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Knicks win Game 2 vs. Pacers despite injuries

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The Knicks overcame midgame injuries to Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby to beat the Pacers in Game 2.

The New York Knicks (2-0) earned their second win in their conference semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers despite two of their most productive players, OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson, dealing with injuries. The final score: 130-121.

The first quarter started with Andrew Nembhard putting one down quickly, followed by a jumper from Brunson. From there, both teams went coast to coast, working their way into the paint for more buckets. It was also crystal clear how great OG Anunoby’s start was. He was extremely aggressive and scored 12 early points.

Well over the halfway mark, Tyrese Haliburton was determined to have a better game than he did in Game 1, nailing a triple that ultimately gave him 13 points at the end of the first. With back-to-back treys from Donte DiVincenzo and JB, the Knicks’ defense and ball movement proved to be out of this world with an 11-point lead already. After a much-needed timeout from Rick Carlisle, the Pacers did much better. Former Knick Obi Toppin continued his revenge tour and Nesmith nailed threes, allowing the Pacers to go on an 11-0 run.

Now tied at 26, Haliburton was locked and loaded for his team. However, this didn’t slow Josh Hart down one bit as he only scored after sprinting the rock with energy and impressive style. Despite Haliburton leading his team, Precious Achiuwa also stepped up, which is crucial given the absence of Mitchell Robinson. The first quarter ended with the Knicks and Pacers all tied at 36.

The second quarter started with two made free throws by Hart. TJ McConnell answered back by getting one in the paint. Rookie Ben Sheppard and Anunoby then traded threes, which were followed by another downtown triple from Toppin after the Knicks failed to make the most of their defensive rebounds. The Pacers took full advantage with their second chance points and were now ahead of the Knicks.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, Brunson was back in the Knicks locker room. The team announced that he was dealing with a sore foot and his return was listed as questionable. But on a much more positive note, OG, strong as hell, was hungry for more and wouldn’t give up. Just before halftime he added ten more points. Haliburton continued to make things difficult for the Knicks as he lit it up with three threes from beyond the arc in the second, some of which remained open. The Knicks defense fell flat on its face for a while. Although he couldn’t catch up to the Pacers’ lead, DiVincenzo acted as a catalyst by scoring and facilitating.

The first half ended with the Pacers leading by 10 points over the Knicks, 73-63. Fortunately, JB made his return to the field in the second half.

The third quarter was opened up with a strong drive from Nembhard. DiVincenzo continued to dazzle fans with two back-to-back threes and a strong two-handed jam. He collected 12 points in the third. Nembhard tried to fight back with most of his points in the paint. The Knicks offense was now in the lead and red hot and elusive. Thanks to not only their offensive, but also their defensive abilities, the Knicks went on a huge run this quarter, going 21-4 against the Pacers. With less than five minutes left in the third, the Knicks didn’t let up on defense for a moment, Brunson with the unselfish pass to OG, who wasn’t shy with the quick layup.

The Knicks found themselves on a crucial fastbreak, sparked by an emphatic block from Hart against Sheppard’s layup, where DiVincenzo was able to get the second putback point after Anunoby’s miss, then limped forward. The third quarter ended with the Pacers leading 99-91 as Brunson scored 10 points.

The last quarter passed with bad news: Anunoby was ruled out for the rest of the match due to a sore left hamstring. The fourth was unleashed with a hard-contested bucket in the key by Isaiah Jackson and two straight shots from McConnell, who absolutely dominated the paint) JB, fearless as ever, then took on McConnell in the paint and absorbed the contact like no other and bringing down the and-one. McConnell fought back and was absolutely ruthless as he was double-teamed, collecting a left-handed layup like it was nothing for him.

Once Hart nailed a triple, JB worked hard with a great move at the rim. From then on, JB was beyond breathtaking, taking a step back three against Nembhard. He completed 14 runs in the fourth. The Knicks’ rhythm was just right, which was crucial in this close game. With just three minutes left in regulation, DiVincenzo placed the ball in Achiuwa’s hands under the rim for the shot. Despite Haliburton trying to help the Pacers survive, Brunson immediately put an end to that and was able to secure the victory.

Overall, all five Knicks starters scored in double figures in tonight’s win. A determined JB led the way with 29 points in 32 minutes. OG, the unsung hero, dominated with 28 points before retiring. DiVincenzo was absolutely on fire with six triples (on 12 attempts) and 28 points of his own. A rushing Hart scored 19 points and 15 rebounds – and he swore at Reggie Miller on live television. Isaiah Hartenstein had fourteen points, twelve rebounds and eight assists for the team.

Haliburton led the Pacers with 34 points, while Toppin was second with 20 points. Nembhard scored 15 points, Siakam recorded 14 points, Sheppard added 11 points and the hard-to-ignore McConnell scored 10 points to go along with a game-high 12 assists.

Next, the Knicks hit the road for Game 3 to take on the Pacers on Friday evening at 7:00 PM ET.

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