This second-round playoff series featuring the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks continues on Wednesday. After winning Game 1, the Knicks will attempt to take another 2-0 lead at home. On the other hand, the Pacers will be looking to take advantage of Game 2 as an opportunity to flip the home-court advantage in their favor.
Before Betting on Pacers vs Knicks
Indiana came up short in the first game of their second-round series. They led by six points at halftime, but allowed the Knicks to fight their way back into it in the second half. The Pacers need a bounce back performance from Tyrese Haliburton in Game 2. He scored just 6 points in the loss on Monday, despite playing 36 minutes.
If Haliburton can get back on track, Indiana is set up well to compete with a Knicks team that has little offense outside of Jalen Brunson. Slowing Brunson down entirely may be impossible, but the Pacers have enough juice on offense to outscore the Knicks anyway. That should be their main focus as they attempt to bounce back on Wednesday.
New York’s halftime deficit of six points could have been even worse, had C Isaiah Hartenstein not drained a buzzer-beating halfcourt shot to cut the lead from nine to six. Doing so gave the Knicks the momentum they needed. They went on to outscore the Pacers in the 3rd and 4th quarter, led by an unstoppable Jalen Brunson. In the win, he tallied another 43 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds.
Brunson has been one of the very best players so far this postseason and is carrying the Knicks offense. With RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley gone in the OG Anunoby trade, New York’s defense improved at the expense of its offense. Injuries to Julius Randle and Bojan Bogdonavich only worsened their offensive depth, creating a clear hole for the Knicks. They need Brunson to keep scoring 40+ a night to fill that hole.
Pacers vs Knicks Offshore Odds
After nearly defeating the Knicks in Game 1 of this series, the Pacers should be set up well in Game 2. Haliburton is unlikely to score as few points as he did last night, and the Knicks lack of depth is starting to be noticeable. Indiana can exploit a tired New York team by increasing the pace and utilizing its 9-man rotation. Look for the Pacers to run the Knicks into a defeat in Game 2, evening the series.
