NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Knicks' Grit vs. Pacers' Poise
by Devesh Jaganath | by Cydias Aujard
Pacers power their way to Eastern Conference Final
The Indiana Pacers are back in the Eastern Conference for a second season in a row, but will be aiming to go one better this time after getting routed by the Boston Celtics, who swept the series 4-0 last year en route to the NBA Championship.
The Pacers entered the postseason as the No. 4 seed with a 50-32 record in the regular season, and beat the tough-as-nails Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the Playoffs in just five games, which confirmed our NBA predictions for the series.
However, that was just a preview of what was to come from Rick Carlisle’s team, as they went up against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the semi-final and defied the odds to clinch the series 4-1, including three wins in Cleveland.
Indiana has been led by the incredible work of star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists in the regular season, while shooting 47.3% from the field and 38.8% from long range on 7.7 attempts per game.
In the Playoffs, Haliburton is producing 17.5 points per game and 9.3 assists, while shooting 47.4% from the field and 33.8% from the three-point line. His greatest impact is the relentless intensity he produces game after game, which was evident against the Cavs in the semis.
However, the key to the Pacers' success has been their depth. Not only do they have a proven scorer in Pascal Siakam, but the likes of Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner, Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell and Andrew Nembhard have all made important contributions through the season and in their Playoff run.
Indiana are now set to face a familiar foe in the Knicks, with whom they share a rivalry that goes back to the days of Patrick Ewing and Reggie Miller. This will be the ninth time they clash in a Playoff series, and the Pacers have won five of the last eight, including knocking out New York in the second round last year.
The Pacers enter the NBA Eastern Conference Final as marginal underdogs according to most of the best online betting sites, but they should certainly not be written off in this contest just yet.
New York Knicks get revenge on the Boston Celtics
Standing in the Pacers' way this season are the New York Knicks, who ended the regular season with the third-best record in the East (51-31), which set them up for a first-round clash against the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons were hands down the most improved team this season and finished in sixth place in the conference (44-38). Detroit proved to be a tough nut to crack for the Knicks, but they got the job done in six to advance to the semi-final against their nemesis, the Boston Celtics.
Tom Thibodeau’s team burst out of the starting blocks in the semis, winning both games in Boston and Game 4 at Madison Square Garden. Game 4 also saw Jayson Tatum suffer a season-ending injury, which, in essence, ended the C’s hopes of a comeback.
The driving force behind the Knicks' Playoff run has been Jalen Brunson, who has lived up to the title of the most clutch player in the league, averaging 28.8 PPG, which is the second-best in the postseason behind MVP-favourite Shai Gigeous-Alexander. He is also producing 7.7 assists, and shooting 44.0% from the field and 36.3% from range.
Around him, they have Josh Hart, whose incredible work rate, hustling for loose balls and shooting 41.9% from beyond the arc, has been immense, while Karl-Anthony Towns continues to be efficient on both ends, shooting 48.1% from the field, while grabbing 11.3 rebounds per game.
While both these teams had very similar offensive and defensive numbers during the regular season, the main difference is that the Pacers use up to 11 players on average to facilitate full-court man-to-man pressure to wear down opponents, while the Knicks depend heavily on key players on either end.
With the Knicks having come through the regular season with a marginally better record, they get home advantage at MSG, while Games 3, 4 and 6 (if required) will take us to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Key Dates and Match Information
Game 1: May 21 - Madison Square Garden
Game 2: May 23 - Madison Square Garden
Game 3: May 25 - Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Game 4: May 27 - Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Game 5: May 29 - Madison Square Garden (if necessary)
Game 6: May 31 - Gainbridge Fieldhouse (if necessary)
Game 7: June 2 - Madison Square Garden (if necessary)
Live commentary: NBA Livescore
