Knicks vs. Pacers Series Preview & Prediction

With the Sixers in the rearview mirror, New York can now focus on the uptempo Indiana Pacers, who knocked off the Giannis-less Bucks in the opening round. 

Here's the schedule for the second-round showdown:
Game 1: Pacers vs. Knicks, Monday, May 6 (7:30 p.m., TNT)
Game 2: Pacers vs. Knicks, Wednesday, May 8 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 3: Knicks vs. Pacers, Friday, May 10 (7 p.m., ESPN)
Game 4: Knicks vs. Pacers, Sunday, May 12 (3:30 p.m., ABC)
Game 5: Pacers vs. Knicks, Tuesday, May 14 (TBD, TNT) *
Game 6: Knicks vs. Pacers, Friday, May 17 (TBD, ESPN) *
Game 7: Pacers vs. Knicks, Sunday, May 19 (TBD, TBD) *

Let's get right into it and preview this series by breaking down each positional matchup…

🏀 Guard: 
Jalen Brunson vs. Tyrese Haliburton

This entertaining series will feature two of the very best PG's in the NBA today. 

Brunson is coming off a legendary, heroic performance. If there were any lingering doubts that Brunson was a superstar capable of putting a franchise on his back, he put those to rest in New York's vanquishing of Philly in Round One. In a series that featured the NBA's reigning MVP and leading scorer, Brunson was the best player on the floor, averaging a whopping 35.5 points (highest scoring average in this postseason), 9.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 made three-pointers. 

Over the series' final four contests, Brunson averaged 41.8 points (on 49% shooting) and 10.3 assists, becoming the first player to score 39+ points in four straight playoff games since some guy named Michael Jordan.

Haliburton was phenomenal over the first few months of the 2023-24 campaign. Surprisingly, however, he struggled with his jumper after the All-Star break. Over the final 25 games of the regular season, he shot below 45% from the floor and below 30% from behind the arc. 

Those shooting woes followed him into the playoffs. Haliburton averaged 16 points per game, converting just 43.5% of his FG attempts and 29.6% of his triple tries. However, even when his shots aren't falling, he's highly effective at setting up his teammates and putting them in positions to succeed. After leading the NBA in assists during the regular season, Haliburton dished out a 9.3 dimes per game (vs. just 2.7 turnovers) in the first round. Make no mistake, he is the engine that powers the Pacers' high-octane offense. 

Brunson and Haliburton probably won't spend much time defending each other, but these two could determine who advances to the Eastern Conference Finals.  

EDGE: Knicks

🏀 Guard:
Donte DiVincenzo vs. Andrew Nembhard

After a stellar second half of the regular season (finishing third in most three-balls made behind only Luka Doncic and Steph Curry), DiVincenzo was remarkably inefficient over the first five games of the first round vs. Philly, shooting just 33% from the floor and 30% from downtown. 

However, he hit the game-winner in Game 2 and saved his best all-around performance for the clincher in Game 6, when he tallied 23 points, seven assists and five three-pointers. Just as importantly, he was tasked with slowing down Tyrese Maxey in that contest and was equally impactful on the defensive end. Consequently, he will likely spend some time checking Haliburton during this series. 

A stat worth noting: The Knicks were 4-0 in Round One when DiVincenzo made multiple three-pointers, and they were 0-2 when he did not. 

Like Brunson and several other Knicks, Nembhard slipped into the second round of the draft before the Pacers scooped him up. After an impressive rookie campaign in 2022-23, Nembhard was promoted to the starting lineup halfway through this season. 

In the first round, he played some of the best basketball of his NBA career and was a key contributor in Indiana's beatdown of the Bucks. Over the series' final four games, Nembhard averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 assists (vs. just one turnover) and 4.0 rebounds while shooting a blistering 62.7% from the floor and 44.4% from the charity stripe.

New York can't sleep on this kid.

EDGE: Knicks