The scorching hot Pacers defeat the Knicks in game seven to secure a postseason spot.
NY –There was a great deal of excitement for Sunday’s historic Madison Square Garden contest. It did provide, but not in the manner that was anticipated.
In an unlikely and surprising turn of events during a road Game 7, the Indiana Pacers put on one of the best shooting displays in the 77-year NBA history. The legendary player for the Pacers and their excellent bench delivered the decisive punch when the startled New York Knicks attempted to build a comeback in the second half.
The Pacers emerged victorious 130-109, having fallen behind 2-0 in the series but rallying to win four of the final five games to eliminate the Knicks.
On Tuesday, the Pacers will travel to Boston to play the Celtics in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Coach Rick Carlisle remarked, “Well, we’re the uninvited guests,” when the Pacers defeated a team with a better seed for the second straight series. Here we are. You’ve created history when you triumph in a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. It’s quite challenging.
The Pacers’ overall field goal percentage of 67.1% was the highest in NBA playoff history for a team playing in the postseason. And it was following a second-half cooling down period.
During the third quarter, Knicks standout player Jalen Brunson broke his left hand, which added to the team’s problems and possibly symbolized their misfortunes throughout the series.Upon hearing the news in the locker room, his father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, could only hold his head in his hands as he returned to the bench.
Brunson had already had a difficult day; before leaving, he had only shot 6–17 for 17 points.
“It’s part of the game, and, as I’ve said, this group has made no excuses for anything, said Brunson. Therefore, we go with what we have in case something happens. It goes without saying that we all wanted to be well.
All-Star for the Pacers After playing two dull and uninspiring games in New York earlier in the series, Tyrese Haliburton fired four 3-pointers in the first quarter of Sunday’s game, giving his squad a boost and instilling a sense of unilateral confidence.
Following every three-pointer, Haliburton would stare down anyone in his line of sight, be it Knicks players (especially Donte DiVincenzo) or even the void. The Pacers seemed more at ease with every basket, and more crucially, they could establish their press, which had caused the Knicks problems all series long.
“It’s the game within the game, it’s fun, that’s the environment,” Haliburton declared as he exited the structure while sporting a hoodie bearing the iconic Reggie Miller choking picture. “I unloaded the clip with no regrets, knowing that today was Game 7.” I would hate to spend the entire summer being upset over not making a basket today. So it was just a matter of playing the correct manner for me.”
Haliburton scored 27 points in total on 10–17 shooting.
In their upcoming series versus Boston, the Pacers will be significant underdogs once more; at ESPN Bet, Indiana was rated as +750 underdogs and the Celtics as -1400 favorites.
It was the first Game 7 at the Garden since 1995, and the atmosphere was electric. The tension increased when Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who had returned earlier than anticipated from a right hamstring ailment, came from the locker room tunnel for pregame warmups. However, it was soon evident that letting him play was a dubious choice.
The Pacers could not ignore the fact that Anunoby was hardly able to run. They launched an instant onslaught on him, scoring four points against Anunoby in a matter of minutes after going to Pascal Siakam for a simple basket on the first possession.
Regarding his former Toronto Raptors teammate, Siakam declared, “I was going to test him.” “I didn’t believe he appeared well outside. It’s Game 7, but I just wanted to make sure he was alright.”
The Knicks supporters began to chant about a Willis Reed moment when Anunoby dazzled the audience with two long jumpers in the first three minutes, but the team was unable to hold him in the game.
Carlisle remarked, “I mean, it really was a copy of the Willis Reed thing, the guy came in and hit two hellacious shots.” “Those shots were far more difficult than the ones Wilt Chamberlain back in drop or zone that Willis hit.
However, Anunoby left the game in less than five minutes, and the Pacers lost any trepidation. Their players were making jumpers and shots from all angles, and their offense moved with ease. In the first half, Siakam scored 15 of his 20 points, Haliburton added 16, and Myles Turner scored 10 of his 17. In the first 24 minutes, the Pacers shot 76.3% overall (29–38) and 66.7% from 3-point range (8–12). Out of 25, twenty were produced. Only a few shots in the paint or from outside the arc were missed by them.
It surpassed the San Antonio Spurs’ 74% shooting effort in the 2014 NBA Finals, which was regarded as one of the top offensive basketball performances in history, to become the greatest shooting half in playoff history. The Pacers then exceeded it. DiVincenzo scored 37 points in the third quarter, mostly from long range, as the Knicks mounted a comeback. He broke the previous Knicks playoff record with nine 3-pointers in the end. With those threes and a few unusual defensive lapses, the Pacers’ lead was cut from 22 points to seven, giving Knicks supporters optimism that they may see something special.
Carlisle then brought in T.J. McConnell, a valuable reserve guard, who started making plays and calmed the Pacers right away. McConnell scored two baskets, disheveled two assists, and assisted in forcing three turnovers by the Knicks. He was the driving force behind a 15–4 run that restored the Pacers’ advantage in the game.
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