New York Knicks (2) vs Indiana Pacers (6) - 2024 EC Second Round

[HomeRunBaker]

Really? Even without OG, this group at MSG is much tougher than the Herro Heats at their morgue*.

*I have friends who are Dolphin fans and they claim Miami fans are the absolute worst sports fans in the world. Seeing the Heat's arena half-empty all season is an NBA embarrassment.

Not sure what the fans have to do with this but using the maniacal Knicks fanbase as the league norm isn't fair to most all other fan bases.
I'm pretty sure the Heat were one of the teams that sold out every game this past season. I've said this before but if I get out of work at 5pm and I'm north of Fort Lauderdale I am hard pressed to grab a quick bite even at the arena and be in my seat by tipoff. If there is an accident or road construction I had no chance. If I'm coming from 40 or more miles north I'm not ever making it in my seat for tipoff. It's so easy to do other things than lose your mind in traffic for 2 hours in beautiful weather as I've blown off several Heat games this year to not have to deal with everything it takes to get there and back.

 

[BosoxFaninCincy]

Thank you Caitlin.

I concur on both posts. I love McBride, tough Cincy kid from Moeller. I feel like NYK wins a lot of games where he is JAG, but they like never lose when he plays like this. And Alec Burks dusting off the mothballs to go all Buddy Hield from a couple of weeks ago is great too. I am sure that they are going to appreciate the extra day so they can do extra wind sprints. Thanks Caitlin for the exposure you are giving to the WNBA, for reminding us of your potential for t quadruple double ala George McGinnis, and for exposing Gregg Doyel for what he really is.

 

[benhogan]

Not sure what the fans have to do with this but using the maniacal Knicks fanbase as the league norm isn't fair to most all other fan bases.
I'm pretty sure the Heat were one of the teams that sold out every game this past season. I've said this before but if I get out of work at 5pm and I'm north of Fort Lauderdale I am hard pressed to grab a quick bite even at the arena and be in my seat by tipoff. If there is an accident or road construction I had no chance. If I'm coming from 40 or more miles north I'm not ever making it in my seat for tipoff. It's so easy to do other things than lose your mind in traffic for 2 hours in beautiful weather as I've blown off several Heat games this year to not have to deal with everything it takes to get there and back.

The Knicks are night/day at Home. The players are being fueled by the energy of MSG.
Doubt the C's can sweep 2 games in NY like they easily did in Miami.

Sounds like it's brutal to get there, Miami's lower bowl has been half-empty all season long, which lowers the volume/energy. For an organization that believes it invented the term "Culture" they sure do have a hard time cultivating fans, other than attention-seeking fashion designers.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

The Knicks are night/day at Home. The players are being fueled by the energy of MSG.
Doubt the C's can sweep 2 games in NY like they easily did in Miami.

Sounds like it's brutal to get there, Miami's lower bowl has been half-empty all season long, which lowers the volume/energy. For an organization that believes it invented the term "Culture" they sure do have a hard time cultivating fans, other than attention-seeking fashion designers.

Lower bowls are a tough fill at the price tag they ask in high dollar markets. We’ve seen this with Yankee Stadium and even last night in Florida for the Bruins game when I clicked over real quick. Maybe the Celtics have some trouble in one of the NY games but the overall talent level and the defensive pace we can put on them isn’t likely to be something they can handle….they can barely handle that if the Pacers.

 

[jon abbey]

Before last night's game, I linked the box score of a Feb 1 game between NY/IND in which NY was also missing all of Anunoby/Randle/Robinson, so very similar personnel matchup to last night. NY won that one 109-105, interestingly also via a massive offensive rebound/shots edge, 24-9 in offensive boards and 10 more shots than IND.

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401585313

 

[Murderer's Crow]

The outliers from yesterday will normalize for a very close game Friday. The rebounding was just astronomical. If Hartenstein has that performance again on Friday, the dude might get an extension before the end of the game.

 

[Jimbodandy]

Hartenstein has been an underrated player for a long while now. It's good to see him getting some props.

It's an odd thing for a Knick to be underrated, but he is.

 

[the moops]

The outliers from yesterday will normalize for a very close game Friday. The rebounding was just astronomical. If Hartenstein has that performance again on Friday, the dude might get an extension before the end of the game.

