Pacers hot shooting does in Knicks, Brunson injury ended comeback as Indiana wins Game 7

2024 NBA Playoffs – Indiana Pacers v New York Knicks

Game 7s are notoriously low scoring — the combination of dialed-in defenses and nerves giving players T-Rex arms traditionally leads to grinding, low-scoring affairs with flashes of playmaking.

The Indiana Pacers disrupted that tradition from the opening tip and shot a record 67.1% for the game — the highest field goal percentage in any NBA playoff game ever. That’s not even getting to the 54.2% from 3 for the game. Indiana’s stars stepped up with Tyrese Haliburton scoring 26 and Pascal Siakam adding 20.

Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam lead the @Pacers in Game 7 to advance to the ECF!

Haliburton: 26 PTS (14 in 1Q), 10-17 FGM, 6 3PM, 6 AST
Siakam: 20 PTS (11 in 1Q), 8-15 FGM, 4 REB, 4 AST

Indiana’s 67.1 FG% is the highest percentage in a playoff game in NBA history pic.twitter.com/6dv3EasEwH

— NBA (@NBA) May 19, 2024

Even in the face of that shooting onslaught, it felt like the resilient Knicks would make their run — and then Jalen Brunson left the game in the third quarter with what was later diagnosed as a fractured left hand. That was the final nail in the coffin.

Indiana went on to win 130-109, taking the series 4-3.

The Pacers advance and will fly to Boston for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night.

The Knicks’ season ends, but it was one of the best — if not the best — years the franchise has seen in a couple of decades. More than 50 wins and making the second round of the playoffs in the face of injuries, this team won over New York fans because of their grit and resolve.

Their luck just ran out — and the injuries caught up with them — on Sunday in Game 7.

OG Anunoby started the game and played the first five minutes, providing a spark and scoring five points, but he left the game not to return because his hamstring was not ready. Josh Hart gutted out 36 minutes with a strained abdomen, but he did not move the same way on Sunday.

From the opening tip, the Pacers simply couldn’t miss: They shot 29-of-38 (76.3%) in the first half, including hitting 8-of-12 from 3. Haliburton and Siakam combined for 31 points in the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/pacers-hot-shooting-does-knicks-232335684.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-05-19 23:23:35

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.