Led by historic night from Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers take down New York Knicks for third-straight win
The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks faced off on Saturday night, and it was an important battle in the standings. The two teams entered the night in eighth and seventh place, respectively, in the Eastern Conference rankings.
The Knicks made a significant trade Saturday afternoon, so they were playing with a new rotation and little depth. It was going to be up to the Pacers to punish that unique situation, but Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle pointed out pregame that it could actually work in New York's favor. They were going to need to rely on their starters — their best players — for more minutes.
That proved to be a smart thought from Carlisle early in the game. The Knicks raced out to a 10-2 lead and looked like the better team thanks to their opening five. They didn't look like a group that underwent significant changes just a few hours prior to tipoff.
It took less than four minutes for New York to grab a 13-4 lead. Carlisle took a timeout at the time. His team looked slow early and needed some juice.
Calling for a stoppage worked. Indiana upped the tempo and energy level, which helped them go on a 13-6 run and cut the Knicks lead down to two. Tyrese Haliburton got going in that stretch, and suddenly it was a tight game again. New York needed a timeout at that point.
Both teams were more locked in after two resets. But the Pacers had more momentum. They were able to tie the game with just under three-and-a-half minutes to go in the opening period after a pair of outside shots from Bennedict Mathurin. They erased their slow start quickly.
Indiana rode their energy through the end of the quarter and were ahead 32-27. Myles Turner led the way with nine points and six rebounds while Haliburton had five points and eight assists. Those two were excellent for the Pacers.
The second quarter opened with tougher play from New York. They were putting pressure on the rim and defending well for the first few minutes of the period, and that helped them eliminate the lead. It was 34-34 after a few minutes of the second frame.
The Pacers responded. T.J. McConnell, who was playing for the first time in three games, was giving the blue and gold a jolt at point guard while Bennedict Mathurin hit some shots for the second unit. Indiana climbed back ahead.
Slowly but surely, New York answered. They are rarely deterred from their style, and Jalen Brunson continued to make good plays for the team from The Big Apple. The game was tied up again later in the second quarter thanks to his bruising play.
Indiana stuck with it and was able to hold on to their lead as the half came to a close. Haliburton and Turner kept making plays in the final minutes of the second period and the Pacers were ahead 64-62 entering the break. Haliburton had 12 assists while Turner had 11 points.
The second half began with a 5-0 Knicks run as the road team reclaimed the lead. Aaron Nesmith answered to tie the game with a three himself, and things were going back and forth quickly. It was an entertaining first few minutes of the third quarter.
The Pacers were hot from deep for much of the first half, and that continued as the third quarter progressed. At one point, they were 17/30 from long range. Many Knicks baskets and runs were met with a big three from Indiana. The blue and gold deserve credit for creating the open shots, though they were unusually hot on outside shots.
That shooting continued to guide them throughout the third frame. After about seven minutes of second half action, the blue and gold were ahead by seven at 87-80. They were playing connected basketball and making timely plays.
That continued as the quarter reached the later stages. The Pacers offense was rolling, and they led 105-92 after three periods. Jalen Smith made many impressive plays to close the third quarter. Haliburton had 19 assists entering winning time while Turner led with 22 points.
The final period began with both teams looking slightly off-rhythm. That, of course, favored the Pacers since they already held a lead. The Knicks needed to play better if they wanted to make a comeback.
Indiana made it tough on them. They were playing with energy all night, and their defense stayed at a good-enough level after their dismal first few minutes. Even with Haliburton on the bench, they were able to hold their lead steady for a few minutes.
As the clock read six minutes, the home team led by 12. Haliburton was back on the floor, so it was going to be difficult for the Knicks to make a comeback without nearly perfect offensive play.
They didn't get it. Instead, it was Haliburton who was playing perfectly on offense. He reached 20 points and 20 assists in the fourth quarter, which was his second-straight game reaching those numbers. He's the third player in NBA history with consecutive 20+ point, 20+ assist games.
Not long after, Haliburton tied the Pacers franchise record with his 23rd assist in the game. Indiana also tied their franchise record as a team with 23 made triples. They had a historic night in what turned out to be a victory.
They went on to win 140-126. It was a fantastic performance from the Pacers, who passed the Knicks in the standings and improved to 17-14 with their third-straight win.
They next play on Monday when they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks.
- Tyrese Haliburton is working through increased attention and pressure from defenses for the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers change starting lineup to get more consistent physicality and defense on the court. CLICK HERE.
- Jarace Walker showing important growth for Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers win second-straight road game behind outside shooting and brilliant Tyrese Haliburton game. CLICK HERE.
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