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2024 Playoff Thread: Knicks @ Pacers, Game 6, Next Stop Boston, which better be a thing

The Knicks head to Indianapolis for Game 6 of this Best of 7 series, and honestly, this just speaks to how important home court is, as you know that eventually someone is bound to lose at home, and you sure want to be the team that had their home games out of the way already when it happens (like the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals, for instance).

So let’s hope that today is the day that home court doesn’t hold serve. It’s bound to happen, let it be now.

But hey, if they don’t win tonight, I am fully confident that they’ll eliminate the Pacers in Game 7, but, like, you know, why even let it get that far?

This is the biggest game this team has played in over a decade, I am confident in it being a win, but I also really hope for it to be a win, as well.

Let’s go, Knicks

258 replies on “2024 Playoff Thread: Knicks @ Pacers, Game 6, Next Stop Boston, which better be a thing”

Raven’s prediction:

Pacers start by just swarming Brunson; refs call nothing.
Knicks shots don’t fall; Pacers go up 12.
Knickerblogger has an emotional breakdown.
Knicks hang around, claw back a bit.
Knicks slowly surge into the fourth and tie it halfway.
Game decided in the final minute.

There. Tune in in two hours to find out what happens…

My coronaries think Raven’s prediction are scaring… 😰

LET’S GO KNICKS

P.S. I’m joking Raven… mostly 😉

Official Pagliacci Predictions:

-Hartenstein will pick up 2 fouls in the first 3 minutes.
-The Pacers will fix their rebounding and will have a slight edge on the boards.
-Brunson will get good looks, but have an off shooting night. Under 25 points on under 40% shooting.
-Haliburton will put up 40+ points on under 20 shots and 15+ assists.
-There is no chance of a DiVincenzo bounceback game where he hits 5+ threes. None. Not possible.
-The Pacers will shoot over 50% from 3.
-Result: They cruise to a 15 point victory.

Nailed my Game 5 predictions so I’m feeling pretty good about these!

I’d be shocked if KP could return before a theoretical Game 5 (hopefully the Knicks will have swept them by then).

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(hopefully the Knicks will have swept them by then)

that would be really nice

The stupid mouthpieces mostly like the Knicks. Unfortunately they’re not telling us who the refs like.

I’m buzzed and I don’t think my stress can handle paying close attention tonight. Not sure what my plan is.

I want to have a relaxing Sunday so let’s finish this shit tonight!

Ha. Sorry Knickerblogger.

I have a very large vodka martini with a splash of infused craft gin. It’s not enough, but we’ll see how it does…

Holy heck that’s a lot of yellow in the stands. Should have sent Alan.

Guess that’s to be expected in the land of the sheep…

yeah, rotations are a bit slow. But we’re not down 12.

Is this not an opener of some kind?!?! Brian, what are you doing!!!!

Defense look a couple of frames late on every rotation, DDV’s trying to break the rim with his bricks from long distance…
And they’re dominating under our board…

Early early. If the first quarter is even it’s a victory.

Hart tried too hard to replicate the fart and injured himself

Deuce kept us in the game and now the shots are falling…

Let’s Go Knicks!

Divo and Deuce finding their groove. Brunson seems to have a soft touch. Hart’s chaotic energy seems to be attracting the ball. So far, so good.

josh is so tough you have to worry he really pulled something and it trying to push through

Feels like a pulled ab muscle which really lingers. A bit worried about Hart going fwd.

JFC this is some God awful defense by the Knicks to start the game.

I’ve pulled ab muscles twice. It’s really tough. I’d sit him for a bit here.

Why does it seem like it’s always our team with the injuries?

Just can’t catch a break

Well shit Knicks lead at end of 1st quarter so it ain’t that bad

Can we get through 2 games without a player getting injured? Jesus.

Just can’t catch a break

Just tears, sprains, pulls, and dislocations

We’re not down by 12 so I’ll call that a win so far.

The calming presence of Albert Brooks…

Edit: doh! Make your free throws!!!

So far JB’s shot is way off, let’s hope he’ll get better as the game goes on…

I know the McConnell baskets are annoying, but the Knicks can live with him trying to do his thing. He’s not THAT efficient, and it’s better than generating open threes or dunks.

