The opening game of the Indiana Pacers-New York Knicks Conference Finals was everything fans hoped for: a high-intensity physical battle full of momentum swings. The Knicks looked to be in great control, especially in the second half. They even had a 14-point lead with only a couple of minutes to go.
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At that point, Shannon Sharpe was ready to call it a dub for Jalen Brunson and company. When he took a look at the score moments later, the Pacers had cut it down to 123-121. Tyrese Haliburton then hit the buzzer-beater to equalize. He then won the game 138-135 in overtime for his team.
And Sharpe refocused himself immediately, and analyzed why the Knicks lost, instead of what he originally planned to do: A breakdown of their supremacy. Sharpe had to criticize the Knicks even though he believed New York did most things right in Game 1.
All five players from the Knicks’ starting lineup played well, with Brunson going off on a 43-point outburst. However, he also ended up making mistakes that could’ve been the difference in what Sharpe called an “unbelievable” game.
The Pacers had seven turnovers in the whole of the high-intensity encounter that went into overtime. That statistic alone shows the kind of control the Pacers had over the ball and the emphasis they placed on avoiding live-ball turnovers.
The Knicks, on the other hand, committed 15 turnovers. Brunson had seven of those 15. “That was the difference in the ball game,” Sharpe said, before outlining the free-throw attempts made by both teams and how the Knicks failed to capitalize on the opportunities.
The Pacers went to the free throw line 28 times, making 21 of them. The Knicks had a gargantuan 40 free throw attempts, but could only convert 28 of them. Squandering 12 points on the line certainly didn’t help New York.
The NFL legend also criticized the Pacers’ resistance to Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns defensively. Brunson and KAT scored nearly 80 points combined. And, while the Pacers might’ve gotten away with a win Wednesday night, they’ll need to limit New York’s offensive stars if they want to seal the series.
Regardless of their shortcomings, the Pacers came together and put on a terrific performance. They made the right plays in clutch time and walked away with a memorable win while on the road.
After claiming home court advantage, the pressure is now on the Knicks to win one in Indiana.
