The Indiana Pacers once again turned the New York Knicks’ home of Madison Square Garden into a temple of doom.
The team that has ended each of the last two Knicks seasons capped MSG’s pre-All-Star break portion on a sour note, putting up an unexpected 137-134 overtime victory on Tuesday night in Manhattan.
Tuesday marked Indiana’s first visit to Seventh and Eighth Avenue since it took last spring’s Eastern Conference Finals from the Knicks in six games.
Eight different Pacers reached double-figures, led by 30 points from Pascal Siakam and a 20/10-assist double-double from Andrew Nembhard.
Another tally of 40 from Jalen Brunson (his 22nd such output as a Knick, one behind Bernard King for second-most in franchise history) was wasted, as was a triple-double from Josh Hart (15 points, 11 assists, and rebounds each). Indiana, which ended a four-game losing streak, was able to neutralize Brunson’s clutch output with a 3-of-13 mark from three and 2-of-7 overall in the second half.
Despite the decrepit, injury-riddled state of the Pacers, Tuesday’s game held a playoff-like aura thanks to the lead changing hands 39 times (the most in any NBA game so far this season) and never expanding by more than eight on either side during the regulation sessions (including never more by four in the fourth quarter).
Tuesday was the Knicks’ second overtime excursion over the last four games, having played none over their first 50 showings. Indiana appeared to be keeping the Knicks at bay after back-to-back doubles from Aaron Nesmith gave them a three-point lead before the three-minute mark.
But the Knicks, for all their defensive flaws that allowed Indiana to secure its most emphatic victory of the year (the Pacers shot over 51 percent and 18 three-pointers) showed an inspiring amount of fight, particularly in the eventually-dire final stanzas: such resilience manifested in the regulation closer, when Karl-Anthony Towns (22 points, 14 rebounds) got to the foul line for successful singles after Landry Shamet’s would-be winner fell short.
Even with Tyrese Haliburton and more limited to spectator status, though, the Pacers proved to have a few clutch antics leftover from spring: Quenton Jackson opened the extra period with a driving two before Siakam added one of his own before sinking a three shortly after Towns picked up his sixth foul on an offensive infraction.
The Knicks (34-20) still lingered behind Indiana carelessness: though New York couldn’t force a turnover in the first 16 minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime, Shamet cut a seven-point lead to four by converting a Mikal Bridges interception into a triple. Foul line misses from Siakam allowed Brunson to cut the lead to one.
That, however, was as close as the Knicks got, as they failed to steal another one from the Pacers (14-40) after clutch antics from Brunson afforded them a mid-December victory back in Indianapolis. The two sides will wrap up their four-game set with a couple next month.
Despite the defeat, those who made it to MSG witnessed niche bits of history.
Bridges (22 points, 9-of-15) partook in the 610th consecutive game to start his NBA career, moving past John Stockton and Jack Twyman for the ninth-longest streak in NBA history. Hart’s 17th triple-double as a Knick also moved him into sole possession of third on the Manhattan ledgers.
Knicks fans also had a warm Manhattan welcome for Jose Alvarado, the Brooklyn native who took to the MSG hardwood for the first time as a Knickerbocker following his victorious debut on Sunday in Boston.
The New York Knicks play their final game before the NBA All-Star break on Wednesday, as they’ll hit the road to face the Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN).
