep Pacers team?

When the smoke cleared this week in the oriental support of the NBA qualifiers, the two juggernaut teams of the conference were not found. Cleveland (64) and Boston (61) each won over 60 times this year, but failing four times in 10 days was enough to send both in summer.

Always standing: the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers. The first eliminated the Celtics in an eruption of match 6 Friday evening at the Madison Square Garden, after the latter amazed the riders and their fans in Rocket Arena on Tuesday, the ousted in five.

The seeded n ° 3 against n ° 4 is not what Las Vegas saw in October for the round of the Eastern Championship. But what people who present themselves or connect will see two of the most working team in the league. The two are based on defense, with a significant contrast in their ways of scoring.

This will be the fourth time that New York and Indiana have won these end of victories in the NBA final. But it is the first since 2000, when the Pacers prevailed and advanced. In 1994 and 1999, the Knicks eliminated Némesis Reggie Miller and his crew.

More recent history is difficult to read. New York took the series of the season, 2-1, but Indiana won their force test last spring in the East semi-finals, 4-3. Each of their last seven meetings has been decided by more than 10 points – on average 20.7 points, in fact.

Expect something much closer in the coming days.

Series calendar

Here’s how to watch the Knicks vs pacers series:

Standard time of the east of all time

• Game 1: Pacers vs Knicks; Wednesday May 21 (8 p.m., TNT)
• Game 2: Pacers vs Knicks; Friday, May 23 (8 p.m., TNT)
• Game 3: Knicks against Pacers; Sunday May 25 (8 p.m., TNT)
• Game 4: Knicks against Pacers; Tuesday, May 27 (8 p.m., TNT)
• Game 5: Pacers vs Knicks; Thursday May 29 (8 p.m., TNT) *
• Game 6: Knicks against Pacers; Saturday May 31 (8 p.m., TNT) *
• Game 7: Pacers vs Knicks; Monday June 2 (8 p.m., TNT) *

* = If necessary

Top scenario

Pace. The Knicks and the Pacers found themselves in almost the same space in their statistics and their efficiency as measured during the 2024-25 season. They limited the opponents to 113.3 points for 100 possessions and were separated from only 1.9 points per 100 on the offensive end.

But the eye test provides the necessary context here. New York is favorable to playing in the Halfcourt, leaving the Tête Jalen Brunson to find openings for him or his teammates. He and the great man Karl -Anthony Towns combined for more than 50 points every night in regular season, and the other three starters – Josh Hart, Og Anunoby and Mikal Bridges – better have hit their two -digit means because the Knicks bench is on average 21.7.

Indiana was this rare team which can both put pressure on the opponents of 94 feet, then move instantly in the transitional offensive. They will run even after the makeups of other guys. Seven pacers were on average at least 10 or more points; The striker Pascal Siakam (20.2) was their only representative in the Top 50 of the NBA in a score and Tyrese Haliburton – while preparing a reputation of big blows – is always very inclined to look for other people with his passes.

In real rhythm, as the NBA defines, the Pacers ranked seventh. Knicks, just 26th.

Keep your eyes

Cities of the city center. Kat pleaded for himself, in acts and words, so that he is the best 7-foot shot in the history of the NBA. He won the 3-point competition at the All-Star Weekend a few years ago, and his career precision in the Arc is 40%. Its ability to spread the soil for the wings of Brunson and New York is invaluable, as is the demoralizing effect on the big rivals which do not come out far enough to challenge it.

But Towns comes out of a Boston series in which he pulled 3 for 19 out of 3s (15.8%). Regardless of the residual advantages of its prowess of deep; The Knicks are counting on the big guy to generate points with these palans. The Indiana Center Myles Turner (which can also strike 3 points) is not the most mobile defender, but other pacers like Siakam and Obi Toppin can hang out with cities on the perimeter.

1 more thing to watch for each team

For Pacers: These guys can go to 11 deep when they need it. Ten pacers lasted on average at least 19 minutes, and versatility in the list allows the coach Rick Carisle to mix as each situation requires. Tom Thibodeau from New York has become somewhat notorious, to an idiotic degree, for having driven his beginners and stick to seven, sometimes eight, most nights. For the Knicks and the credit of their training staff, the minutes have not broken down. In addition, there are longer waiting times in the playoffs and no back to navigate.

But Indiana has even more tools, more appearance and more adaptability in its toolbox.

For Knicks: Anunoby is one of these barometers players, the update knicks or falling in concert with many of its individual performance. The beauty of this in his case is that he can put this one at each end. Take a bigger role offensively since he joined the Knicks two seasons ago, the Robust 6 -foot 7 inch from London – by Missouri and Indiana – Helped New York to a record of 80-42 (more eliminatory regular season) since his arrival. This year, the Knicks have disappeared from 28-10 when he scores 20 points or more. Anunoby also appears to draw defensive time on his former teammate of Raptors Siakam, among others

1 key number to know

58.3% – During the first two laps, the Pacers had a percentage of goals on the effective field of 58.3%, what would be the brand of the highest qualifiers in the history of the NBA.

The attack on the regular season of the Pacers (115.4 points for 100 possessions) was not as good as last season, but they scored 117.4 per 100 in the playoffs, easily the best brand among the remaining teams.

Among the 38 players with at least 100 attempts at the playoffs in the playoffs until Friday, Aaron Nesmith (65.2%), Andrew Nembhard (60.6%) and Pascal Siakam (60.1%) rank first, second and third as an effective percentage on the ground. Nembhard saw the biggest jump in the regular season (50.6%) among these 38 players, with five of the other seven pacers who took at least 50 shots (all except Tyrese Haliburton and Obi Toppin) after being improved.

According to the second spectrum, the Pacers rank seventh in the quality of the eliminatory series (the Knicks rank last), but have surpassed the quality of their shots of more than double the quantity of any other team. They could therefore reserve a certain regression to the average of the conference finals.

The Knicks had their worst defensive section of the season in 3-5 matches of the semi-finals of the conference, but could have played their best defensive game when they closed the Celtics in match 6. During the full series, they held Boston at 8.9 points less for 100 possessions than in the first round of the regular season, having held up at 5.1 less than his regular brand round.

– John Schuhmann

The choice

Pacers in six. The Knicks have not been in the final since 1999 and have not won one for 52 years. Indiana did not go only once, losing against the Shaq-Kobe Lakers in 2000. One of these teams will press the refresh button on the championship opportunity. The deep list of pacers and their taste for this tour last spring (they were swept by the Celtics) could be sufficient to swing this. Remember that playing more guys means more places to spread the faults too, when the action becomes physical.

One thing that should not have any importance: the advantage of the field. The Knicks hold the additional match due to the victory of a match more than the Indiana during the season. But the two teams are stellar on the road. New York had a 24-17 sheet, including 17-9 against East enemies, and has a 5-1 file to two laps so far. Indiana went 19-9 from December 6 and finished 4-1 playing Milwaukee and Cleveland during these qualifying series.

* * *

Steve Aschburner wrote on the NBA since 1980. You can send it by e-mail herefind His archives here And Follow him on x.