Knicks Eyeing a Sweep, But Don't Sleep on the Scrappy Pacers

The New York Knicks roll into Gainbridge Fieldhouse tonight looking for their fourth straight win, and it feels different this time. For years, a road trip to face a lottery-bound team like the Indiana Pacers would have felt like a trap game, a chance for the Knicks to stumble. Not anymore. This group, winners of 10 of their last 12, carries a different swagger. They’re 44-25, sitting comfortably in third place in the Eastern Conference, and they’re playing like a team with legitimate postseason aspirations.

Jalen Brunson has been the engine, pure and simple. His 35.3 points per game in March, including a ridiculous 61-point outburst against the Spurs on March 29th, has dragged the Knicks through some tough stretches. He’s been an iron man too, logging heavy minutes almost every night. Thing is, you can’t win consistently in the NBA with one guy doing everything. The return of OG Anunoby, who missed 18 games with an elbow injury, has been huge. In the seven games since Anunoby’s return on March 27th, the Knicks are 6-1, and his defensive presence immediately elevates their ceiling. Remember, they were 20-3 with him in the lineup before his injury initially sidelined him in late January. That’s not a coincidence.

Look, the Pacers are 15-53. They’re last in the East, and they’ve lost eight of their last ten. Their season has been about developing young talent like Bennedict Mathurin, who’s averaging 14.5 points per game in his rookie year, and figuring out what they have in Tyrese Haliburton, who dished out a career-high 23 assists on February 15th against the Bulls. They’re not playing for much beyond pride and draft position at this point. Still, they’ve pulled off upsets before, like their 121-115 win over the Celtics on March 2nd. They play fast, ranking second in the league in pace, and if the Knicks get sloppy with the ball, Indiana has the athletes to make them pay. Miles Turner, despite the team's struggles, is having a career year with 18.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and he’s always a threat to go off.

Here’s the thing: the Knicks have already handled the Pacers twice this season. They beat them 109-105 at Madison Square Garden on December 20th, and then again 119-113 in Indianapolis on January 2nd. Both games were tighter than you'd expect against a struggling opponent, with Brunson leading the way with 30 and 34 points respectively. This isn’t a gimme. But the current Knicks squad, especially with Anunoby back and Isaiah Hartenstein anchoring the defense while Mitchell Robinson slowly works his way back, feels different. They’re built for these grind-it-out wins.

My hot take? The Knicks actually need a tough, competitive game tonight more than a blowout. They’re getting ready for the playoffs, and every opportunity to execute in the clutch, even against a lesser opponent, is valuable. I think they get the win, pushing their streak to four, but it won’t be easy. My bold prediction: Donte DiVincenzo, who’s been quiet from three the last couple of games, breaks out with at least six made threes tonight, reminding everyone why he's such a crucial piece for New York.