Yahoo Sports
yahoo sports staff
The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers have taken this series as far as it can go. It has see-sawed back and forth unpredictably, with the Pacers mostly playing the spoiler. The Knicks went up 2-0, but then the Pacers evened the series, including crushing the Knicks by more than 30 points in Game 4. The Knicks in turn smashed the Pacers by 30 in Game 5, but then lost by 13 in Game 6.
That brings us to Game 7. If the Pacers win, it will be their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2013-14. A 10-year drought is pretty bad, but nowhere near as bad as the Knicks. They haven't been to the conference finals since 1999-2000.
Which team will end their drought today? We'll know in just four quarters. Follow along here for all the action from Game 7.
LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER31 updates
Yahoo Sports Staff
Knicks run out of bodies against the Pacers
And that'll do it. With Jalen Brunson fracturing his hand and OG Anunoby playing only 4:41, the Knicks had little to offer in a 130-109 loss to the Pacers in Game 7 in the East semifinals at Madison Square Garden. The Pacers set a playoff record, shooting 67.1% percent from the floor, and the final result was never really in doubt.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Josh Hart gets a standing ovation after playing BIG minutes all postseason 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/ikS1EkPY1O
— NBA (@NBA) May 19, 2024
Yahoo Sports Staff
I'm not sure "Donte DiVincenzo and Alec Burks Against Everybody" is how anyone expected this Knicks season to end, but, here we are.
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) May 19, 2024
Yahoo Sports Staff
This is probably where Jalen Brunson broke his hand pic.twitter.com/MhfVB6nHlh
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 19, 2024
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Donte DiVincenzo has hit 8 3s
Donte Divincenzo has now hit the most 3s in any Game 7 in NBA history.
The previous record was 7 done 5x:
Steph Curry (3x), Marcus Morris and Grant Williams.
— Micah Adams (@MAdamsStatGuy) May 19, 2024
Dan Devine
Jalen Brunson (fractured left hand) will miss the remainder of the game.
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) May 19, 2024
Dan Devine
Pacers are doing something pretty special
With three minutes left to go in the third quarter of Game 7, the Pacers are averaging 2.33 points per play in transition, according to Cleaning the Glass — an absolutely absurd number, so far above the league’s best transition offenses that it might as well be an imaginary number.
Dan Devine
Knicks starting to get it together
tring together a few stops, make a few baskets, and the game can start to shift. New York’s ball pressure — both picking up full-court and with its pickup points in the half-court — has been much better to start the third quarter, and the result has been a 12-5 run to get the deficit back within single digits.
Yahoo Sports Staff
The main reason Indiana is leading by 15 at half? The Pacers had the best shooting half in a playoff game in the last 25 years, per @ESPNStatsInfo, shooting 76 percent to surpass the Spurs in the first half of Game 3 of the 2014 NBA Finals against the Heat. https://t.co/JVZBgvl27u
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 19, 2024
Dan Devine
Not great news for the Knicks
In these playoffs, the Knicks are 7-0 when winning the rebounding battle, and 0-5 when losing it. At halftime? Indiana’s got a 22-13 edge on the boards to go with its 15-point lead on the scoreboard.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Pacers rolling at the half
It's 70-55 at the half as the Pacers shoot 76.3% (29-of-38) from the field and 66.7% (8-of-12) from 3. The Pacers have also outrebounded the Knicks 22-13. A visibly struggling OG Anunoby played 4:41 for the Knicks in the first quarter and did not return.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Every time Tyrese Haliburton makes a shot in this game, which is often, he’s having words with a courtside fan seated near the broadcast booth.
Could become an all-time story if Haliburton keeps this up for another 26 minutes or so.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 19, 2024
Dan Devine
Jalen Brunson struggling in the first half
A pair of free throws with 3:12 remaining in the half were Jalen Brunson’s first points in the second quarter. He’s got seven assists without a turnover, but just eight points on 3-for-10 shooting. If the Knicks can’t get this overwhelming Pacers offense under control, they’re going to need much, much more from him to match their firepower.
Dan Devine
How things are going ...
Andrew Nembhard getting whistled for two travels in a minute might represent the first time the Knicks have gotten multiple stops in quick succession all day.
Dan Devine
Pacers taking control
Fantastic on-ball defense there by Ben Sheppard, absolutely refusing to let himself get screened off Donte DiVincenzo, results in a Knicks turnover, another Pacers fast break, and another bucket in the paint — their eighth of the game, less than three minutes into the second quarter. Indiana’s up 18, Tom Thibodeau wants to talk it over, and the Garden, for now, is pin-drop silent.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Every single Knicks player is moving like John Wick at the end of a movie
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) May 19, 2024
Yahoo Sports Staff
4 steps. #PacersVKnicks pic.twitter.com/CUP5TkFkOZ
— Basin Street Records (@BasinStRecords) May 19, 2024
Yahoo Sports Staff
An absolutely torrid quarter of basketball for the Pacers. 16-for-21 from the field, 7-for-9 from 3-point range, 11 assists against one turnover. Pascal Siakam made his first five shots; Tyrese Haliburton scored 14 points in about trhee minutes. Dream start to Game 7 for Indiana.
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) May 19, 2024
Yahoo Sports Staff
Pacers are on fire
The Pacers shoot 77.8% (7-of-9) from 3 in the first quarter. Is that good?
Dan Devine
Tyrese Haliburton means business
Welcome to Game 7, Tyrese Haliburton. Four straight buckets — including three transition 3-pointers — give him 11 quick points, and push the Pacers' lead to double figures at 34-22. Indiana has 34 points on 17 possessions — absolutely scorching offense to start Game 7.
