The Knicks and Pacers returned to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana for Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. Continuing the trend of the home team winning each game, Indiana emerged victorious by a score of 116-103 though after the first quarter, it didn’t seem that close.
Game 7 will be at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon. Get your popcorn ready as this series has been a lot of things but disappointing is not one. The Garden faithful will be out in full force (and full throat), Knicks legends will be in the house, and by Sunday night the Boston Celtics will know who they’ll face for the Eastern Conference crown.
The game hinged on a few key items, which will also likely tell the tale of who comes out of this series victorious.
The Hart of the Knicks
While Jalen Brunson is the MVP and superstar of the team, nobody will argue that Josh Hart is the team’s heart and soul. He is the emotional leader and offsets the more stoic Brunson.
Hart suffered an abdominal injury in the first quarter of the game. As one would expect given the heart and toughness that he has shown all year, Hart reentered the game a few times trying to push through the injury. Anyone who has watched the team could see that he wasn’t himself and was struggling to get lift off the ground and shoot as usual.
It should be expected that Hart plays in Game 7 since, well, it’s a Game 7 and he knows he’s a leader on this team. If he is out and not playing, it would be a clear sign of the severity of the injury.
Entering the game having played the most minutes of any player in the playoffs so far this season, if Hart is limited in Game 7, where his minutes go will be a huge turning point. The logical place would be Precious Achiuwa, who has played a bit up and down through the series. He always plays tough but needs to focus on his free throws.
Holding true to Tom Thibodeau’s rallying cry of “Next Man Up,”the trio of Alec Burks, Deuce McBride, and Achiuwa will need to supplement for the normal scoring and rebounding of Hart.
No Rebounds, No Rings
This famous mantra of Pat Riley’s has held true throughout this Knicks-Pacers series. Rebounding is a barometer of a team’s hustle and heart, as well as pure mechanics of positioning on the court.
In Game 6, there were numerous loose ball rebounds that resulted in a scrum where Indiana came out with the ball. This was seen through fast breaks on Knicks misses as well as second chance points for Indiana.
The rebounding numbers were Indiana 47, New York 35. Recall in Game 5 that Isaiah Hartenstein had 12 offensive rebounds, which were more rebounds than anyone on the Pacers.
Despite Hart’s injury, he still led the team with 8 rebounds. For Game 7, a hobbled Hart should not be counted on to lead the team in boards.
Return of the Brunson Burner
Knicks announcer and legend Clyde Frazier has nicknamed the team’s MVP Brunson Burner, which is fitting. It will be especially applicable to Game 7. He needs to be the fire behind this team and burn with consistency.
After starting the game 2 for 2 from the field, he missed his next 11 shots to finish the first half 2 for 13 with 5 points. He bounced back in the second half to finish with a game-high 31 points on 11 for 26 shooting (3 for 8 behind the arc).
If history serves as any indicator, Brunson will be ready to go with a strong rebound effort in Game 7. He’ll have about 20,000 fans in the stand to help him get there.
It will be key to watch how well Brunson moves also. Keep in mind he suffered a foot injury earlier this series that has not been talked about. Though it’s assumed he is recovered, you never know.
Written by: Jason Krom
Feature Picture Credits; NBA.com
Stats by espn.com
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