2024 NBA Playoffs: East Semifinals: #2 New York Knicks vs #6 Indiana Pacers (IND WINS 4-3)

[BrianInPhilly]

You play who's in front of you - Have the Pacers benefited from other teams injuries? Yes ... And so has practically every team remaining in the PO's. The healthiest/freshest teams often win in the playoffs - that's nothing new and why teams shouldn't overlook depth & team structure/chemistry to play through guys being banged up.

Come on now, when 3 of the top 4 scores are out for the season, that's not "banged up". It's not an indictment of NY's depth, in fact we've seen the opposite in these playoffs, they are incredibly deep.

I wasn’t even calling out the Knicks specifically but since you mentioned them - let’s go there. They are not incredibly deep if a coach persists to play 7 guys in a rotation. That’s not saying the 8-11 guys aren’t talented but the structure/coaching decisions is not prepping those guys to have a big impact on the game.

So yes a team like the Pacers has EARNED the right to be fresh this time of year. Carlisle routinely played his starters just 32-34 mpg this year. So they're fresher.

Sure there is some luck involved in injuries. But it's not all luck. Knicks played their guys heavy minutes and are now paying the price for it. That's the risk they took. Which is tied to team structure / chemistry / depth like I said.

[heezyo2o]

Didn't see the game. Did the Knicks just miss shots or was the defense better too

[Maury2423]

Interesting line for Game 5:

Knicks -1.5

If i remember correctly, they were 6 or more points favored in the first two games. But even then, that’s a big shift already and makes me wonder if OG’s injury is *that* serious and Vegas knows already.

Thing is, even at 75% OG this line moves a full point or two so i guess the news on his injury will dictate where this line goes (and basically, the Knicks chance at winning this series)

It’s a hamstring, I highly doubt he plays again this yr, no matter how far we go

Ugh, tough for the Knicks then if true. There were reports (not sure how reliable) that Game 5 is when he can return but you could he right that’s why the line is that low.

That said, without OG but back at home, i think we find another resilient effort from the Knicks.


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I think we can still take the series, but we need to see more min from Burks(he’s playing well) and Deuce needs to produce again, he’s been terrible shooting the ball

[Ben-N1ce]

If the Knicks shot 8x the FT's instead of 4x they might have had a chance.

[Im Coming Home]

You play who's in front of you - Have the Pacers benefited from other teams injuries? Yes ... And so has practically every team remaining in the PO's. The healthiest/freshest teams often win in the playoffs - that's nothing new and why teams shouldn't overlook depth & team structure/chemistry to play through guys being banged up.

Come on now, when 3 of the top 4 scores are out for the season, that's not "banged up". It's not an indictment of NY's depth, in fact we've seen the opposite in these playoffs, they are incredibly deep.

I wasn’t even calling out the Knicks specifically but since you mentioned them - let’s go there. They are not incredibly deep if a coach persists to play 7 guys in a rotation. That’s not saying the 8-11 guys aren’t talented but the structure/coaching decisions is not prepping those guys to have a big impact on the game.

So yes a team like the Pacers has EARNED the right to be fresh this time of year. Carlisle routinely played his starters just 32-34 mpg this year. So they're fresher.

Sure there is some luck involved in injuries. But it's not all luck. Knicks played their guys heavy minutes and are now paying the price for it. That's the risk they took. Which is tied to team structure / chemistry / depth like I said.

This heavy minutes narrative isn't true. In the regular season the Knicks had no players in top 15 for MPG..

He shortened the rotation in the playoffs because he had to.

[DaGawd]

meh it’s whatever at this point, proud the team made it this far if the pacers end up benefiting from the injuries and winning this series

[Butch718]

Knicks overcame Maxey’s superman efforts in game 5 and didn’t fold. They can easily overcome a blowout loss. Talking my way into believing that we still have a chance to win this series.

[ItsDanger]

From a neutral observer, that style of game was way too boring and dry.

[jerok]

No OG, no wins. He is the key piece for the Knicks success.

couldn't agree more.
he had so many clutch plays, defense and offense before getting injured.
injuries suck, maybe deprived us of what this series could of been, hopefully last 7 games with close games, unlike game 4

[SerialChiller]

Didn't see the game. Did the Knicks just miss shots or was the defense better too

Same just saw the score yikes

[Karate Diop]

I really hope the narrative of Brunson being a Top 10 player dies after this series... It's nauseating hearing people in Manhattan spout it like it's gospel.

I'm just trying to get a bagel before work, keep yo hot takes to yourself.

Same with Haliburton, mans was way over hyped at the start of the year...

[ArksNetsSince99]

meh it’s whatever at this point, proud the team made it this far if the pacers end up benefiting from the injuries and winning this series

So , you ok with Knicks winning as many trophies this season as Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons ?

[DaGawd]

meh it’s whatever at this point, proud the team made it this far if the pacers end up benefiting from the injuries and winning this series

So , you ok with Knicks winning as many trophies this season as Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons ?

lol, realistically given the circumstances it is what it is, we weren’t winning the chip with all these injuries

[Edrees]

Imagine if boston has an injury and pacers make it to the finals. finals will be hilarious

[ArksNetsSince99]

Imagine if boston has an injury and pacers make it to the finals. finals will be hilarious

It’s possible

[DaGawd]

Imagine if boston has an injury and pacers make it to the finals. finals will be hilarious

It’s possible

nba won’t allow that to happen lol

[DOT]

In the regular season the Knicks had no players in top 15 for MPG..

Post ASB, Hart led the league in MPG at 40.5 (#2 was DeRozan at 38.2), and Divincenzo was 8th at 37.5

The last 15 games of the season, Hart and DiVincenzo were 1 and 2 in the league at 39 mpg each, Deuce was 15th, Brunson 23rd, and OG 47th. 5 players in the top 50 over the last 15 games of the season, 3 in the top 15, including the top 2

Pre-ASB, our starters played the 5th most mpg of all starting lineups at 32.1, post-ASB we were #1 at 34.9, and in the last 15 games of the season specifically, we were #1 by a large margin at 36.3 (with the Bulls being at 34.1 per game at #2)

The heavy minutes narrative is true for down the stretch.

[JujitsuFlip]

Ok Pacers, I see you.

[Butch718]

I really hope the narrative of Brunson being a Top 10 player dies after this series... It's nauseating hearing people in Manhattan spout it like it's gospel.

I'm just trying to get a bagel before work, keep yo hot takes to yourself.

Same with Haliburton, mans was way over hyped at the start of the year...

I mean he is, whether you like it or not.

Dude literally scored 40 points in 4 straight playoff games, scored 24 in the second half of game 2 to lead a comeback win, and was carrying an injury depleted roster the majority of the season, while being the focus of defenses and not having a legit second option to take pressure of him. He’s obviously hurt right now and playing through it, so if you want to discount him as a top tier player based off 2 games, then you’re pretty much a typical casual with the talking points of a troll on Twitter.

[shi-woo]

Didn't see the game. Did the Knicks just miss shots or was the defense better too

Defense was lights out. Refs finally let them play, and with no OG to be a 2ndary scorer off of broken actions, Pacers just contained Brunson and did an incredible job of rotating back to shooters.

Pacers played with an energy the Knicks just couldn't match on either end. Pacers bench came in and just went nuclear, making play after play.