I can’t believe I just heard someone say “he feels like he can score against Halliburton all night” about Deuce McBride in a playoff game.

6-11 from the FT line and it feels like it’s gonna be this way all night.

Put Hartenstein on Siakam until Turner proves he can do the same to Hart.

They’re going to the rim at will and winning at least 80% of the hustle plays…
Please guys let’s end the quarter well…

I cannot believe that Deuce is 6-7 for 15 pts. It’d be nice if anyone outside of Divo shows up…

Brunson with the stupidest shot of his career…

Ax Bergdorf was ready to pop a 3 there too

We can’t get a stop, and now we can’t get a good shot. Not good.

Brunson hero shooting is making me love him less…

That was probably the best case scenario on that Precious “fast break”

Is Brunson’s foot bothering him again, or….?

Gotta be, all shots short

Brunson’s decision-making was unrecognizable. Are the Pacers putting something in their water in the arena?

It’s hard to believe how bad this team is playing on both sides.

Looks like my prediction so far is fairly accurate. Hope the rest is…

That wasn’t even very good basketball from Indiana on their 17-2 run. We just sucked.

Good gravy. Jalen has never missed 11 FGA in a row in his entire career.

Absolutely pathetic performance by Brunson so far. The defense has not been good but he is playing awful right now. John Starks 1994 Game 7 shit. Wtf, this game is there to take and he’s shitting the bed

It’s hard to believe but JB’s costing us the game so far, worst shooting streak of his career and he’s hijacking the offense while making a lot of stubborn decisions…

6-13 from the line doesn’t help too…

Nembhard pushed brunson in the back when the ball was dead before that inbounds. Fuck him. Jalen def got mad. Hope it wakes him up in 2nd half.

Hopefully Thibs screams at Brunson in front of the team.

They need to fix the defense, and then Brunson should have some of Hart’s milk or just pass the ball more.

If it’s any consolation, Brunson is the one guy on this team I’d trust to turn his game around at the half.

Glass half full take- Knicks played like shit last 7 minutes, Brunson awful, outrebounded, FT shooting <50%, yet down 10 (9 when DiVo hits tech after 1/2)

Hi So Nice, yup, Jalen is 2-13 (and 0-3 from three) so far. Here’s to a better second half…

Donte & Deuce carrying this team as hard as they can, Brunson needs to remember he’s a PG.

Jalen needs to trust his team more and mix it up a bit. He’s looking to shoot every single time he touches the ball. Also if he’s bricking everything maybe go to something else. Also hit FTs!! Super frustrating half

Brunson’s 2-13 and 1-4 from the line, too.

This is clearly a set up before he plays nuclear bomb.

Jalen needs to trust his team more and mix it up a bit. He’s looking to shoot every single time he touches the ball.

It’s his one flaw on offense. They are times we need him to take over, but if you aren’t shooting well, move the damn ball.

The free throws with this team are so frustrating.

need JB to get it going in the second half and we can put these dudes away

Speaking of FTs,
I’m immensely pissed with professional basketball players unable to shoot at least 65% from the line.

I can’t stand the Preciouses and the Mitcheses of the world anymore…

Not sure why we’re being critical of Brunson dominating the ball. He’s been doing it all season and the results haven’t been too bad.

Who else is gonna create off the dribble? He just needs to make shots

Not sure why we’re being critical of Brunson dominating the ball. He’s been doing it all season and the results haven’t been too bad.

I just don’t want him to force shots.

13 point lead to 5 point lead in like 30 seconds. Nice.

And back to 11. Fuck.

Knicks effort on loose balls has been pathetic tonight, they don’t deserve to win this game.

Back to an 11 point lead in about the same amount of time.

They are not getting those 50-50 balls.

Fuck. Also that loose ball would have been harts if he wasn’t hobbled

What’s irritating is all they have to do is play consistently and they crush the Pacers.

They’re basketball purist in Indiana, that’s why they teach their players to take set shots from the chest…

It’s hilarious that when Brunson has an off game it’s about the Pacers defense and when he torches them not so much

This has to be the most disappointing game of the season, such a poor effort I’m genuinely shocked by this performance.

