Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks: Game 2 Postgame Grades and Analysis

The New York Knicks crushed the Indiana Pacers in Game 2, 105-79, and they did so in impressive fashion, going on a 30-2 run spanning the end of the third and the start of the fourth quarter.

Carmelo Anthony finally shot at least 50 percent from the field in the playoffs, ending with 32 points on 13-of-26 shooting, while accounting for nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.

At the end of the third quarter, the Pacers were only down six points, but then they went scoreless for the first 6:12 of the fourth quarter. 

Paul George led the Pacers with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, but just five of those points came in the second half. 

As a team, the Pacers committed 21 turnovers, as compared to the Knicks, who turned the ball over just six times.

J.R. Smith was atrociously inefficient once again, shooting 3-of-15 from the field, and while the Knicks won in spite of him, they won't be able to do that consistently as this series moves forward.

The Knicks and Pacers now have three days off until they meet in Indiana for Game 3 on Saturday afternoon. 

Point Guards

George Hill, PG, Pacers

It just wasn't George Hill's game, as he ended with 12 points and seven assists, but shot just 4-of-11 from the field and committed four turnovers.

Hill was pestered by the Knicks' stingy perimeter defense all game long, which minimized his impact on the game.

Hill's usual aggressive play was held back by guys like Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni, and the Pacers simply can't win without Hill being a significant and efficient contributor at the point.

Overall Grade: C+

Pablo Prigioni, PG, Knicks

The Knicks are doing what the Oklahoma City Thunder did with Thabo Sefolosha and James Harden last year. The only difference is that Prigioni brings energy and production to the floor.

Prigioni wasn't a major factor in the first three quarters, but in the fourth quarter, he scored five points and grabbed three rebounds. 

His play on both sides of the ball was a major reason why the Knicks pulled away in the fourth quarter. Sometimes it's the guys you least expect that give you the spark you need, and that's what happened with Prigioni in the 13 minutes he played.

Overall Grade: B

Shooting Guards

Lance Stephenson, SG, Pacers

Game 2 wasn't kind to Lance Stephenson.

After a solid Game 1 performance, with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds, he followed it up with just nine points and four rebounds in Game 2.

Stephenson wasn't efficient shooting the ball, ending the night shooting just 4-of-13 from the field and 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. 

The Pacers didn't put together a solid performance as a team, and Stephenson certainly didn't help.

Overall Grade: D+

Raymond Felton, PG/SG, Knicks

Efficiency was the name of the game for Raymond Felton in Game 2.

He ended with 14 points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal in 27 minutes of action. And he shot 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.

Felton's defensive pressure on George Hill throughout the majority of the game was a difference maker for the Knicks.

He didn't allow anyone in a Pacers jersey to get comfortable on the perimeter, and that's what the Knicks needed from him. 

Overall Grade: B+

Small Forwards

Paul George, SF, Pacers

With 15 first-half points, Paul George kept the Pacers competitive through the first two quarters, even when the Knicks extended their lead to 13 points at one point.

George cooled off in the second half, specifically the fourth quarter, like the rest of his team, ending the night with 20 points on 8-of-16 points.

While the Pacers played a miserable fourth quarter, George wasn't able to impact the defensive side of the ball like he did in the first half, and that helped the Knicks cap off a 30-2 run spanning the end of the third and the start of the fourth quarters.

George also committed an abysmal seven turnovers and dished out just one assist. The Pacers need more balanced production from George moving forward, but they also need to score in the fourth quarter as a team.

Overall Grade: C

Iman Shumpert, SF, Knicks

If there were any questions about the Knicks' energy in Game 2, Iman Shumpert answered them with his emphatic throwdown 

"

A slow-mo, baseline look at Iman Shumpert's putback slam with AUTHORITY (GIF) --> bit.ly/12bNRst

"

"— SportsNation (@SportsNation) May 7, 2013"

Shumpert's aggressive and athletic defense was a real difference maker for the Knicks in the first half, with his defense playing a major role of the Pacers' 12 first-half turnovers. 

In the second half, Shumpert continued where he left off, ending the night with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists while shooting 6-of-10 from the field. 

If Shumpert can continue to play at this efficient and productive level, the Knicks have a solid shot of getting to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Overall Grade: A-

Power Forwards

David West, PF, Pacers

"Not enough" is the best way to describe David West's Game 2.