He will turn down that extension. The dude is gonna get paid this offseason

 

[Leon Trotsky]

Lower bowls are a tough fill at the price tag they ask in high dollar markets. We’ve seen this with Yankee Stadium and even last night in Florida for the Bruins game when I clicked over real quick.

Yeah, I went to a Warriors/Heat game last year in MIA and the balcony was rocking with lots of season ticket holders. Seems lame on TV with all the pricey seats empty at times, but the fan base for the Heat still seems strong when you are there. And it is really hard to get into the building, even if you stay in hotel nearby - there is a train line that goes out to the port right in front of the place and if a train comes by before the game (as happened to me) it will delay people even getting in there. Its kinda crazy.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

Well, we all know who to root for in game 6 here don't we? Whoever you prefer to play in conference finals as a Celtics fan, we want game 7 here and two more days for KP to heal.

 

[lovegtm]

Well, we all know who to root for in game 6 here don't we? Whoever you prefer to play in conference finals as a Celtics fan, we want game 7 here and two more days for KP to heal.

Is the schedule for the conference finals set, pending game 6? Or does the West determine it too?

 

[riboflav]

Is the schedule for the conference finals set, pending game 6? Or does the West determine it too?

I believe if any series goes 7, the Celtics are bumped to Tuesday.

 

[lovegtm]

I believe if any series goes 7, the Celtics are bumped to Tuesday.

Found it somewhere on Twitter and then lost it: if Denver-MIN or NYK-IND goes 7, Cs get bumped.

 

[riboflav]

Found it somewhere on Twitter and then lost it: if Denver-MIN or NYK-IND goes 7, Cs get bumped.

Oh that makes better sense bc Mavs/OKC game 7 would be Mon.

 

[Murderer's Crow]

Figured I'd kick off the thread for the day with a stat.

In the last 25 playoff games the Knicks have played under Tom Thibodeau:

NY is 12-1 when they grab more rebounds than their opponent.
NY is 1-11 when they do not.

 

[m0ckduck]

See, this is what the spiritless front-running Celtics are missing: https://nypost.com/2024/05/16/sports/an-epic-fart-helped-get-knicks-ready-for-game-5-rout-of-pacers/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=pasteboard_app

Le Batard revealed that the fart had plenty of noise but didn’t have any odor to it, calling it “loud but proud.”

Edit: there's a Fartenstein joke in here somewhere, but I can't quite dig it out.

 

[InstaFace]

Edit: there's a Fartenstein joke in here somewhere, but I can't quite dig it out.

Josh Fart thinks you're jumping to conclusions there on the perpetrator.

 

[lovegtm]

Figured I'd kick off the thread for the day with a stat.

In the last 25 playoff games the Knicks have played under Tom Thibodeau:

NY is 12-1 when they grab more rebounds than their opponent.
NY is 1-11 when they do not.

Interesting stat. To me, that sounds like they're living right on the edge wrt variance, and when the effort+bounces line up right, they win the game. When they don't, they lose. Very very little margin for error (which tracks with what we've all seen this postseason).

 

[Cellar-Door]

Interesting stat. To me, that sounds like they're living right on the edge wrt variance, and when the effort+bounces line up right, they win the game. When they don't, they lose. Very very little margin for error (which tracks with what we've all seen this postseason).

Yeah, they're not an efficient team from the floor. So they either need a lot more shots than their opponents, or their opponents to have a very poor shooting night.

 

[InstaFace]

Everyone's been trying to recapture the magic of Paul the Octopus (RIP) from the 2010 World Cup, but somehow it never hits the same.

View: https://twitter.com/KnicksMuse/status/1791590324457865342

 

[PedroKsBambino]

Unclear whether the Knicks would be called for a foul on Siakam if they hit him with a folding chair

 

[nattysez]

Rocky start for the Knicks, but they're only down 2.

 

[Euclis20]

Unclear whether the Knicks would be called for a foul on Siakam if they hit him with a folding chair

And even when they get the call, it's non-shooting.

 

[lovegtm]

Unclear whether the Knicks would be called for a foul on Siakam if they hit him with a folding chair

This is wild so far. Just beating the crap out of him every time down low.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Not a conspiracy theorist but my guess is that the league wants nothing more than a game seven at Mecca for obvious reasons. Lets see how this goes.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Deuce=three

 

[nattysez]

I'm not sure what ESPN is doing with the floor mics, but not being able to hear any whistles really detracts from watching the game.

