Knicks defense abandoned them against the worst team in the East

The New York Knicks seemed to have figured out the answer to their defensive issues during their eight-game winning streak. However, on Tuesday against the 15th-seeded Indiana Pacers, their defense completely abandoned them.

Knicks’ defense was awful against the Pacers

Indiana, who entered the game in dead last in offensive rating and in the bottom of many offensive metrics, torched the Knicks. The biggest problem for New York came at defending the three-point line, as the Pacers had virtually no issues.

The Pacers shot 50% from the field and 40% from three. The Knicks left shooters wide open too frequently, and the Pacers made them pay for their poor defense.

New York’s offense was able to match them. They shot 50% from the field and made 14 three-pointers, but they could never pull away. Their biggest lead was only eight, and the game had an NBA season-high 44 lead changes.

Knicks need to tighten up defensively

“We let them get a little comfortable, and then down the stretch, lack of execution,” Josh Hart said after the game (h/t SNY).

The Knicks, despite winning eight straight games prior to these last three games, gained virtually no ground in the standings. In fact, Tuesday’s stunning loss to the Pacers dropped them back down to third in the Eastern Conference.

They need to go into the All-Star break on a high note, and they will have the chance to do so against the Philadelphia 76ers. A win would have them feeling a lot better about themselves heading into the All-Star break.