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The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, old playoff rivals, are heading to a Game 7. After the Pacers defended their home court and won Game 6 in Indiana 116-103, the series will shift back to New York City and Madison Square Garden one final time.
Jalen Brunson, who scored a game-high 31 points in the Game 6 loss, said while the home team has won each game in this series, the Knicks, who battled to earn the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed in the regular season, will have to put their best foot forward to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
“It’s definitely something we fought for to have home-court advantage as long as we can throughout the playoffs,” Brunson said of securing the second seed. “I’m just happy that our team has the mindset that we do. But it’s not given just because it’s at home, we got to go out there and play and earn it. They’re gonna be ready, and we’re gonna have to be ready as well.”
"It's not given just because it's at home, we get to go out there and play and earn it."
Jalen Brunson on the mindset heading into game 7 at MSG
(VIA @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/hSCaAmyENH
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 18, 2024
Knicks and Pacers heading for Game 7 in New York
About a quarter of a century ago, the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers waged war in the NBA Playoffs seemingly every year. From 1993 to 2000, the teams met six times in the playoffs, with each team winning three series.
Now, the teams are heading toward a highly anticipated Game 7, the third such do-or-die game between the Knicks and Pacers. The first was back in 1994, when the Knicks overcame a fourth-quarter deficit at home to win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals and clinch an NBA Finals berth. A year later, the teams played in another Game 7, this time in the second round of the playoffs, and the Pacers prevailed after Patrick Ewing’s last-second would-be-game-tying finger roll bounced off of the back of the rim.
It has been nearly 30 years since then, and it has been nearly 25 years since the Knicks made it to the conference finals. Fittingly enough, the Knicks lost to the Pacers in their last ECF appearance in 2000.
But instead of Patrick Ewing and Reggie Miller on the floor facing off, it’s instead Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton as the focal points of the Knicks and Pacers, respectively. Game 7 will serve as the biggest test of their respective NBA careers, especially due to the fatigue and attrition of the series.
The Knicks, who have dealt with injuries for the last several months, is facing the most important game in the last couple of decades without many key players, including Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, Bojan Bogdanovic, and now, possibly Josh Hart as well. Hart, reluctant to sit on the bench at all most times, left Game 6 with an abdomen injury.
If Hart is out or unable to play as much as is usually expected of him in Game 7, the Knicks will rely more heavily on the likes of Alec Burks and Precious Achiuwa, who have served as the sixth and seventh men in the Knicks’ heavily altered playoff rotation. In Game 6, Burks and Achiuwa combined for 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Game 7 is set for tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET.
More must-reads:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo to play for Greece in Olympic qualifier
- Kristaps Porzingis holds the keys to Celtics' title hopes
- The 'Most three-pointers made in the playoffs' quiz
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