John Jones-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon Sport
Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks Game 1: Eastern Conference Playoffs – Second round
The New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers are opening the second playoff round tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Pacers are back in the second round for the first time in ten years
The Indiana Pacers created a respectful team this season and used the circumstances to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening playoff round. The Pacers did their part of the job against the shorthanded Bucks, winning the series in six games. Pascal Siakam is the leading scorer for the Pacers in the playoffs, averaging 22.3 points per game, followed by Myles Turner with 19.2.
Is this the season for the Knicks?
The New York Knicks are in their second playoff season in back-to-back years. Last season, they lost six games to the Miami Heat, but now they are going into the series against the Pacers as favorites. The Knicks are coming off a 4-2 series win in the opening round against the Philadelphia 76ers. Jalen Brunson had an amazing series, leading the Knicks with 35.5 points per game.
Betting Trends
New York is 9-2 SU in the last 11 games overall. They are 8-2 SU in the last 10 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 6-1 SU in the last 7 games against teams from the Central Division. The Pacers are 4-1 SU in their last five games overall and 5-2 SU in the last 7 games against teams from the Atlantic Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Knicks vs. Pacers rivalry from the 1990s is back in the NBA. Whoever followed the NBA back then certainly remembers the Knicks battles against Reggie Miller and the rest of the Pacers crew, and we expect this series to be exciting like back in the day. The Knicks are tough to beat, as they have a team ready to fight against anybody. That is what put them through in the opening round. Jalen Brunson is the leading scorer in the first round in the East, and he should be even more dominant against the Pacers defense, which is not among the best ones in the league. Indiana has Tyrese Haliburton on the point guard spot, who simply cannot guard Brunson. That will make the difference tonight, and the Knicks will take a 1-0 series lead.
