The Indiana Pacers will have full control of the Eastern Conference Finals with a home floor victory over the New York Knicks in Game 4 on Tuesday.
Knicks vs Pacers Game 4 Preview
The Indiana Pacers won two wins from their first return to the NBA Finals at the turn of the century, and Game 4 on home soil on Tuesday is a perfect stage up to inch.
The series already enjoys some iconic moments. Tyrese Halliburton brings out Reggie Miller’s famous choke celebration and sends Game 1 to overtime with Aaron Nesmith, who will be showing one of the hottest hands in playoff history.
Indiana blew the series 2-0 at Madison Square Garden as Pascal Siakam tallied a career-high 39 points in a 15/23 shooting. It marked his third 35-point playoff game for the Pacers behind only Miller and Paul George in franchise history.
Pacer led up to 20 leads in Game 3 to avoid the horrifying 3-0 series holes that NBA history teams couldn’t recover well before the Knicks overturned another huge deficit.
Karl Anthony Towns scored 20 of 24 points in the fourth quarter, with Indiana constantly falling 0-4 when they played on the same day the Indianapolis 500 was held.
The Knicks are the first team in league history from a 20-point comeback in three stages three in a postseason after a straight semi-final match in 1 and 2 against the Boston Celtics.
The Pacers struggled from downtown in Game 3, leading to just five in Sunday’s defeat.
Despite the struggle, Indiana still leads all teams in offensive efficiency. It knocks down almost 50% of attempts from the floor and defeats nearly 40% over the arc. Rick Carlisle’s side is in Paul’s position, aiming to take a third lead in this playoff.
The Pacers are particularly strong at home, boasting an 8-2 record in the final 10, but the Knicks are currently 24-17 this season. New York feels positive momentum towards the decisive tie on Tuesday, but as a collective force, Indiana is undoubtedly a greater force.
Indiana was heartbroken as it was perhaps the most competitive sweep of all time when it left the Eastern Conference Finals at the hands of the final champion Celtics last year.
Indiana and New York have a rich history. Twenty-five years ago, Pacer defeated the Knicks at this stage, progressing to the NBA Finals, drawing curtains with an incredible rival who saw the pair meet six times in the 1993-2000 playoffs.
The Pacers won each of their final two matchups with the Knicks in 2000 and 2013. From this point onwards, it would be surprising to see their fate change.
Watch: Incredible ending to Pacers vs Knicks Game 3
Pacers vs Knicks Game 4 Injury Report
Indiana Pacers injuries
f Aaron Nesmith (ankle; suspicious), f Isaiah Jackson (Achilles, out)
New York Knicks Injury
There are no injuries to report
What TV channel is Pacers vs Knicks Game 4?
Pacers vs Knicks Game 4 will air nationwide on TNT.