NBA playoffs: Pacers run past shorthanded Knicks in Game 7 for 130–109 win

In a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks finally broke down Sunday while the Indiana Pacers broke out for a 130–109 win. The Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals to face the Boston Celtics, while the Knicks are left to wonder what could have been if not for all the injuries they suffered.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 26 points with six assists to lead six Indiana players in double figures, showing the aggressiveness on offense that he’d been missing throughout much of the series. The All-Star point guard shot 10-for-17 from the field, including 6-for-12 on 3-pointers.

Jalen Brunson finished with 17 points and nine assists for the Knicks, but left the game late in the third quarter after fracturing his hand trying to defend Haliburton on a fast break. Donte DiVincenzo led New York with 39 points and was really the team’s only consistent scoring threat Sunday. Alec Burks added a surprising 26 points off the bench.

OG Anunoby played, but couldn’t do much

New York initially got what appeared to be good news with OG Anunoby and Josh Hart starting the game despite injuries.

Anunoby returned to the lineup after missing the previous four games in the series with a strained hamstring sustained in Game 2. Prior to his injury, the forward was New York’s second-leading postseason scorer at 16.4 points per game.

He hit his first two shots (including a 3-pointer) and looked like he’d provide a lift for the Knicks. However, Anunoby was clearly slowed by the injury, showing little ability to move on defense or get up the floor quickly. He eventually only logged five minutes to begin the game and did not play the rest of the way.

Pascal Siakam quickly took advantage of the matchup for Indiana, scoring 11 points in the first quarter on 5-for-5 shooting. He finished with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Hart, the Knicks’ leading rebounder in the playoffs (averaging 11.2 per game), also played after suffering an abdominal strain in Game 6 that limited his effectiveness. He scored 10 points with eight rebounds and five assists, but couldn’t bring the defensive energy for the Knicks that he had…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-playoffs-pacers-run-past-shorthanded-knicks-in-game-7-for-130109-win-220727350.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-05-19 22:07:27

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