Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle challenged his team to be more physical and play with more tenacity Friday night.
his desperate team responded One of the most inspired performances all season.
Pascal Siakam had 25 points and 7 rebounds, Myles Turner had 17 points and 8 rebounds, and the Pacers turned the tables on the New York Knicks, 116-103, to tie the game at 3-3 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. became.
The decisive Game 7 will be played on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
“I thought Game 5 was the least offensive game of the playoffs,” Carlisle said. “We played hard tonight, which was inevitable. They worked really hard tonight and it was obvious, but we moved the ball better and got more rebounds and it was obvious. He played a big role in this series.”
Indiana spent two days figuring out how to counter the Knicks’ hustle play and strength behind the glass, two things that led to a 30-point blowout loss in Game 5 on Tuesday that eliminated the Pacers. brought it to the brink of crisis.
This time, the Pacers had a 47-35 rebounding edge and a slight 14-13 advantage on offense.and They had a balanced scoring ability, The Knicks defense was also spread out.
Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembard each scored 15 points, with Nembard adding six rebounds and six assists. Haliburton had nine assists and helped reinvigorate the Pacers in key moments as Indiana maintained its perfect postseason home record at 6-0 in front of a packed and raucous crowd. did.
“We knew after last game that they were going to play hard, and that’s what’s important. We’ve got to play better,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. Only,” he said.
Even All-Star Jalen Brunson, the league’s leading postseason scorer. Sure, he finished with 31 points and five assists while making 11-of-26 from the field, but that was after missing his final 11 shots of the first half.
Deuce McBride added 20 points; Donte DiVincenzo is 17; But the shorthanded Knicks may have suffered another blow when Josh Hart left the game in the fourth quarter with what the Knicks said was an abdominal injury.
Asked about Hart, Brunson said, “I expect him to play.” “It’s Game 7.”
The good news for the Knicks is that they don’t have to return to Indiana, where they have lost nine straight in the playoffs. Instead, they will return to the Garden to face a large group of players who are playing in the playoffs for the first time or playing significant roles in the postseason for the first time.
And now they’ll be playing on national television on the league’s biggest stage.
“It’s exciting,” Halliburton said. “We have nothing to lose. I think it’s time to empty the clip. We’re ready from start to finish.”
The Pacers certainly looked like that on Friday. They fought back and forth against loose balls and won, converting them into quick points and Haliburton’s second 3-pointer of the game to take a 42-41 lead. An ensuing 16-7 run gave the Pacers a 61-51 lead at halftime and they never trailed again.
Brunson rallied in the second half, making two baskets and a free throw to bring the Knicks within 61-56, but Nembard and Haliburton responded with back-to-back threes after a timeout and the Pacers regained an 11-point lead.
The Knicks never recovered, losing for the third time in four games and falling just one win away from advancing to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. Indiana hasn’t played in the conference finals since 2014.
Then, after three games by single digits, the last three by double digits, and the home team winning all six games, they will face each other again on Sunday – win or go home. It’s a scenario.
“This is the ultimate game and a great opportunity,” Carlisle said. “I don’t know if any of our players, other than Paschall and maybe James Johnson, played in Game 7. But this team has been through a lot.” I have gained experience, but this will be a new experience. Therefore, we will do our best to prepare them. ”
New York once again played without four key players due to injuries: forwards OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic and Julius Randle, and backup center Mitchell Robinson. Only Anunoby, who injured his left hamstring late in Game 2 and hasn’t played since, appears to have a chance to return Sunday.
Thibodeau said Anunoby continues to work “lightly” as he works through his recovery. He said Anunoby is being considered day-to-day.
