Jordan Morey

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Tuesday, May 14 at 8:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden

The Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks has morphed into a best-of-three games series.

Sixth-seeded Indiana will get another crack at taking a game at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday after the Blue & Gold evened their playoff series with the No. 2 New York Knicks, 2-2, over the weekend in Indianapolis.

Indiana enters Game 5 with their most convincing victory over the Knicks yet: a 121-89 thrashing at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.

PLAYOFF CENTRAL: Follow Indiana's Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>

After leading by 20 points at the end of the first quarter of Game 4, the Pacers never let off the gas. At halftime,&nbsp;Indiana held a 69-51 advantage before the lead ballooned to 43 points in the second half.&nbsp;

Both sides emptied their benches in the fourth quarter, treating the final frame as a mere formality.

The 32-point win was just two points away from tying the&nbsp;largest&nbsp;margin of victory in a Pacers playoff win ever, and the biggest win by the Blue & Gold in the 2024 postseason.

The Pacers shot 56.8 percent as a team overall (45.2 percent from 3-point range) in Game 4 and held the Knicks to 33.7 percent from the field, including 7-for-37 from deep.

Six Pacers finished in double-digit scoring, led by 20 points from Tyrese Haliburton in 28 minutes and 15 points by T.J. McConnell off the bench. McConnell also dished out 10 assists to record his second postseason double-double ever.

Haliburton’s dominant play has proven vital to the Pacers' recent success. After a rough Game 1, where he only scored six points on as many shot attempts, Haliburton has averaged 29.7 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.3 rebounds over his last three games.

Indiana’s team defense made headlines in Game 4, especially for limiting Knicks volume scorer Jalen Brunson to 18 points on 6-for-17 shooting. No other Knicks player in the starting lineup recorded more than eight points in the game, and Alec Burks posted 20 points off the bench, while Miles McBride had 16 points in 32 minutes.

Brunson, who has carried the Knicks’ offensive load all season, has seen his scoring numbers decrease each time out since logging 43 points in Game 1. His 18 points on Sunday were a playoff low for him.

Like every other game in the series thus far, both teams will keep an eye on the injury report leading up to the tip of Game 5.

The Knicks could be without ex-Indiana University Hoosier OG Anunoby for a third straight game on Tuesday, as he continues recovering from a calf injury sustained during Game 2. When Anunoby plays, the Knicks are 26-5 this season, including 2-0 against&nbsp;the&nbsp;Pacers in the playoffs.

RELATED: Pacers Not Getting Too High Despite Complete Performance in Game 4 >>

If the Pacers can win Game 5 at MSG, they will feel like they're in prime position to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 1999 season.&nbsp;

Game 6 will occur in Indianapolis on Friday, and the&nbsp;Pacers are 5-0 at home in the playoffs. Indiana also&nbsp;hasn't&nbsp;lost at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since March 18.

New York has lost just one game at home in the playoffs thus far: Game 5 in overtime against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 30.

Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Aaron Nesmith, F - Pascal Siakam, C - Myles Turner

Knicks: G - Jalen Brunson, G - Donte DiVincenzo, F - Josh Hart, F - Precious Achiuwa, C - Isaiah Hartenstein

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton - questionable (low back spasms/sacral contusion/right ankle sprain), Aaron Nesmith - questionable (sore right shoulder,  Bennedict Mathurin - out (right shoulder labral tear)

Knicks: OG Anunoby - TBA (left hamstring strain), Bojan Bogdanovic - out  (left foot surgery), Julius Randle - out (right shoulder surgery), Mitchell Robinson - out (left ankle stress injury)

May 12, 2024: Unlike the first three games in the series, the Pacers led from nearly start to finish in a 121-89 blowout win over the Knicks in Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. With the win, the Pacers stayed undefeated (5-0) at home in the playoffs.

The Pacers scored at least 32 points in&nbsp;each of&nbsp;the first three quarters to start the game, including leading 34-14 after the first frame.&nbsp;

Indiana’s&nbsp;lead swelled to 28 points at halftime before exploding to 43 in the second half. Both teams played their bench units for almost the entire fourth quarter.

The Pacers shot an outstanding 56.8 percent from the field while limiting the Knicks to 33.7 percent. The Pacers finished 14-for-31 from 3-point range, while the Knicks made just 7 of 37 attempts.

Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 20 points, T.J. McConnell had 15 points and&nbsp;10&nbsp;assists, and Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin&nbsp;each&nbsp;chipped in 14 point for the Blue & Gold.

Jalen Brunson scored 18 points in 31 minutes and Alec Burks scored 20 points off the bench for the visitors. Brunson was the only Knicks starter to hit double digits for points on the night.&nbsp;

The Pacers won the rebounding margin 52-43, had 31 assists as a team and outscored the Knicks 60-40 in the paint.&nbsp;

Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)

The Pacers will host the Knicks for Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, May 17. The time for Game 6 is TBD. Find Tickets >>

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Game Preview: Pacers at Knicks (Game 5)

At times, the Indiana Pacers' 2023-2024 season has resembled a rollercoaster ride.

