Jalen Brunson and the Knicks hope to rebound from a loss to second-seed with a win over the fourth-seed.
On Saturday night, the New York Knicks (34-18) lost badly to the Eastern Conference’s second seed, the Boston Celtics. Tonight, in the first game of a back-to-back, they visit the fourth-seed Indiana Pacers (29-22). Will the Knicks win the season series, currently tied at 1-1, and put more distance between them and the rising Pacers?
When last they visited the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, on November 10, 2024, the Knicks lost 132-121. Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with a career-high 38 points, including seven three-pointers, and eight rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton added 35 points, 14 assists, and two steals. Myles Turner contributed 26 points and six rebounds. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson logged 33 points and 10 assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 points and nine rebounds. Indiana secured the win with a 40-27 fourth quarter.
Rick Carlisle’s club has won seven of their last 10 games. They live up to their name, playing at the league’s eighth-fastest speed, and their offensive rating (115.6) ranks tenth. But this is still not a defensively concerned club, ranking 21st, and most of their shot attempts come from within the arc. Although they do not fire as often from deep, they average 37% from the great beyond. Look for them to hoist more bombs than usual tonight, given the Knicks’ reputation for a soft perimeter.
In the frontcourt, Haliburton leads the procession with 17.8 points and 8.5 assists per game this season. His three-point shooting is up to 37%, but he’s such a weird cat: on January 29, he scored 30 points and eight assists against the Pistons; five nights later, he scored 0 points and six dimes. Which version of this guy will we see tonight? Anybody’s guess.
Indiana’s shooting guard Andrew Nembard is averaging 10.6 points and five assists while shooting 32% from downtown on 2.4 attempts. Just our luck, he’ll go 7-of-8 from deep tonight. In their frontcourt, the lengthy forwards Bennedict Mathurin (16.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG) and Pascal Siakam (20.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG) will pose a challenge for their Knicks counterparts; and their center, Turner, is a game-time decision with a neck issue.
On the Knicks’ injury report: OG Anunoby is questionable with his ongoing foot/toe thing, and Josh Hart is probable with knee soreness. Karl-Anthony Towns appeared to be hampered by his knee problem in the Boston loss, but he was not included in the most recent report that we saw.
Prediction
ESPN.com favors the Pacers at 58%. Okie-dokie. The Knicks obliterated Indiana in the second game of the season, 123-98, due to outscoring them by 15 in the second and third quarters. New York should stick to this strategy to avoid repeating their last loss to the Pacers. Indeed, a nice 15-point lead going into the fourth quarter might be jussst enough to carry New York to a slim victory. With the Knicks’ starters running up and down the court for three quarters, the Pacers are sure to be fresher and more efficient down the stretch. Take heart: there’s just one more game left before the All-Star Break. New York drops tonight’s tilt by three.
Game Details
Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
TV Broadcast: TNT, MSG Network
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky