Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between historic rivals New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers will be center staged Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
Knicks vs Pacers Game 2 Preview
Game 1 proved to be the age series opener as the Pacers edged the Knicks in an overtime thriller in the fourth quarter, where visitors were able to pull out levels at the end of regulations by the age of 17.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the team that dragged more than nine points in the final minute of the fourth quarter or playoff game OT was 0-1,414 before the crash at Big Apple on Wednesday in 1998.
Indiana continues to write history and is the first team in the era of play-by-play to force an OT or victory after tracking at least nine trails in the last 60 seconds of postseason games.
Pacers’ wing Aaron Nesmith cashed out five threes in the final five minutes, with the Knicks missing a big free throw and Tyrees Halliburton bounced high off the rim and extended the game with an incredible buzzer beater that dropped the net.
Indiana improved to 6-0 in the postseason clutch game, and after being swept by the Boston Celtics at this stage last year, the Pacers are pledging to not run out again with a statement victory on enemy territory.
The clutch game has been defined as one within five points in the last five minutes, with the Pacers scoring an astonishing 69 points on 43 clutch offensive possessions, with a 1.6 ownership rate of 1.6.
Throughout the first two rounds of the playoffs, all five pacer starters were exhibiting balanced and confident team basketball under head coach Rick Carlisle, averaging between 14.6 and 18.8 points per game.
Indiana scored an astonishing 31 points in the final 13 regulations (Nesmith took the 20), knocking the Knicks out, who never played a bad game.
Nesmith’s 30 points tied his career highs (regular season or playoffs), and his eight threes (nine attempts) were the most he’d ever made in the game while defending the Knicks’ Talisman Jalaine Branson.
Branson tallied 43 assists and five assists, while Karl Anthony Towns chipped in with 16 and 16 rebounds respectively.
Indiana only started 2-0 in one conference final in nine previous trips. After Pacer defeated the Knicks in 6 in 2000, he moved forward to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
Pacers are 5-1 this postseason and don’t expect to fall lightly in this matchup.
Watch: Indiana’s incredible comeback vs game 1 New York
Knicks vs Pacers Game 2 Injury Report
New York Knicks Injury
There are no injuries to report
Indiana Pacers Injury Report
f Isaiah Jackson (Achilles, towards the season)
Which TV channel is Knicks vs. Pacer Game 2?
Knicks vs Pacers Game 2 will air nationwide on TNT.