Knicks Dominate Pacers, Earn Another Preseason Win
The New York Knicks are looking good from the Toppin.
New York continued its dominance of the preseason, the latest triumph of an eight-game early fall winning streak coming in a 131-114 dismantling of the Indiana Pacers on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. A sterling bench effort, with Obi Toppin leading all scorers with 24 points in 20 minutes, complemented a united 35-point effort from starters RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson. Immanuel Quickley joined Toppin in double-figures off the bench with 17.
Much like Tuesday's win over Detroit, the Knicks (2-0) shook off early doldrums to run away in the second quarter, doubling up Indiana's output by winning the frame 46-23. Toppin's takeover began with 10 points in the period, while the latter of two triples from Miles McBride gave the Knicks a permanent lead, turning a 31-26 deficit into a lead that would balloon to as high as 20 before the opening half let out.
When Indiana (1-1) trickled back into the contest, Toppin brought MSG to regular season volumes with a jaw-dropping sequence in the latter stages of the third: getting back on defense after rejecting Kendall Brown's three-pointer, Toppin raced downcourt to receive the deep ball from the rebounder Quickley. With the pass complete, Toppin pulled off the ultimate basketball move, turning his rejection of three into two for the home team with a between-the-legs dunk that sent Manhattan into hysterics.
Indiana was paced by 20 from Tyrese Haliburton while first-round choice Bennedict Mathurin tallied 19 more off the bench. On the Knicks side, Evan Fournier (rest) did not play and was replaced in the opening five by Cam Reddish (1-of-7 from the field). Jericho Sims hauled down six rebounds in 13 minutes in his first exhibition action of 2022.
The teams won't have to wait long to have another go at each other, as they'll do preseason battle in Indianapolis again next Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET, MSG).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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