Three takeaways as Indiana Pacers pull off 16-point comeback to beat New York Knicks
The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks had little to play for Sunday in Madison Square Garden, but they still put on a show.
For fans of defense, it wasn't an enjoyable show. But it was a show nonetheless. There was a lot of scoring, many highlight plays, and some moments of brilliance from young players. It was an entertaining 82nd game for both teams.
The first quarter was as high scoring as they come. The Pacers dropped 41 points in the first frame, yet they were losing 45-41 after 12 minutes. Turnovers were an issue for the blue and gold, and the Knicks couldn't miss.
But as the game progressed, the Pacers cleaned up the turnovers and then got hot themselves. "Staying simple. Playing defense, sacrifice for each other," rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin said of the Pacers defensive improvement at halftime on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast. Five different Indiana players shot at least 50% from long range, and the ball security was better. That made the Pacers offense potent all night.
They had 73 points at halftime and a small lead. New York dominated to start the third frame, which culminated with a 99-83 Knicks advantage. But the Pacers battled back and cut the lead to seven by the end of the third quarter, and they continued to fight heading into the fourth.
That fight led to another outrageous quarter. Indiana scored 41 in the final frame and only conceded 29, leading to a 141-136 win. The Pacers closed out their season with a victory and will enter the offseason at 35-47.
"Looking forward to having a great summer," Mathurin said at halftime.
The Pacers ended the season on a high note. Here are three takeaways they can carry into their offseason.
Bennedict Mathurin closed the season strong
The Pacers rookie star had a night to remember to close the season. In Madison Square Garden, Mathurin finished with 26 points, three rebounds, and six assists. The Pacers won his minutes in the victory.
Mathurin has shown off his scoring prowess often this season, and he could be headed for First-Team All-Rookie as a result. He was just as impressive scoring the ball today, and he got to the foul line 13 times.
The passing stands out, though. Mathurin has been working on his ability to find the open man, and he had a career-high in assists during the final game of the season. It was a terrific close to the season for Mathurin.
Indiana couldn't miss from deep
The Pacers went 19/34 from deep in the game, good for 55.9%. That represents their second-best three-point percentage in a game this season.
19 threes is the seventh-most Indiana made in one game all season. Mathurin hit two. Jordan Nwora hit four. Buddy Hield and George Hill each were 5/6 from long range. No matter who was on the court for the Pacers, they were effective from beyond the arc.
The Knicks were superior in many statistical categories, but they couldn't keep up with the blue and gold from deep. It cost them.
The Pacers set their lottery odds
By pulling off the upset win, the Pacers locked in that they will have the seventh-best odds to move into the top-four of the 2023 NBA Draft via the lottery. They will have identical odds as the Washington Wizards, who also finished with a 35-47 record.
The Pacers will have a random drawing determine who will pick higher between themselves and the Wizards if neither team moves up in the lottery. A loss would have given the blue and gold somewhere between five and eight percent better odds at a top-four selection.
Elsewhere, the Rockets beat the Wizards, which the Pacers didn't want. Indiana will now hope San Antonio wins today so that a random drawing will determine if the Pacers get a strong second round pick or not.
Indiana's season is over. They are now in offseason mode and will rely on random drawings and lotteries to determine their path forward.
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- Jalen Smith is showing late-season growth on both ends for the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Gabe York makes his season debut for the Indiana Pacers, has a career-high scoring night. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers learn more about the value of Buddy Hield from his absence. CLICK HERE.
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