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π Good morning to everyone, but especially …
THE NEW YORK KNICKS AND THE INDIANA PACERS
They blew a 22-point lead. They overcame a 10-point deficit. Now, they’re heading to the second round, and they did it their way. The Knicks topped the 76ers,Β 118-115, in a back-and-forth thriller emblematic of their series as a whole.
Jalen Brunson willed New York to the finish line, as he has so many times this remarkable season. The crafty lefty scored 41 points, 12 of which came in the final seven minutes. He’s the first Knick to score at least 40 points in four straight playoff games since Bernard King in 1984.
But he was far from alone. Donte DiVincenzo, a marvelous offseason acquisition, scored 23 points and hit five 3-pointers. But Josh Hart hit the biggest 3 with 25.1 seconds left to put the visitors up for good.
All the while, New York gathered 20 offensive rebounds, turned 12 Philadelphia turnovers into 22 points and got 113 of their 118 points from their starters. They’re tough as nails, unfazed by big moments and unrelenting.
Now they get the Pacers, who cruised by theΒ Giannis Antetokoumpo-less and Damian Lillard-hampered Bucks,Β 120-98, for their first series win since 2014, when a young Paul George was starring in Indiana.
McConnell:“He was a major part of the Pacers’ defensive game plan to pressure the ball all 94 feet and speed up the game. The Bucks jumped out to an early lead, but once McConnell checked in, he changed the game. Late in the first quarter, he picked up steals on back-to-back possessions to create easy baskets for the Pacers, including one on an inbounds pass. … Offensively, McConnell was doing his usual playmaking by getting into the lane at will and collapsing the defense, but he also gave the Pacers a huge boost in the scoring department.”
The gritty Knicks against the high-flying Pacers will be fun.
π Honorable mentions
π And not such a good morning for …
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Author: Zachary Pereles
May 3, 2024 | 9:20 am