The New York Knicks will look to refuel at the Racing Capital of the World.
NBA Cup play resumes for New York when it hits the road to face the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. It’s also the start of a four-game road trip for the Knicks, who also get two in Toronto and a visit to Minnesota over these next seven days.
The Knicks will look to atone for the end of their four-game winning streak, which closed with a 115-107 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson had 27 points while Karl-Anthony Towns put up 21 points and 11 boards.
That was the 11th consecutive double-double to open the season for Towns, tying Willis Reed for the second-longest such output in Knicks history. Walt Bellamy holds the record with 13 back in 1965.
Indiana is once again dealing with injuries at the top of the season but did manage to muster a 114-101 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. Pascal Siakam earned 28 points with franchise face and recurring Knicks nemesis Tyrese Haliburton out due to a hamstring injury. The Pacers endured more medical madness in that game, as Aaron Nesmith had to exit with a knee ailment.
It’s ancient history to Knicks fans now, but the Pacers are the last team to take them down in a playoff series. The Knicks earned a quantum of revenge for the 2024 and 2025 postseason oustings last year, winning three of four meetings.
The first three get-togethers were close, but the Knicks took control in the closer, putting a St. Patrick’s Day massacre in the form of a 136-110 shellacking at MSG. Josh Hart put up 33 points in that win while Towns and Jose Alvarado each had double-doubles. There are three meetings scheduled this time around, with the next slated for later this month in Manhattan.
This is also the second NBA Cup group game for both the Knicks and Pacers. New York’s quest to protect its in-season crown was somewhat derailed by a 98-93 loss to Philadelphia two weeks ago, while the Pacers dropped a 145-125 decision to Miami on that same night.
What to Know
Who: New York Knicks (6-5, 0-1) @ Indiana Pacers (4-8, 0-1)
What: NBA Cup, East Group C play
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Friday, 7 p.m. ET, MSG/DAZN/Prime Video
Wager: NYK —8.5 (o/u: 218.5)
Keep An Eye On: Josh Hart
Unlike the Pacers, the Knicks go into this one with a blank injury report. That’s huge considering Josh Hart (now a part owner of Italian club Napoli Basket) lingered on recent medical postings due to both an ankle injury and an illness, but he took over his usual spot in the starting five on Wednesday.
But the Knicks’ work without Hart at the start shows an interesting trend: in the three games they played without Hart (spelling him with Landry Shamet), the Knicks were not only undefeated but also had the second-best first-quarter margin (8.7) in the league, behind only Boston.
It feels like the Knicks are in too deep with the struggling Mikal Bridges to remove him from the five, leaving Hart as the de facto victim in a potential swap. A season that has featured several medically-induced interruptions hasn’t gotten off to a strong start, as he’s averaging 8.3 points on less than 39% from the field.
The timing of such a question can’t help but carry a sense of irony: it was just before a Knicks-Pacers 2025 playoff clash in Indianapolis that Hart voluntarily stepped out of the starting five, allowing the since-departed Mitchell Robinson to take over his spot. It’s unlikely the Knicks would make any drastic changes tonight, but it’s certainly worth keeping a closer eye on Hart as the team seeks more consistent 48-minute efforts.
Pacer to Watch: T.J. McConnell
Injuries and the quest for transactional redemption have removed some of the enders of recent Knicks championship quests. Sticking around is T.J. McConnell, who missed the first nine games of this cursed campaign with a hamstring injury.
The lasting veteran and recurring conversation topic on Hart’s “Roommates Show” has long been a target of Knicks fans thanks to his status as an Indianapolis folk hero, to the point where “The Sopranos” star and celebrity fan Edie Falco was possibly ready to call her TV family to arrange for a sit-down.
McConnell showcased his facilitation abilities on Wednesday, giving out seven assists in just under 14 minutes to help set up the win over the Wizards.
Friday will mark McConnell’s 50th game against the Knicks, including playoffs. There are just six starts included among the first 49, but he’s left an undeniable impact: He has put up 18 double-figure games in scoring, seven more when it comes to dishing out that many assists, and 11 more where he has earned multiple steals.
No one in the Association is more tired of the phrase “next man up” than the Pacers and their fans, but McConnell has essentially made a career out of it, especially with his performances against the Knicks.
They Said It
“The shots I’m shooting, I like them. I think that was kind of evident with Cleveland. One of the things: all three of my threes were just hella short. It was just, those legs, get those legs under me. Also, on top of that, missing a week in the season, it’s cumulative of six, seven weeks of just not much activity basketball-wise. So, I think that’s just what it is. So, as the season progresses and I’m out there running more, doing all those kinds of things, the performance will follow.”—Hart on his slow start to the season (h/t Stefan Bondy, New York Post)
“It’s tough starting off the season with an injury, and guys get kind of used to playing without you. So you got to slowly get back into it and figure out the way you can complement everyone on the floor without disrupting too much. It’s a work in progress, and there’s still gonna be games where we figure it out…We’ve got to stick together, and we’re going to find a way.”—Ivica Zubac on the Pacers navigating early injuries (h/t Madie Chandler-Donahue, Pacers.com)
Prediction
The Knicks get back on pace in Indianapolis.
Healthy, hungry, and given a chance to take care of business, the Knicks take advantage of the Pacers, then some, in Indianapolis. A reunion with Haliburton will, alas, have to wait, but the Knicks have another sterling chance at victorious research and development as they seek to fully regain the form that led to a Larry O’Brien Trophy hoist previously denied to them by the pesky Pacers.
Expect the rigors of a rivalry, as well as the literal and figurative rebound from a tough Wednesday showing. But the Knicks get a little bit extra vengeance as they head into what has a chance to be a dangerous, if not ultimately prosperous, road trip.
Knicks 116, Pacers 107
