The New York Knicks are back in action tonight!
Game 2 of the second-round series between the No. 6 Indiana Pacers and the No. 2 Knicks is scheduled to tip-off at 8:00 p.m. EST tonight.
The Knicks will look to win a second consecutive game at Madison Square Garden to take a 2-0 lead in the series. New York won Game 1 on Monday night 121-117, thanks to 43 points from All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks opened their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers with two wins at home. They will hope to do the same tonight before the series moves over to Indiana.
PACERS STARTING FIVE
PG: Tyrese Haliburton
SG: Andrew Nembhard
SF: Aaron Nesmith
PF: Pascal Siakam
C: Myles Turner
Photo by Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
KNICKS STARTING FIVE
PG: Jalen Brunson
SG: Donte DiVincenzo
SF: Josh Hart
PF: OG Anunoby
C: Isaiah Hartenstein
INJURY NEWS
The Knicks’ bench unit has lost another key piece, as Mitchell Robinson will miss 6-8 weeks with a stress injury to his left ankle. His ability to protect the rim and crash the glass cannot go understated. With Robinson expected to miss the remainder of the playoffs, Precious Achiuwa should see more minutes off the bench. Julius Randle (shoulder), Bojan Bogdanović (ankle, wrist) and now Robinson (ankle) are out with injuries for the Knicks.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
1. Tyrese Haliburton: Tyrese Haliburton needs to perform better in order for the Pacers to potentially win Game 2. While he has been a pass-first point guard for a large part of this season, scoring zero points and taking just one shot in the second half of Monday’s loss is unacceptable.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle will need more aggressiveness from Haliburton, especially as a scorer. Otherwise, Pascal Siakam will have even more responsibility on his shoulders.
2. Isaiah Hartenstein: Isaiah Hartenstein has to do his best to stay out of foul trouble. This series is much different from the last one, mainly because the Pacers don’t have someone with a similar profile to Joel Embiid. Miles Turner can play in the post, but he is at his best player on the perimeter.
Nonetheless, Hartenstein has a big role to play with Robinson now injured. If and when he needs a rest, Achiuwa and Jericho Sims could see action at the center position.
3. Miles McBride: Miles McBride has taken his game to new heights this season, carving out a key role in the Knicks’ rotation. His scoring off the bench has been critical to the team’s success. He has already reached double-figure points in three playoff games.
The Knicks hope to get a better game from McBride tonight after he failed to score in 11 minutes on Monday. His ability to hit the three-pointer off the catch and/or off the dribble could play a key role in the game’s outcome.