During stretches of the regular season, the youthful group would beat a title contender one night before losing to a bottom-of-the-table team the next. Other weeks, the Blue & Gold would string together several wins and look like a top team in the Eastern Conference.

From leading the league in offense and making it to the In-Season Tournament Championship, to improving a bottom-tier defense and navigating fundamental roster changes, the Blue & Gold have ridden the waves of their current campaign together on the fly.

Despite inconsistencies, one thing has remained the same for this Pacers group: after each game, they would put the final result in the rearview mirror and keep their eyes ahead to the next matchup.

Chemistry and maturity take time and effort in the NBA, and experience has repeatedly proven vital to postseason success. And in an era where any team can erase a 15-point lead in the blink of an eye, it's never been more important to know how to win in various ways.

In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Pacers took another step in the team's maturation process.

PLAYOFF CENTRAL:&nbsp;Follow Indiana's Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>

Indiana led at halftime in the first three games of their series against the New York Knicks, but saw those leads disappear in all those games. Only in Game 3 did the Pacers weather the storm, coming back from down nine points in the fourth quarter to pull off a dramatic win.

What happened in Game 4 was the culmination of the current group playing 10 total playoff games together this spring.

In Game 4, the Pacers smothered the Knicks from tip to final buzzer, posting a 121-89 home-court win to even the series at 2-2.

Unlike almost every other playoff game this year – including in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks – the Pacers never gave their opponent a chance to come back, as they led the Knicks by 20 after the first quarter, 28 at halftime, and 38 going into the fourth quarter.

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Game Recap: Pacers 121, Knicks 89

If you were to talk to Pacers players and coaches after the win, however, you'd hardly know they dominated from start to finish. Postgame celebrations ended when the team broke the huddle in the locker room.

Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is playing in his first-ever playoffs, perhaps described the team’s current mentality best: "Now we have to, truthfully, flush that one."

"It just feels good to get a win, but we have to understand that at the end of the day, all we did is our job and win two games at home," Haliburton said. "We understand the magnitude of Game 5, and we'll be prepared for that."

Like Haliburton, veteran backup point guard T.J. McConnell has been one of the key voices in helping the team stay focused, and his mentality has spilled over to his teammates.

"It's obviously great to take care of home court. Enjoy it now, but as soon as we leave this building, we've got to flush it and move on and show maturity on that end," McConnell said. "Because what we're walking into at (Madison Square Garden) is going to be a hellacious crowd and they play really well in front of them because it's a great fanbase. So we have to really be ready and locked in."

Part of the reason the Pacers traded for starting forward Pascal Siakam in the winter was for his playoff experience. Siakam won a title with Toronto in 2019, and has played on teams that have come back from down 0-2 in a series.

During the first round series agianst the Bucks, Siakam preached to his teammates to not get too high or too low, and he's maintained that in the semis. When the Pacers fell down 0-2, Siakam calm demeanor never wavered.

"It's 2-2. It counts as one," Siakam said of Game 4. "I thought our focus was good from the beginning. Playing with our pace and intensity is something that we need to do."

If this Pacers team advances to the Eastern Conference Finals, it will be the first time the Blue & Gold have overcome a 0-2 deficit in a seven-game series in franchise playoff history. Since 1994, this will also be the sixth time the Knicks and Pacers go at least six games in the last seven playoff matchups.

With the current Pacers group, they’re confident they can get the job done against the Knicks.

"The last two games we did our job," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "We did what we needed to do. We protected home court…We're a team that's only halfway to our goal. We've got to understand that and have a great level of humility for what's coming on Tuesday night and be braced for it."

After playing the Knicks in Game 5 on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, the Pacers will host Game 6 on Friday. If there's a Game 7, it will take place in New York on Sunday.

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Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability vs. New York Knicks (Game 4) | May 12, 2024

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Pacers Not Getting Too High Despite Complete Performance in Game 4

Whenever the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks meet in the playoffs, each game in the series has the potential to produce a moment that furthers the rivalry's lore.

Those core memories can be summed up in just a few words for Indiana fans, such as&nbsp; “eight points in nine seconds,” “the choke sign,” or “the Hibbert block.”

On Friday night in Indianapolis, two more highlights were added to the Pacers-Knicks postseason archives: the Myles Turner chase-down block and the Andrew Nembhard 31-footer.

Trailing 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Pacers found themselves in a critical situation in the final minutes of Game 3.

After exchanging figurative and literal blows the entire game, the Pacers and Knicks were tied at 102 with 2:26 remaining after Knicks marathon man Josh Hart split free throws for the visitors.

On the ensuing possession, Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton saw one of his passes intercepted by Hart, who then barreled down the floor toward the opposite basket for a layup.

As Haliburton chased down the streaking Knick in an attempt to slow him down, the Pacers’ franchise all-time block leader, Turner, ascended from behind Hart and pinned the shot attempt against the backboard, immediately leading to a transition bucket on the other end from Nembhard.

In a way, Turner’s clutch play was an homage to a former Pacer who was wearing his jersey on the sidelines, as his block came right in front of Roy Hibbert, who famously swatted Carmelo Anthony to help the Pacers advance to the  Eastern Conference Finals in 2013. Hibbert revved the crowd up on Friday before sitting courtside.

