Knicks 123, Pacers 98: Scenes from the offense we were promised

Party at the Garden! The Knicks dominate their home opener on both ends with a KAT double-double and four starters scoring over 20 points.

On Tuesday, the New York Knicks (1-1) were gutted by Boston on the road in their season opener. Tonight, they hosted the Indiana Pacers (1-1) for their home opener at Madison Square Garden. The two Eastern Conference rivals last met in the semifinals, where the Pacers won a grueling seven-game series. A revenge victory would certainly boost confidence in our beloved team.

New York set the tone early with a balanced offense, as Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 12 first-half points and Mikal Bridges got his groove back. Backed by sharp shooting and tight defense—holding Indiana’s starting backcourt scoreless—they built a 61-45 halftime lead. The Knicks dominated the third quarter, extending their lead to 31 with hot shooting and stifling defense, outscoring the Pacers 34-19. While the Yankees took a lead in L.A., the Knicks closed out their house party with a 123-98 victory. God bless America.

In their first games as Knicks at the Garden, Towns and Bridges gave us their best. The former’s statline was 21 points, 17 boards, two blocks, and a steal, making both three pointers he shot and 9-of-10 from the line; the latter’s line was 21 points, five assists, one steal, 8-of-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep. Julius who?

Jalen Brunson was a measly +36 in his 30 minutes, scored just 26 points on 10-of-19 from the field and dished up five assists to one turnover. Quiet night for Superman.

OG Anunoby defended like mad and scored 14 points on 6-of-12 from the field. Meanwhile, Josh Hart played through a tender hamstring and still logged a 20-10 double-double with three assists and a still. He shot 8-of-15.

With his roster reduced by injuries, Coach Tom Thibodeau played an eight-man rotation for most of the night, although the rookies got a little run at the end because of how perfectly the starters had played. Their defense was so good, the Pacers shot just 3-of-30—

(3-of-30?!)

—from downtown. Indiana’s backcourt had an especially miserable night, with just two points for Andrew Nembhard and a goose egg for All-Star Haliburton. It is hard to imagine the Knicks playing a better game than this, and there are 80 regular ones left.

First Half

New York set the tempo from the start, with both offenses scoring just 10 points apiece within the first six minutes.

Jalen Brunson brought his spatula and apron, cooking up 12-first half points while penetrating the lane at will and even drawing a trademark charge. We loved seeing Karl-Anthony Towns splash the net early, too, and he showcased impressive aggression when challenging Indiana’s Myles Turner in the paint. This is the KAT they traded for! The big fella collected 12 first-half points.

Thibs closed the first quarter with a lineup of Cameron Payne, Miles “Deuce” McBride, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Jericho Sims, but brought back Jalen and Karl for the final shot, securing a 25-24 lead at the quarter’s end.

Josh Hart massaged his hamstring in the early minutes of the game and moved gingerly throughout. That didn’t stop our favorite madman from grabbing eight first-half rebounds and scoring 11 points. In other injury news, McBride headed to the locker room after an awkward landing on a layup but returned to the bench soon after. Until some Knicks return from the injury list, every tweak, limp, and wince will give us heart palpitations.

Mikal Bridges was a mid-range sniper in the first half, dazzling defenders with slick moves and smooth finishes, ending with a tidy eight points. The three fouls that sent him to the bench with 8:30 left in the second were a blemish, but after all the concerns about Mikal’s shooting form, seeing him play with such flair was a relief.

New York increased their advantage with a 14-2 run through the middle of the frame, building to their largest lead of the night, 16 points. Balanced scoring (four starters in double-digits), precise shooting (56% shooting from the field, 7-of-13 from deep), and diligent defense resulted in first half glory. Winning the points in the paint and collecting 15 points off of eight forced turnovers, New York entered intermission ahead, 61-45.

How strong was their defense? The Pacers’ starting backcourt of Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard were held to a combined 0-of-7 shooting with zero points—worlds apart from Tuesday night’s torment in Boston.

Second Half

New York rocketed out of halftime with an 8-4 run, stretching their lead to 20. As their hot shooting continued, Karl-Anthony kept firing over the helpless Turner, securing a double-double with plenty of game left. Wine connoisseur T.J. McConnell brought his usual energy off the Indiana bench—much-needed, as his starters were all negative double-digits in the plus-minus column. When Bridges hit his first three-pointer and Brunson followed with another, the Knicks’ lead hit 28. A Bridges dunk then pushed it to 30; a minute later, his second triple made the lead 31. That Knicks offense we were promised? It looked damn fine, indeed.

With 30 seconds left in the quarter, Josh Hart subbed out, still limping slightly. We figured that would be the last we saw of him; by then, he’d played stellar defense all night, collecting 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a plus-minus of 32. To close the quarter, the Knicks had held the Pacers to 19 points and score 34.

Not only were the Knicks in peak form, but so was Thibs. No lead is safe! With nine minutes left and the Knicks ahead by 28, Josh subbed in for Bridges. Maybe the coach didn’t want Hart’s hammy to stiffen up on the bench—or maybe he wanted to see four of his starters reach 20 points (which they did). Then, with eight minutes left, Brunson replaced Payne to ensure their 25-point lead wouldn’t dissolve. Thibs gonna Thibs!

With 3:45 left and a 29-point lead, Tyler Kolek checked in to join his fellow rookies Pacôme Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti and veterans Jericho Sims and Cam Payne. They played well enough to preserve the massive lead built up by the first five. Final score: 123-98.

Up Next

The competiton continues to be tough when the Cleveland Cavaliers come to town on Monday. Rest up those hammies, Knickerbockers!

Box Score