Nah Game 4 was just a bad game in the middle of a series, having the chance to advance to the Conference Finals after having 2 days off and to play like this is genuinely disappointing.

Having said that they’re still kinda hanging around…

How do you fail to recover the loose ball twice in that possession? Jesus.

Hart being hurt is a big problem for us

Yes, huge problem and Game-7 is a 3:30 PM start, very little window to recover or do treatments…

Not only are we not winning this game, we don’t look like we have any chance in the next one.

Maybe next time DDV should stay quiet and not talk shit about the Pacers after the game.

We’re not even running an offense. We’re just sending Brunson straight into double teams over and over while everyone else stands around.

Our problem is not Brunson’s bad shooting game; our problem is on the defensive end. We have been unable to slow them down. All hassle plays go for them tonight. A big part of this is Hart’s injury who took an elbow from Nembhard.

We should remember that as it looks like there will be a game 7.

Looks like going out grocery shopping with wife and the boy tonight was the right call. Sunday not looking too good based on this thread. Maybe G5 was our last gasp…

Down 13. Brunson is alive. Going to be hard but they could still pull it out.

We have a chance and that’s all you can ask for given how bad we’ve looked

We’ve slept through the last two quarters but this is exactly where the Rangers were heading into the 3rd last night. Let’s see if the Knicks have the same fight in them.

The goal is to get stops and secure the defensive rebound; the goal is not to give them an open shot after two passes. And so on.

We’re not even running an offense. We’re just sending Brunson straight into double teams over and over while everyone else stands around.

Exactly. Where is the movement? The double guard screens? Drawing the double and finding Divo or Deuce for a 3? It’s mind bogglingly inept right now.

Why the fuck is Hart in this game? He has nothing right now. Sit him the rest of the game. Stupid decision to keep playing him. I don’t care how tough he is

Can’t buy a stop.

Now we’re down Julius Randle, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Mitchell Robinson.

That’s practically a playoff caliber team in itself

The rebounding is embarrassing. This is why Precious is kind of useless, he can’t get a fucking rebound on defense.

Precious and iHart together lets Indiana play Jackson without any consequence

Hart’s injury seems to have affected the psyche of the team today. It’s a shame. This was truly embarrassing.

I really fucking hate this effort from the Knicks. No defense or rebounding whatsoever, almost banking on going home and winning there. You have a chance to close out, you fucking do it. I’m pissed

No fight in this one. Not surprised, though. I stayed home tonight for a reason.

This is a home team series. We’ll flip the script Sunday.

Honestly might be better to lose Sunday. The team is too cooked to play another round.

Well Game 7 it is, hope they find a way to win cause they don’t deserve for their season to end at home on Sunday.

Can’t buy a stop.

Now we’re down Julius Randle, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Mitchell Robinson.

That’s practically a playoff caliber team in itself

They are a very good shooting team; tonight, even when they miss, the get the offensive rebound. They have 11 of them already. How can we beat them like this?

I can’t be disappointed, what this team has done while losing player after player after player is a miracle.
I’m sad and angry for our never ending bad luck.
Let’s get Game-7.

The have half a dozen dunks. That’s how bad our defense has been tonight.

Honestly might be better to lose Sunday. The team is too cooked to play another round.

Are you fucking crazy?
Losing a Game-7 at home against this bunch of lucky losers?
You must be joking…

Yankees looking amazing right now at least, sorry for the Mets fans though…

Honestly might be better to lose Sunday. The team is too cooked to play another round.

No way. Just win, and you never know what will happen next. Remember how the 1999 Knicks totally ran out of players in the Finals? It was still worth it to get there!

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Tune in in two hours to find out what happens…

Had a family thing. Just tuning in. Ouch. No bueno.

So wtf happened… why do we jekyl and Hyde and look like completely different teams… both offensively and defensively …

There’s only been two games this postseason where I had very little confidence going in: Game 4 on Mother’s Day and this one.

It would have been cool if we could have done this, but it was pretty unlikely.

Rest up, Josh!

I can’t be disappointed, what this team has done while losing player after player after player is a miracle.

This ^^^^^^^^^^

Wait. What happened to Hart? I will read above, but OH NO!!

