The New York Knicks came out unprepared, and in turn take a crushing defeat to one of the worst teams in the NBA on Tuesday. Defense killed them all night as they fell in overtime to the Indiana Pacers 134-137, and have now dropped back down to the third seed in the Eastern Conference after losing to the 15th seed in the East.
The Knicks’ defense did not show up
The Knicks’ defense had been superb prior to this game, but they did not have the same juice on that end against the Pacers. The Pacers, who entered the game in last place in offensive rating, torched the Knicks all night long.
Indiana had their best offensive performance of the season, shooting 51% from the field and 40% from three. The Knicks left shooters wide open far too often, and the Pacers made them pay for their poor defensive effort.
The Knicks provided no resistance whatsoever, and now they have to reconsider their approach that was working so well for them previously. New York needs to tighten up on that end of the floor if they want things to improve.
Jalen Brunson couldn’t come through in the clutch despite 40-point performance
Jalen Brunson dominated most of the game, finishing with 40 points and eight assists on 15-for-31 shooting from the field. Unfortunately, he was unable to come through in the game’s biggest moments, which in turn cost his team a chance to win.
Brunson shot just 2-for-7 in the fourth quarter, with a lot of his shots coming in the clutch. Credit to Aaron Nesmith for guarding Brunson well down the stretch, but Brunson forced the issue by forcing low percentage shots.
New York then couldn’t buy a bucket in overtime, falling behind by nine to open it. A wild comeback effort nearly unfolded when a couple turnovers led to Knicks buckets, but it was too late.
The Knicks need OG Anunoby
OG Anunoby sat this game out due to a toe issue, his third straight game missed. They felt his absence badly, as they could have used his defense against this Pacers team with this shooting performance.
Without him, the Knicks struggled badly at guarding the perimeter, and there was nothing for New York to stop it. Their offense matched up well, as they shot the ball well overall as well, but the defense hurt them badly.
It is still unclear if Anunoby will play on Wednesday against the 76ers before the All-Star break. They desperately need him on the floor to raise the ceiling of their defense.
Overview
The Knicks take a tough loss to a bad Pacers team, and are now crawling their way into the All-Star break. They will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they take on the 76ers on the road.
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