Edit - I think there is so much swearing on some of the fouls that they have to kill the mic audio.

 

[Cellar-Door]

Indy has 1 guy max who knows how to box out

 

[Cellar-Door]

Lol two guys laying on the floor tied up for 3seconds...no call

 

[Euclis20]

Nesmith forgetting how to shoot (.288 from 3 in the playoffs and .250 in this series, after shooting .419 in the regular season) is a major issue for Indy because they need his defense on the court.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Nesmith forgetting how to shoot (.288 from 3 in the playoffs and .250 in this series, after shooting .419 in the regular season) is a major issue for Indy because they need his defense on the court.

The closeouts he sees now are like freight trains compared to the regular season half speed ones

 

[Euclis20]

The closeouts he sees now are like freight trains compared to the regular season half speed ones

And he's getting tentative, nervous to miss. No matter what else you could say about Nesmith during his time in Boston, he was not tentative.

 

[InstaFace]

I'm not sure what ESPN is doing with the floor mics, but not being able to hear any whistles really detracts from watching the game.

Edit - I think there is so much swearing on some of the fouls that they have to kill the mic audio.

I'm hearing a LOT of static from god-knows-what mic, it's as if some cable is sitting in water or something. Things just completely cut out into static. If it was intentional, it'd be a moment of silence, not static, right? Plus there have been a lot of very momentary static bursts, like fraction of a second - that can't be a mute button in the truck

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

And he's getting tentative, nervous to miss. No matter what else you could say about Nesmith during his time in Boston, he was not tentative.

Agreed. You can see him thinking about it. I am not worried about him long-term. I think he has a healthy career ahead of him as a rotational dude.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Tonight feels like a Knicks W to me.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

This game is crazy. Both teams are shooting well.

Also just so people are aware, Josh Hart may have an abdominal issue. Don't ask how I know but you can sense it. People seem concerned.

 

[Cellar-Door]

If Brunson were 6'6" he'd get called for sooo many offensive fouls. He shoves with the off hand continuously

 

[PedroKsBambino]

This game is crazy. Both teams are shooting well.

Also just so people are aware, Josh Hart may have an abdominal issue. Don't ask how I know but you can sense it. People seem concerned.

I feel like the xenomorph will pop out of there roughly in the late third quarter, so be ready for it

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

I feel like the xenomorph will pop out of there roughly in the late third quarter, so be ready for it

That's fantastic. Maybe he saves it if we get a game seven?


Breen is really focused on Hart's midsection

 

[Red Averages]

That's fantastic. Maybe he saves it if we get a game seven?


Breen is really focused on Hart's midsection

It is a huge issue, no?

 

[Justthetippett]

Neismiths shots are super flat right now

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

It is a huge issue, no?

Certainly. But you can hear the rooting interest coming through. I'd be the same way if I had a Josh Hart to root for.

 

[Red Averages]

Certainly. But you can hear the rooting interest coming through. I'd be the same way if I had a Josh Hart to root for.

Ha. That is fair. Kind of makes it more enjoyable if you’re rooting for Indy.

 

[k-factory]

C’s have definitely seen some good luck playing against tired opponents so far.
Miami playing twice in the play-in
Cavs after a 7 game series with Orlando
Hopefully whichever of these teams after a 7 game series.
All those miles add up

 

[Cellar-Door]

Best D from IND I've seen tonight

Edit- that was unclear... tonight is the best D I've seen from them all year.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

This game is all shotmaking

 

[k-factory]

Siakam playing well.
I liked the move. The gamble on the Halliburton/Siakam pairing.
it’s tier 2 but you might get lucky if they gel. Not a good enough team around them tho

 

[DamageTrain]

This game is all shotmaking

I was thinking, if NBA is now letting people get mugged in the paint, the game is only going to become more and more shotmaking and seeing who is hot from 3.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

I was thinking, if NBA is now letting people get mugged in the paint, the game is only going to become more and more shotmaking and seeing who is hot from 3.

I kind of like it. This game flow is so good. I can't even two screen with Bs

 

[Cellar-Door]

Do these refs not know the jump ball rule? Could times tonight really obvious tie-ups and they just did nothign until someone finally rips it clear