Was elbowed in the first quarter. Nembhard.

I was wrong thinking the extra 2 days off would help, they looked like they were at a pre season game effort wise

Celtics have played 10 games

Winner here -13 games

And game 1 would be Tuesday only 1 day off. Good luck with that

I can’t be disappointed, what this team has done while losing player after player after player is a miracle.

100%. The Pacers know if we were healthy we’d destroy them

This team is so good that the Pacers aren’t even cocky like on game 4. That’s respect. But let’s win game 7 because we can put a fight against the Celts if we can have OG back. And Hart too, of course.

I will say if Knicks lose on Sunday I’m not watching a second of Celtics Pacers and honestly probably would barely watch anymore basketball this postseason period, although Celtics Nuggets would definitely be an intriguing series to watch.

Hali wanted to talk shit but he hasn’t hit enough shots.

Hart is the biggest concern at the moment. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious. We cannot afford to lose another player. Even if he plays but is not 100% on Sunday, this is a really big problem.

The Pacers have now won 11 straight home games

But at MSG Sunday they’ll wilt, totally different team on the road

I hate having to watch a game 7 Sunday. Anything can happen. The Garden magic will have to be in full force because I don’t know how many bodies we will have in that game.

We can’t lose to this sorry ass, fake-tough-guy Pacers. When the hell are we gonna get some good luck for once?

Also anytime Breen and the two others have called the game we’ve lost. Can they NOT call Sunday’s game?

Yeah, it’s at least nice that the Pacers aren’t acting cocky despite the beatdown. That really is a sign of respect.

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No way. Just win, and you never know what will happen next. Remember how the 1999 Knicks totally ran out of players in the Finals? It was still worth it to get there!

100%

The Pacers know if we were healthy we’d destroy them

This. But who’s left? Oof. Opening the bourbon.

$ 10 tickets, I heard

That’s not bad, I would be annoyed if I spent big bucks to watch this non sense

Was elbowed in the first quarter. Nembhard.

… and apparently we didn’t get another rebound afterwards.

You know it’s killing Breen inside, but he’s still complimenting the Pacers. Class act.

I will say if Knicks lose on Sunday I’m not watching a second of Celtics Pacers and honestly probably would barely watch anymore basketball this postseason period, although Celtics Nuggets would definitely be an intriguing series to watch.

The only playoffs I usually watch if my team isn’t involved is the NFL because it’s just one game and on the weekend /Monday. The rest are just to long and drawn out

I’m going to game 7 with my son and I may need a larynx transplant by the end.

MSG will be insane

I usually go to Youtube longform highlights-only if I have no teams left.

Sorry guys. Had a weak moment there. Just depressing with Hart hurt. He’s the soul of the Hustlebunnies.

We can’t lose to this sorry ass, fake-tough-guy Pacers. When the hell are we gonna get some good luck for once?

Playing this sorry ass Pacers team is good luck. We should be playing Giannis.

Remember how the 1999 Knicks totally ran out of players in the Finals?

Did I see LJ sitting with Spree? Kinda think both those guys are better than Jeffries and Diakite. What’s the shortest contract still available to us?

In all seriousness tonight’s game looks like a horror movie in the box score. Re-group. See who is left And play the fucking matinee. MSG better be on fire!

It would have been nice to win the series tonight and get some rest before Tuesday’s game, but the team had a bad game, particularly defense. It happens, and it is what it is. We will have another opportunity on our home floor on Sunday. It will be a nailbiter but we have a good chance if Josh Hart is not compromised. This is a huge concern.

The Knicks will have an interesting choice coming on OG, you can’t use up a bunch of cap space on a guy who sits on the bench as much as he plays.

The Knicks are 2.5 point favorites for Game 7. That’s something, at least.

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If Josh Hart was in so much pain during the game while being warm, which is unusual. It will probably feel worse after the game, which raises questions how serious this is and how he can get over it in 36 hours.

Hartenstein’s been kind of a home-game-only guy. We should get him back for game 7.

I’m guessing Josh suffered an oblique injury, and even if it is a mild one, it will severely hamper what he does so effectively. The team that has won the rebounding battle has won each game and Josh’s contribution to that is critical.

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