He ended the night with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists, and he shot 4-of-7 from the field. The only problem was that his teammates just didn't get him the ball as often as he needed to get it.

West must demand touches in the paint and the mid-range if the Pacers are going to win. He can't play patiently; he has to force his game against the Knicks, because that's when the Pacers are at their best.

Without West's energy in the paint, the Pacers can't win this series.

Overall Grade: B- 

Carmelo Anthony, SF/PF, Knicks

For the first time in the playoffs, Carmelo Anthony shot 50 percent or better from the field.

That sentence is what Knicks fans desperately wanted to see from 'Melo, and he gave them what they wanted in Game 2, with 32 points on 13-of-26 shooting from the field. 

Even with his right shoulder injury, 'Melo was aggressive on the offensive side of the ball, constantly attacking the basket and finishing with authority.

'Melo also grabbed nine rebounds, dished out three assists and accounted for two steals. Most impressive, though, was the discipline he showed beyond the arc, shooting 2-of-5 from three-point land. 

He also committed a whopping zero turnovers. 

It was a dominant Game 2 performance for 'Melo just when the Knicks needed him to step up, and that will give him momentum moving forward.

Overall Grade: A+

Centers

Roy Hibbert, C, Pacers

The New York Knicks doubled down on Roy Hibbert much more than they did in Game 1, and that made a difference in how Hibbert impacted the game. 

Hibbert accounted for just six points on 3-of-7 shooting, and that's an integral piece of why the Knicks shut Indiana down in Game 2.

He did grab 12 rebounds (five offensive), but he just wasn't effective enough on both sides of the ball to have that production matter.

Hibbert can't be as quiet as he was in Game 2 if the Pacers are going to stand a chance in the rest of the series.

Overall Grade: C

Tyson Chandler, C, Knicks 

It's amazing that Tyson Chandler hasn't even grabbed 10 rebounds between Game 1 and 2 of this series. 

He ended the night with just four rebounds (two offensive), but the Pacers are continually doing a great job of keeping Chandler off the glass.

Chandler did drop eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, which is what the Knicks need from him. He doesn't have to be aggressive on offense, but he does have to be opportunistic, and that's how he played in Game 2.

His defensive presence in the paint forces the Pacers to play on the perimeter, and they can't win doing that.

Overall Grade: B-

Sixth Men

D.J. Augustin, PG, Pacers

The Pacers bench was really nonexistent, and D.J. Augustin was no exception to that. 

He scored four points on 2-of-3 shooting, and he grabbed one rebound and dished out an assist. The best way to describe that kind of performance is "meh." 

The Pacers let themselves down with 21 turnovers and awful offense, and Augustin was certainly a part of that letdown in the 14 minutes he played. 

Overall Grade: F

J.R. Smith, SG, Knicks

J.R. Smith is impossible to figure out.

On one hand, he had a semi-productive first half with seven points, three rebounds, an assist, a steal and one block. But on the other hand, he also committed three turnovers and shot just 30 percent from the field.

While Smith ended with eight points and six rebounds, he jacked up 15 shots and made just three of them—which puts him at 20 percent shooting on the night.

The Knicks made up for Smith's inefficient production, but that's not going to be true throughout the rest of the series. 

Smith absolutely must either start shooting at a high percentage or become a facilitator fast, because the Knicks won't survive with him putting up 15 shots and shooting 20 percent from the field.

He's playing more like a guy who shouldn't see time in the playoffs than the Sixth Man of the Year. 

Overall Grade: D-

Benches

Pacers Bench

The Pacers' bench was absolutely nonexistent throughout the majority of Game 2.

They accounted for just 19 of the Pacers' 79 points, with 11 of those points coming in scrub time when the game was out of hand.

D.J. Augustin and Tyler Hansbrough were the only guys off the Pacers bench who had any minutes of significance, and they failed to impress.

The Pacers need to forget about Game 2 moving forward, and that applies to the ineffective second unit play as well.

Overall Grade: D

Knicks Bench 

Kenyon Martin was a monster off the bench for the Knicks, with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

He was a force on the defensive side of the ball too, forcing two steals and blocking two shots.

If it wasn't for J.R. Smith's awfully inefficient production, the Knicks' bench would've been near perfect, but as usual, Smith's quick trigger held the bench back.

In scrub time, Quentin Richardson scored six points and James White added a bucket, but the game was out of control at that point. 

Overall Grade: B-