Tibbs Crew Running Out Of Gas And Time

Photo: Special to the NY Beacon

By Andrew Rosario

Brunson’s Minutes Catching Up To Him

Photo: Special to the NY Beacon

Despite the team riddled with injuries, the New York Knicks took the first 2 games of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Indiana Pacers and had to be feeling good about themselves when the series shifted to Indiana for games 3 and 4. Unfortunately for the Knicks, the Pacers took advantage of the comforts of their home crowd in game 3 coming away with a 111-106 win in a game that decided on a 30-foot, 3-point basket by little known Pacers Andrew Nembhard. The basket came with 16.4 seconds left in regulation with the score tied at 106. The Knicks were once again without forward OG Anunoby (left hamstring) and had to rely on bench play from Miles McBride (10 points) and Alec Burks (14 points) while starters Josh Hart (43 minutes, 18 rebounds), Dante DiVincenzo (44 minutes) and Isaiah Hartenstein (38) were spent by the end of the game. Guard Jalen Brunson, still dealing with a sore ankle, struggled early but finished with 26 points, playing 38 minutes. Brunson had a chance to tie the game on the very next possession but took an ill-advised shot surrounded by 3 Pacers. He looked at the refs after the shot fell short but no call was made. Said Brunson of the shot, “I just made a terrible decision.”

Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton (35 points), Pascal Siakim (26 points) and Myles Turner (21 points) Led the Pacers. New York was outscored 26-16 in the final quarter.

48 hours later, the Knicks were run out of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in game 4. New York was outscored 34-14 in the first quarter in the 121-89 rout. Hart, Hartenstein and DiVincenzo combined for a paltry 13 points. Brunson struggled again as it appeared that the minutes are catching up to him. He finished with 18 points on 6-17 shooting. Hart took responsibility for the lackluster performance and never got off the bench in the last quarter. “It’s the playoffs. You gotta find it. That’s something that we didn’t do today,” Hart began. “I put that on my shoulders, someone who brings energy, brings hustle, the kinda things I didn’t do today.”

Indiana had 5 players score in double figures with Haliburton leading the team with 20 points. T.J. McConnell and Isiah Jackson combined for 25 points off the bench. For the Knicks, Burks 20 points and McBride 16 points showed they will need to continue to play well off the bench. Said McBride after the game “we’ll bounce back a lot better. I mean this locker room has dealt with a lot this year. I know those guys are going to set the tone and they already have.” 

The New York Knicks have fed off the home crowd during the playoffs when they eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games and then taking the first 2 games at Madison Square Garden against the Pacers. It’s going to take more than the rabid environment to get them past a revitalized Indiana team knowing that game 6 will be back on the Pacers home floor.