On Sunday, New York was in absolute high spirits as the New York Knicks finally captured their first win on the Indiana Pacers’ homecourt. What started as a rough performance became Karl Anthony Towns’s fourth-quarter heroics. He finished Game Three with 24 points and 15 rebounds, leading the Knicks 106 and Pacers 100.
The Knicks matched and adjusted to the Pacers’ fast-paced game plan to the point where the team discovered the Pacers’ weaknesses. However, in this basketball game, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle made the proper modifications to combat the Pacers’ game plan. Fast-forward to Game Four yesterday, and the comeback now appears short-lived.
The Knicks 121 were defeated by the Pacers 130. The team struggled defensively – surrendering 43 points in the first quarter. Plus, the team had 17 turnovers – 6 more than the Pacers. Thanks to Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson, they did dominate in the rebound department, but it was not enough to cover their inconsistent shooting. Karl Anthony Towns had a bit of an injury scare when he collided with Aaron Nesmith – so the Knicks will evaluate him closely in preparation for the next game.
This mentality of pulling themselves out of a rut could sabotage the Knicks. The team needs to be more urgent and aware of their opponent. The Indiana Pacers see them as food right now – and if the Knicks don’t upstand their morale in Game Five? Madison Square Garden will never let them hear the end of it.
