Tyrese Haliburton’s Pacers stun NBA fans by crushing the Knicks in a G4 blowout in Brunson, New York.
Tyrese Haliburton, one of six Pacers to score in double digits, accomplished a little bit of everything with 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Myles Turner shot perfectly on his way to 13 points, five rebounds, and three blocks, while fellow guard T.J. McConnell recorded a double-double of 15 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, and two steals.
Despite having 18 points for the Knicks, Jalen Brunson was only 6-of-17 from the floor due to Indiana’s formidable defense. There were plenty of responses to the blowout on social media:
With OG Anunoby out of Game 3 and Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury, Brunson playing through a foot injury, and Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanović already sidelined, it has felt at times like the Knicks are just hanging on in this series.
It’s not like Indiana was really merciful. It took a 28-point lead into the locker room at halftime after establishing a 23-point lead in just the first quarter. Turner and Haliburton both made their shots from deep range, and Pascal Siakam seemed to be able to hit anything within the arc.
A lot of credit should also go to the bench, since McConnell and Obi Toppin ignited things and just made the lead bigger. With the ball in his hands, McConnell, in particular, was attacking the lane and facilitating while also causing Brunson problems on the defensive end.
How many points the Pacers will score in front of their boisterous fans was the single unanswered question going into the second half. Indiana only managed to increase its lead to an incredible 38 points going into the fourth quarter. The Knicks’ lone bright spot was that neither club used its starters in the final 12 minutes. The starting players at least get some rest; after all, even when the squad is healthier, head coach Tom Thibodeau doesn’t use his bench much.
It was undoubtedly not the relaxation they were hoping for, but maybe it will pay off when the series moves back to New York for Game 5 on Tuesday.