Pacers vs Knicks: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

With the trade deadline having come and gone, the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks will do battle on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Pacers have been one of the league's most pleasant surprises this season with a record of 26-15, while the Knicks have struggled to the tune of 19-24.

The big news out of New York this week has been the resignation of head coach Mike D'Antoni after parts of four years with the team.

Mike Woodson has taken over on an interim basis and led the Knicks to a blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Woodson figures to do everything possible to get Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire more involved in the offense.

Things have been much calmer for the Pacers this season, but they did make a little noise at the deadline as they acquired guards Leandro Barbosa and Anthony Carter from the Toronto Raptors for a second-round pick. Indiana's hallmark all season long has been a deep and talented rotation, and Barbosa promises to add to that, while Carter brings plenty of experience.

Here is everything you need to know about Friday's clash between the Pacers and Knicks.

Where: Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y.

When: Friday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Watch: MSG

Live Stream: NBA League Pass

Listen: ESPN The Fan 1070 AM (Indiana) and WEPN 1050 AM (New York)

Betting Line: New York (-4)

Key Injuries (According to CBS Sports)

Pacers: C Jeff Foster (Doubtful, back)

Knicks: SG Bill Walker (Out, elbow)

What They're Saying

With head coach Mike D'Antoni stepping down yesterday, yet another era in New York Knicks basketball is set to begin. Interim coach Mike Woodson has implemented a more deliberate offense that focuses on the stars, and it already paid off against the Blazers yesterday.

Woodson's system is something that power forward Amar'e Stoudemire in particular has already embraced, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

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"He's going to utilize his leading scorers, myself and Carmelo [Anthony], make sure he takes advantage of every opportunity on the court," Stoudemire said after practice. "We've been profound scorers all our careers. He wants to make sure we take advantage of that."

"It’s going to be different for us," Stoudemire added. "Coach Woodson has his offense and offensive schemes. We have to readjust to that. We are all receiving it well. We’re excited about it. We can’t wait to play in the new offense."

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Most Important Player to Watch: Carmelo Anthony

Since returning from injury to New York's lineup, Carmelo Anthony has struggled to get into a rhythm. Former head coach Mike D'Antoni was clearly at a loss in terms of how to utilize him, but interim head coach Mike Woodson looks as if he is going to make a concerted effort to make Melo the focal point of the offense.

Anthony scored just 16 points in Woodson's first game at the helm, but he also dished out seven assists and was the key contributor.

While Knicks fans may not like it, it seems as though point guard Jeremy Lin's role in the offense may take a back seat, so Anthony is once again the Knicks' most important player. Carmelo has long been used to playing the role of point forward as he can create his own shots or set up others.

If the Knicks are going to excel in this game and in the future, then it will largely be up to Anthony.

Key Matchup: Pacers Bench vs. Knicks Bench

While the Pacers and Knicks have experienced different degrees of success this season, it's hard to argue against them being two of the deepest teams in basketball.

Leandro Barbosa has been added to an already-potent Pacers bench that features George Hill, Tyler Hansbrough, A.J. Price, Louis Amundson and others. Indiana doesn't have a definitive star, so it's important for the team to contribute 10 players deep every night.

New York does have the benefit of players like Anthony, Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, but it has a strong bench as well. Baron Davis, J.R. Smith, Steve Novak and Iman Shumpert are all high-quality players who can come in and give the Knicks a shot in the arm.

While the Knicks can win without huge point production from the bench, they can't afford to be massacred by Indiana in that department.

Prediction

Knicks 101, Pacers 99