Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers Game 6: Eastern Conference Playoffs – Second round
The New York Knicks can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals if they beat the Indiana Pacers on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Is this the season for the Knicks?
The New York Knicks are back in the driver’s seat in the series after a 121-91 win in Game 5 at home. They bounced back right after a blowout loss to Indiana in the previous game. Jalen Brunson had another impressive performance, scoring 44 points on 18 of 35 shooting from the field. Josh Hart added 18 points for the Knicks, as many as Alec Burks coming off the bench.
Can the Pacers tie the series?
The Indiana Pacers were much better when playing at home than on the road and are now facing an elimination game after a Game 5 loss. They shot only 43.1% from the field in Game 5. Pascal Siakam led the team with 22 points and 8 rebounds, and Myles Turner added 16 points.
Betting Trends
Indiana has won the last 20 home games and 15 of the last 20 home games against New York. The Pacers are 13-6 ATS at home in games played on Friday. They have played over the total point line in 11 of their last 16 games overall, 10 of the last 15 games against teams from the Eastern Conference, and 8 of the last 11 games played in May. The Knicks are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games and 4-2 SU in their last six games against teams from the Eastern Conference. New York is 4-2 ATS in the last 6 games overall and 6-2 ATS in the last 8 games on the road. They have played over the total point line in 14 of the last 20 games overall.
Prediction and Conclusion
All five games in the series were won by the home team, and while the first three were pretty close, the last two were blowouts. It seemed like the Pacers took control of the series with a 32-point win in Game 4, but then they lost by a similar margin in the next one. Now the Pacers have their backs against the wall, and they will need to respond under pressure. The Pacers were the best-scoring team in the regular season and will definitely pick up the pace against the shorthanded Knicks. That proved to be the right game plan in their previous two home games. Indiana will tie the series tonight and take the series back to New York for Game 7.
