Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks Game 5: Eastern Conference Playoffs – Second round

The Indiana Pacers got the momentum in the series and will try to transfer that to Madison Square Garden where the New York Knicks host them tonight.

 

Can the Pacers win at MSG?

The Indiana Pacers are coming off a blowout 121-89 win over the Knicks to tie the series at two games apiece. They had absolute control of the game from the tip-off and took a 20-point lead in the first quarter. The Pacers shot a fantastic 56.8% from the field and 45.2% from three-point territory. No starter played more than 28 minutes since the game was won by halftime. Tyrese Haliburton led the team with 20 points, followed by TJ McConnell, who had 15 off the bench.

 

Can the Knicks bounce back?

The New York Knicks were playing very well at home in the first two games and were almost 3-0 up as they had a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter in Game 4. Unfortunately for them, everything changed at that point, and the Pacers tied the series. The Knicks were terrible in Game 4, shooting only 33.7% from the field and 18.9% from deep. Alec Burks was the leading scorer for the Knicks with 20 points off the bench, while Jalen Brunson finished with 18.

 

Betting Trends

The Knicks have won 7 of the last 9 home games against the Pacers. They are 11-4 SU in the last 15 games, 8-3 SU in the last 11 games against teams from the Central Division. New York is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games played in May and 2-5 ATS in the last 7 games played on Tuesday. The Knicks have played over the total point line in 15 of their last 20 games overall, in 9 of their last 10 games and in 14 of the last 19 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Pacers are 12-6 SU in their last 18 games overall and 1-5 SU in their last 6 games on the road. They have played over the total point line in 11 of their last 15 games overall and in 10 of their last 14 games against teams from the Eastern Conference.

 

Prediction and Conclusion

The New York Knicks started strong in the series and managed to take a 2-0 lead at home. They had a chance to get one step away from the conference finals, but the Pacers were able to hold on and completely destroyed the Knicks in Game 4. It was very obvious that the Knicks are struggling with four players out with injuries. Alec Burks and Precious Achiuwa are playing well in their new roles, but it is a huge question if the Knicks can recover. Unlike them, the Pacers are at full speed, and their confidence is to the roof. As things stand at the moment, the Pacers have a legit chance to win tonight in MSG, and we are going with them to cover the +2.5-point spread.