5 Things New York Knicks Must Fix To Survive ECF Series vs. Indiana Pacers
A miraculous Game 1 comeback by the Indiana Pacers (or choke job by the New York Knicks) put the higher seed on notice. After Friday's 114-109 loss in Game 2, the Knicks are officially on the ropes and headed on the road.
No team in NBA history has ever lost the opening two games of a conference finals at home and gone on to win the series, but there's a first time for everything. And there's at least a chance New York pulls off a miracle of its own.
The Knicks will have to be much better than they were at Madison Square Garden, though. If they're going to win four of the next five, below is what must be fixed.
Slow the Game Down Even More
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The Knicks have the Pacers playing at a slower pace than they did in the regular season, but it's still not quite slow enough.
Indiana is at its best when it's pushing in transition, passing the ball up the floor instead of dribbling it and getting behind the defense.
And it did all of the above plenty in Games 1 and 2.
Mitchell Robinson's offensive rebounding has been a strength, but abandoning that column in favor of transition defense may be in order. Getting back with urgency, after makes or misses, is critical.
And being even more methodical on the offensive end might help, too. The Knicks need to make the Pacers defend long possessions, which will hopefully burn a little gas out of their tanks for the other end.
Move the Ball
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The Knicks have lost the assist battle in each of the first two games of the series, and they only had 18 on Friday. Over half of their baskets in Game 2 were unassisted.
That and Jalen Brunson's 52 field-goal attempts across the two contests suggests New York is letting Indiana's defense off the hook a bit.
Part of what makes the Pacers so dangerous is the variety of scoring options. All five defenders have to be alert and on-guard at all times. The drive, shot or pass could seemingly come from anywhere. Covering that is tiring, both physically and mentally.
And while guarding Brunson is no picnic, too many isolations or pick-and-rolls can make an attack predictable. It can give the defenders in the corner a second or two of rest that they wouldn't have otherwise had.
It's hard to change a philosophical approach in the middle of a series. And you obviously don't want to give up on what makes Brunson so special, but New York averaged 27.5 assists in the regular season.
The Knicks are capable of passing a bit more and creating a bit more variety on offense.
Scramble to the Three-Point Line
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The Knicks are only down six (or 18 points) on total threes in this series. That's not a crazy gap, but it's also bigger than the total-point spread.
And down the stretch of Game 1, when Aaron Nesmith was a human flamethrower from behind the three-point line, New York's perimeter defenders were nowhere near aggressive enough in chasing him off the line.
Generally speaking, the Knicks have to do a better job of scrambling out to shooters. That might mean being more willing to switch screens outside. It's not like Myles Turner is known as a big post-up threat who'll make them pay for doing that. And if he does, New York could back off the strategy a bit.
The playoffs are all about in-game and in-series adjustments, and it's time for the Knicks to make one at the three-point line.
Mix Up Coverages, Particularly for Pascal Siakam
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Again, one of the dangers of the Pacers is how many different players can hurt you, but the one most likely to have a huge individual scoring night is Pascal Siakam.
He averaged a team-high 20.2 points in the regular season and erupted for 39 in Game 2. And while there are some nights when an NBA star is just in a zone you can't drag him out of, New York didn't do enough to even try on Friday.
It's hard to just say "double him" for a player who scores so many points off cuts and in transition, but throwing an extra defender his way, at least on occasion, might help.
More realistically, New York might need to be more willing to transition back and forth between zone and man looks. The former may be dangerous against a team that shoots as well as the Pacers, but just generating a little confusion could make it worthwhile.
The Bench Has to Be Better
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Add this to the "might just be too late" items on this list. It's kind of hard to just tell the bench to play better and expect it.
But through two games, the Pacers are up 52-28 in bench scoring. OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson are both threatening 80 minutes through two games. Mikal Bridges has already cleared 90.
After carrying some of the heaviest minutes loads in the regular season, fatigue could set in before this series ends, especially with how fast Indiana wants to play.
And while there's really no way the Knicks can suddenly flip the depth battle to their favor, just one or two more threes from Miles McBride or Cameron Payne could go a long way. Maybe 5-10 random minutes from someone who hasn't gotten a shot in this series could give one of the regulars the air he needs to finish a little stronger.
The margins are thin in this matchup, so one unexpected contributor (or even contribution) could make the difference.
