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#3 Seed New York Knicks vs. #6 Seed Indiana Pacers
Pierre’s Outlook and Prediction
Season Series: Indiana Pacers 2-1
The series matchup between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers is a classic reminder of the ’90s era. The rivalry between the two teams is well-known, with memorable moments like Starks headbutting Reggie Miller and Reggie taunting Spike Lee. The heroics from Patrick Ewing also add to the bad blood between the two franchises. Fast forward to 2024; we have a new chapter in this historic rivalry. Emerging stars like Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton will be leading their respective teams. It remains to be seen whether Brunson can claim his seat as the King of New York or if Haliburton can bring success to the Pacers. Without further ado, let’s get the series prediction rolling.
How did we get here? Both of these teams had a dogfight in the first round. The Knicks squeaked past the Sixers in six games, while the Pacers struggled with hurt and battered Bucks, which also advanced in six games. The last matchup between New York and Indiana occurred on February 10th, where we saw the Pacers emerge victorious. Even though this matchup was before the All-Star break and both teams were very different, it still showed a path to victory each team could take to win this series. The Knicks must continue to ride the wave of Jalen Brunson, who has lit this playoff on fire with his ability to get to his spots, draw fouls, and take sole responsibility for getting the offense organized with a usage rate as high as former Mavericks teammate Luka Doncic.
Furthermore, there is also a secret ingredient in this recipe for New York to cook: OG Anunoby, who has been extraordinary since being traded to the Knicks. Tom Tibs will likely lean on Josh Hart and Anunoby’s defense to slow down Haliburton and OG’s former teammate in Toronto, Pascal Siakam.
For the Pacers, Tyrese has to find some aggression in this series, similar to how he attacked the Knicks in the regular season, averaging 19 points while also doing what he does best: finding open teammates and creating, averaging 13 assists. While Haliburton must find his aggression, Indiana, in general, needs to get back to its scoring ways and play its brand of basketball. One key factor I have in this series is Myles Turner. Despite putting up one dud in the first round, he still averaged 22 points and shot 47% from three. He is matching up with Hartenstein and Robinson. Turner has to use his speed and space-creating ability to put pressure on those mismatches.
Overall, this series will be closer than most expect, but for my prediction, give me the Knicks in 6 games. I don’t think the Pacers will generate enough stops to halt the run Brunson and the Knicks are embarking on.
X-Factors – OG Anunoby and Myles Turner
Prediction: New York Knicks in 6
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