2013 Playoffs: Pacers-Knicks Game 4 viewer’s guide
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
The Pacers look to take a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with New York on Tuesday night in Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Knicks star Carmelo Anthony referred to the contest as a must-win, and for good reason. Only eight teams in NBA history have overcome a 3-1 series deficit. Indiana would be in complete control with a victory, and Anthony’s crew all but finished.
With that in mind, here are the trends and developments to monitor for the game that tips at 7 p.m. on TNT:
Center of attention: Roy Hibbert, who starred in Game 3 with 24 points and 12 rebounds, is shooting 53 percent in the series, far above his regular-season conversion rate of 45 percent, and averaging nearly 15 points per game, significantly up from his 11.9 points per game in the regular season. New York center Tyson Chandler said the Pacers were even running their offense through Hibbert on Saturday night. Chandler said that could be a good thing for the Knicks, but added that the Knicks did not defend Hibbert with the proper scheme in Game 3. Indiana should be prepared to see a different look Tuesday. Chandler claims his injury issues are a thing of the past but the evidence doesn’t totally back his assertion. If Chandler can’t handle Hibbert one-on-one, and the Knicks have to send help, that’s a win for the Pacers as long as Hibbert doesn’t hold the ball too long in the face of a double team or carelessly put the ball on the floor around swiping hands. Hibbert has thoroughly outplayed Chandler, a surprising result, and that’s a major reason Indiana leads the series.
PG-16: Small forward Paul George has been charged with 16 of the Pacers’ 54 turnovers in the first three games. Defender Iman Shumpert told IndySportsLegends.com that the Knicks are trying to force George to put the ball on the floor in order to score. That’s led to a series of bad passes, travels and offensive fouls. The Pacers have seen this before. In the regular season, George finished 58th out of 70 qualifying small forwards in turnover ratio, making mistakes on 12.6 percent of his possessions. In nine playoff games, six of which have seen George guarded by either Shumpert or top Hawks defender Josh Smith, George’s turnover ratio is up to 13.9. Indiana needs to adjust by weaving George through multiple screens to get shots off the catch and by putting the ball more frequently in the palms of the very sure-handed George Hill.
Field days at the fieldhouse: The Pacers are 4-0 at home in the playoffs, winning by an average margin of 16.5 points. No opponent has come close to being competitive in the fourth quarter, let alone winning. Come to think of it, home or road, the Pacers’ playoff run has yet to produce an exciting, up-in-the-air finish. Indiana trailed by at least 17 points in the second half of all three losses. Their six wins were never really in doubt down the stretch. The Knicks don’t seem likely to produce a watchable, entertaining game in Indianapolis that puts fans on pins and needles. New York has lost four straight in the capital city dating to March 17, 2012 – back in the long-past era of Linsanity. And the Knicks have also lost four consecutive playoff games in Indianapolis. Spike Lee must be wondering when it all will end.
Tempo: The Knicks are talking about speeding up their offense in Game 4 after a horrendous, 71-point, 35 percent showing last time out. Coach Mike Woodson said the Knicks were willing passers in Game 2 and that keyed an excellent offensive performance. Come Game 3, the ball stopped moving, players stood around and dribblers went one-on-one. Raymond Felton said the Knicks stopped executing their offense when shots wouldn’t fall. Chandler said the problem is they’re playing as individuals: too much one-on-one. The Pacers must cut down on live-ball turnovers and keep an eye on perimeter passing lanes so as not to feed New York any transition opportunities. The blue and gold also should try to avoid being drawn into a quick-paced sequence. As we saw on Saturday, a low-scoring game favors the Pacers. They are in great shape in the series, with the Knicks fighting uphill, and the Pacers want to keep it that way. In all six previous playoff series between these two teams, the winner of Game 1 advanced to the next round. It’s extremely difficult to string together multiple wins. Indiana won Game 1 at Madison Square Garden. A victory Tuesday removes all margin of error for New York and gives the Pacers three chances to clinch.
