The New York Knicks will look to get back on track Friday against the Indiana Pacers after a dreadful opening night loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. This will be the first matchup between the two teams since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last year, so the intensity will be raised for the Knicks’ home opener.
After playing the defending champs to open the season, they are now tasked with another tough opponent in the Pacers, a team that made the Eastern Conference Finals last season and knocked off the Knicks on their home floor the previous round. Therefore, this team is being put to the test early. With the lofty expectations set upon the Knicks this season, an 0-2 start would be less than ideal for them.
The Knicks need to defend better against the Pacers
New York’s offense was fluid against Boston, but their defense was a major concern as they allowed the Celtics to tie an NBA record for most threes made in a single game with 29. Boston scored a total of 132 points, 37 of which came from Jayson Tatum who also nailed eight three-pointers.
The Knicks also allowed 43 points in the first quarter, which was the most they had allowed in a quarter since Jan. 11 against the Dallas Mavericks (h/t SNY). Like the Celtics, the Pacers play a fast-paced offense that can be tough for opposing teams to keep up with. Superstar point guard Tyrese Haliburton will be the guy that New York will have to slow down, as his quick decision-making with the ball can catch his defenders off guard.
The Pacers are not an imposing team on the defensive side of the ball. Last season, Indiana allowed 120.2 points per game, which was 26th in the NBA. The Knicks’ offseason acquisitions of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns make them a potentially lethal offense, so if the Knicks can defend well, they will be in a great position to secure their first victory of the season.
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The Knicks need more from Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns had a fairly quiet Knicks debut against the Celtics, as he scored just 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting in 23 minutes. New York needs him to play like the All-Star that he is in order to be that deadly second option alongside Jalen Brunson.
Towns’ presence brings an identity change to the Knicks. They are not accustomed to having the luxury of a seven-footer with lights-out shooting, so that is something that they will need to get themselves used to. However, once they are able to maximize Towns’ skillset, the sky is the limit for the offense.
Towns is still building chemistry with the rest of the Knicks’ players, so some growing pains were to be expected. Nevertheless, if Towns can help set the tone early against Indiana by being effective in the pick-and-roll and using his stellar three-point abilities, then they are set up to light up the scorecard.
