The New York Knicks’ Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers have been marked by wild comebacks and dramatic moments, but a more fundamental issue has gone unaddressed: the Knicks are not well-suited to match up with the Pacers. This is not due to the team’s performance being bad or the Pacers being dominant, but rather their respective strengths and weaknesses.
The series highlights the difficulties the Knicks face when playing at a fast-paced tempo, which suits the Pacers’ style. The Knicks need games to be slower and more controlled to have the best chance of winning, but they struggle to keep up with the Pacers’ high-scoring offense. Even without wild comebacks, the Knicks fell behind and could not overcome the Pacers’ advantage.
The series shows that the Pacers are a better team than the Knicks, particularly in terms of depth and hunger. The Pacers played to their strengths, while the Knicks struggled to find answers. This is evident in various areas, including Jalen Brunson’s defensive performance, Karl-Anthony Towns’ inconsistency, and Josh Hart’s ball-handling issues.
While the series is not over yet, the general trend is clear: the Pacers have more resources and are better equipped to counter the Knicks’ strengths than weaknesses. The loss on Tuesday night only emphasized this reality.
Source: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/knicks-pacers-nba-playoffs-brunson.html