The Indiana Pacers tied the series 2-2 behind an end-to-end routing of the Knicks, 121-89, in Game 4.
Takeaways from Sunday’s game
– Tyrese Haliburton finished with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists and got double figures out of five other Pacers. TJ McConnell had 15 points and 10 assists, Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin had 14 apiece while Myles Turner pitched in 13.
– Alec Burks led the way for New York with 20 points off the bench. Jalen Brunson had 18 points and five assists on 6-of-17 shooting in his second consecutive rough outing since the foot injury.
– Indiana jumped to a 19-6 start as Brunson missed early shots and it ran out in transition. Once the McConnell-Toppin combo subbed in midway through the period, the lead only grew from there.
– A three and alley-oop slam from Toppin gave Indiana a 34-14 advantage after one.
– The second quarter was more of the same, with the Knicks unable to string multiple scores and drops together. A deep Haliburton bomb broke the game lead open to 28 just four minutes into the period.
– At one point, New York cut the lead to 24 with three minutes to go, but Indiana put its foot down to close the first half. Another Haliburton three, this time stepping back in the final seconds, gave the Pacers a brief 30-point advantage before entering the half up 69-41.
– Whatever halftime tongue lashing the Knicks received didn’t change their play in the second half. The Pacers steadily built their lead as the lowlights piled up.
– Brunson didn’t have the legs to finish an open layup, as the Pacers poured in threes any way they liked. The Knicks never cut the lead to closer than 28 in the second half and fell behind by 37 when they pulled the plug.
– Late in the quarter, Tom Thibodeau subbed out Brunson, DiVincenzo and the rest of his starters. The remainder of the game was a prolonged garbage time.
Who’s the MVP?
McConnell. With the Knicks off to another slow start and looking to respond as they usually do, McConnell subbed in early and stepped on their throats. He carved up whatever defender he liked to score inside, outside and find the open man, tormenting New York en route to a double-double and plus-27 performance in 20 minutes.
Highlights
What’s next
The Knicks and Pacers return to MSG for Tuesday’s 8 p.m. Game 5.
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