Knicks Pacers Game 2 Thoughts
130-121 Impossible to be more proud of a team than we are of this Knicks squad
Brunson, on the anniversary of Willis Reed, wills this team forward
The Knicks were staring into an abyss. The already undermanned Knicks saw Jalen Brunson go down with an injury to his foot and head into the locker room in the first quarter. OG Anunoby was playing out of his mind to keep this game within reach before he too went down. The dazed Knicks were being overrun without Jalen, a -25 in his absence, and by half-time, they were down double digits, giving up 73 first-half points.
However, Brunson rose like a phoenix in the second half and returned in a Willis Reed-esque comeback, willing his team forward.
In the end, what transpired in the rest of this game should be talked about for years in the annals of Knick playoff history. Brunson, on one leg, began to methodically torch and dance through every Pacer trap, every Pacer double team, finding either his open Villanova crew, OG, or simply doing it himself to quickly turn a double digit deficit into a double-digit lead.
The Knicks came out like gangbusters in the second half going on a 30-8 run. The one true statement Reggie Miller said in the broadcast was that this Knicks team doesn’t go away. “…especially in this building, trust me I know!”
Brunson finished with 29 points and 5 assists in 32 minutes. Making phenomenal clutch buckets in a crowded paint with the whole Pacer squad keying up on him, he danced through them to a classic victory.
What a leader.
TNT embarrassed themselves
Reggie Miller was treated like the star of the show the entire broadcast. Constant references to his moment at the Garden 27 years ago. They put him in the tunnel pre-game, talking about how he owns this place. Then during the game we had plenty of flashbacks to 1995. I haven’t seen anyone live off 1994-95 this much since the Spice Girls.
Joining him, we had resident Knick hater with a sibling inferiority complex, Stan Van Gundy. The Pacer pom-poms were in full force.
If that wasn’t enough, the creme de la creme was at the end of the game, after two teams put their hearts on the line in this game, with Brunson (on one leg!) leading a historic comeback, Charles Barkley sits there saying “I would love to see they as*s get stomped by the Celtics, that’d be great… New Yorkers y’all deserve it… y’all ain’t that good in New York, you’re overrated.”
This is a national broadcast, openly hating on the home team, and our city. The greatest city in the world, and that’s not hyperbole.
TNT should be ashamed of themselves. I’m not even mentioning Shaq interviewing the MVP Nikola Jokic, just to tell him he shouldn’t have won and SGA was robbed.
OG’s night ends prematurely
OG had his best night in a Knick uniform last night. He bravely picked up this team in Brunson’s absence and put up 28 points in as many minutes. Playing phenomenally on both ends. He made several highlight reel plays, a contested block on one end then racing up the floor and finishing at the other end.
Alas, we can’t have nice things, so he hobbled out with a hamstring injury midway through the third quarter. Yet still, battered and bruised, this team of gladiators keeps fighting to the end.
The Knicks can’t survive the rest of this series without him, surely. We have to wait for the results, most hamstring strains tend to be around 2 weeks if it’s a Grade 1. Let’s hope it’s not a Grade 2, as that’s a significantly longer recovery. OG’s done a wonderful job in these playoffs we have to hope he can come back soon. The Knicks won’t have a front court left if things keep on at this rate. Precious performed admirably, and he has a massive load on his shoulders, not only as the backup 5, but now likely the starting 4 until OG returns.
Thibs out-coaches Carlisle
Whilst Rick Carlisle spent his entire post-game (abominably) saying the refs are biased against small-market teams, he should look at himself first and foremost. He had TJ McConnell sit on the bench when the Knicks couldn’t keep him in front of them. Meanwhile, Brunson put everyone else in a blender, especially Nembhard who was a -21 in the game.
Carlisle went full-court press on Brunson in the second half and Thibs was more than prepared for it. He often preaches ‘trust the pass’ - they trusted the pass in the 2nd half. The Knicks passed out of traps quickly to the open man either in the paint or from 3. The Knicks put up 62 points in the paint and shot 57% from the field on the way to a huge 130 points.
Thibs squad were far more active on the boards in the second half and we gobbled up seemingly every offensive rebound down the stretch.
The key adjustments were made on defense, whilst the Pacers went 15-22 from the field when Brunson went down, the Knicks stymied the Pacers in the 3rd. Going on a 14-0 run and stopping Halliburton from cruising into the paint, they did much better getting around on screens to contest the open shooters.
Brunson kept finding the open Donte DiVincenzo and DDV kept knocking them down going 6-12 from 3 on his way to another 28 points, continuing to be the clutchest player in the playoffs so far.
Shout out to Josh Hart
Another full 48 minutes. He’s relentless and refuses to stop until the Knicks win. He’s the beating heart of this roster. 19 points 15 boards 7 assists, including a beautiful eye of the needle pass through a double team to the cutting DDV for the lay-in. One of the best plays of the playoffs so far.
Another highlight was his walking over to MSG “legend in his own mind” Reggie Miller to translate the crowd’s chanting, ensuring he knows exactly what NY thinks of him.
Last night was pure cinema. Now on to Game 3.
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