The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers played a dramatic game 6 that began well and finished badly. The Pacers won heart-poundingly, 116-103, to advance this series to an exciting Game 7 matchup. Let’s explore the thrilling details. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson came out swinging, scoring an incredible 31 points, while Miles McBride and Donte DiVincenzo added 17 apiece. In the first half, DiVincenzo was unstoppable, making six of ten shots, including a buzzer-beater that calmed the crowd. Unfortunately, though, he lost 0-4, cooling off in the second half.
In relation to highs and lows, Josh Hart’s evening was a story of resiliency and aggravation. Having contested Pascal Siakam for a rebound, he hurt his abdomen and made an inappropriate approach. After that, he went back to the court, but in the fourth quarter, he was once moreo declared out. Hart had five points and eight rebounds at the end of the game. The Knicks’ roster is already beset with injuries, so each loss feels like a knife to the heart.
The Knicks’ slim 43-42 advantage vanished in the second quarter, and the game abruptly changed. After a bright start, Indiana swiftly went on a 19-5 run that completely changed the game’s course and left the Knicks having to play catch up. With less than a second remaining, DiVincenzo made a dramatic corner three-pointer to cut the lead to 61-51 and give the Knicks’ camp new life just when it appeared the Pacers had the upper hand going into halftime.But despite Brunson’s valiant attempts in the second half, when he scorched with a 9–13 shooting performance, scoring 26 of the Knicks’ 31 points, the other players were unable to establish a rhythm. The pressure was primarily on Brunson as he fought the Pacers’ oppressive defense alone because no other player scored in double figures after halftime. Despite Brunson’s spectacular performance, which included an incredible 69.2% field goal percentage in the second half, the team’s overall percentage was a pitiful 33.3%, highlighting the urgent need for more offensive firepower to balance out their star guard’s genius.
Despite Brunson’s spectacular performance, which included an incredible 69.2% field goal percentage in the second half, the team’s overall percentage was a pitiful 33.3%, highlighting the urgent need for more offensive firepower to balance out their star guard’s genius. Precious Achiuwa and Alec Burks, who combined for 23 points off the bench, gave the team much-needed energy, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Pacers’ superiority in the paint and on the boards. The Pacers demonstrated once again that having control of the interior can make all the difference in a playoff game by outrebounding the Knicks 47-35 and outscoring them 62-38 in the paint.
