2013 Playoffs: Pacers-Knicks Game 2 viewer’s guide
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
The Indiana Pacers will attempt to take a 2-0 lead over the New York Knicks when the two teams meet in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference second-round series Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have lost three of their last four games, including two straight at home. The Pacers have won three games in a row, including the last two on the road.
Here are developments to look out for when the game tips off at 7 p.m. on TNT with former Pacers star Reggie Miller on the broadcast:
Desperation: From coaches to players, the Knicks were very forthright after Game 1 about what they felt cost them the game: The Pacers just flat out played harder. It was apparent that New York played without urgency. That surely won’t be the case Tuesday night. According to whowins.com, teams that go up 2-0 in a best-of-seven NBA conference semifinal series by winning the first two on the road have gone on to win the series all 12 times it’s happened. That’s why New York knows it can’t put itself in a position where the team travels to Indianapolis still sporting a doughnut in the win column. They’re in a tough enough spot already. The Knicks have lost all five previous playoff series in which they dropped Game 1 at home, including a 1995 second-round matchup with the Pacers.
Going for the throat: The Pacers, on the other hand, would gain an enormous head start by winning the first two games. And they are in comfortable territory. Indiana has won its last two playoff games at Madison Square Garden. The Pacers and Knicks have met twice before in the East semifinals, with Indy winning both series. Officials let the players bang, bump and bruise each other in Game 1, a tone which benefits the Pacers. Lance Stephenson had a career-high 13 boards in Game 1 playing in his hometown. He said he liked playing well in front of friends and family and said he loves playing at MSG. And if Indiana is used to anything, it’s pulling out in front in playoff basketball. The Pacers have led after three games in six of their last seven playoff series. The only series they trailed after three games in that time came in 2011 when they were a No. 8 seed. So don’t expect the visitors to be content after playing so well on Sunday. They’ll want more.
Size matters: The smaller Knicks just could not finish at the basket in Game 1. And they were outrebounded 44-30. Pacers center Roy Hibbert had a lot to do with the outcome on both fronts. He blocked five shots and found eight boards. Look for the Knicks to go with Carmelo Anthony, Chris Copeland and Tyson Chandler more often in the frontcourt. That helps the Knicks on the glass and size-wise without sacrificing their firepower and spacing on the offensive end. Copeland can really stroke it. That would put added pressure on David West to leave the lane defensively. The Pacers had 20 second-chance points in the opener and will stick with the lineup that made them successful.
Not shooting stars: Anthony and co-pilot J.R. Smith are slumping more than a bored high-school student in the back of his chair. Anthony has made just 71 of 188 shots in the playoffs. Smith needs to get back to what made him successful this year: attacking the basket. Anthony first injured his left shoulder against the Pacers in mid-April and hasn’t been the same player since. He tweaked it in Games 5 and 6 against Boston. He said it’s something he has to deal with and play through. Entering this series, there was some debate whether Indiana should try to take away Anthony or lean toward letting him score and just stopping everyone else. The prudent tack is for the Pacers to focus on hounding New York’s linchpin. Anthony said he had a totally different mindset this season. Whatever that means exactly, the payoff was evident. He was better than ever. If he doesn’t get it going, the Pacers will win the series easily. The offense that pushed the Knicks to 54 wins and dominated during their 13-game winning streak has gone missing. They need to get back to raining 3s. The Knicks took 29 3s per game in the regular season. On Sunday, they launched just 19, four fewer than the Pacers, even. They fell into a lot of isolation where the ball stopped rotating. When the Pacers’ defense and New York’s offense are matched up, if proceedings look awfully similar to Game 1, rest assured Indiana has the upper hand.