While Turner’s block won’t likely lead many highlight reels, his teammates and coaches knew just how vital that vicious denial was to the game – and possibly the entire series.

“I think there are certain plays that happen over the course of a series, and the course of a game, that can really change things,” Haliburton said of the Turner block. “…I think we’re going to remember that play, because I feel like that changed the game. It was a game-changing moment. I think it just speaks to how hard he played and the tone he set today.”

The Knicks didn’t retake the lead after Nembhard’s layup, but the visitors tied the game once again with 42 seconds on the clock after sharpshooter Jalen Brunson buried an improbable step-back 3-pointer.

On the ensuing possession, however, Nembhard made an even more hellacious shot.

In a broken play, Haliburton dumped the ball to Nembhard on the left side of the 3-point arc with around six seconds on the shot clock. Nembhard then briefly fumbled the ball, stepped back and drained a trey over Brunson from 31 feet — with 18 seconds left — to put the Blue & Gold ahead for good, sending the gold-out crowd into a frenzy. It proved to be the game-winning shot in a 111-106 victory.

The bucket was just the second for Nembhard on the night, with the former resulting from the Turner block. While finishing 2-for-8 from the field, Nembhard wasn’t afraid to step up when his team needed it most, like when he hit the buzzer-beating 3-pointer against the Los Angeles Lakers during his rookie season.

“He’s one of our toughest guys, mentally and physically,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Nembhard. “He’s really gained a love for these types of moments and playing in this kind of stage, this kind of level of competition…The clock was down. Sometimes in those situations, it frees you up even more. He just laced it.”

Reflecting on the game's final two minutes, Nembhard said most of it was a blur, and that he “was just in the moment.”

“Basketball’s a game of many mistakes,” Nembhard said. “It’s about being neutral, not getting high or low based off good or bad plays. Just trying to move on and understand the next play’s the most important.”

Like Carlisle, Nembhard’s teammates weren’t surprised he came up clutch when the team needed him to.

“Andrew does so many things for us as a team, just fights every possession, picking up full court. He’s so valuable for us,” Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said. “Obviously, he wasn’t making shots or anything like that. But we have full trust in him, the work that he puts in. He’s a confident kid...Obviously it’s a tough shot, but if somebody’s going to make that, it’s going to be him. I just love everything about him and his focus.”

So far, each game in the Pacers-Knicks series has come down to the wire.

Indiana hasn’t lost a home game since March 18, compiling a 4-0 record in the playoffs. Buy your tickets today to help keep the home-court advantage going at Pacers.com/Playoffs.

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Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability vs. New York Knicks (Game 3) | May 10, 2024

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Nembhard, Turner Etch Names in Pacers-Knicks Postseason Lore

Wednesday, May 8 at 8:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden

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Game Recap: Knicks 130, Pacers 121

The New York Knicks have taken care of business at home to start the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and now it's the Indiana Pacers' turn to do the same.

In another down-to-the-wire contest, the New York Knicks (2-0) won 130-121 over Indiana at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The series now shifts to Indianapolis, as the Pacers will host Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Indiana led by 10 points at halftime before the Knicks outscored the Blue & Gold 36-18 in the third quarter to go up 99-91 heading into the final frame. In the fourth quarter, the Pacers’ bench closed the gap to a possession halfway through the period before the Knicks used a pair of small runs in the final minutes to keep the visitors at bay.

Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton scored a playoff career-high 34 points on 11-for-19 shooting (7-for-11 from 3-point range), Obi Toppin supplied 20 points off the bench, and T.J. McConnell recorded his first postseason double-double with 10 points and 12 assists for the Blue & Gold. Andrew Nembhard (15 points), Pascal Siakam (14) and rookie Ben Sheppard (11) also scored in double digits for the visitors.

Jalen Brunson led New York with 29 points, and Donte DiVincenzo and OG Anunoby each recorded 28 points for the Knicks. New York’s Josh Hart (19 points, 15 rebounds) and Isaiah Hartenstein (14 points, 12 rebounds) both had double-doubles.

Overall, the Pacers shot 51.6 percent from the floor, and the Knicks made 57 percent of their shots. The Knicks outrebounded the Pacers 44-34 and outscored Indiana 62-60 in the paint."We've got to be better in Game 3 and will be better in Game 3," Haliburton said.  "They always say the series doesn't win until a road team wins. We're going back to Indy and obviously we love our chances there."

After tying at 36 at the end of the first quarter, the Pacers shot 68.2 percent in the second quarter to lead 73-63 at halftime.

Coming off a game where he had six points on six shots, Haliburton scored 22 points on 7-for-12 (5-for-8 from 3-point range) shooting in the first half alone. Anunoby had 22 points (8-for-15 shooting) at the break.

Following the tip, Haliburton immediately made his presence felt on the offensive end, scoring 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting in the first quarter. Anunoby led the Knicks with 12 points in the opening frame.

New York made 10 of 14 shots to start the game to build an 11-point lead, but Indiana answered with an 11-0 run to tie the game.

The teams kept it close in the opening minutes until a 9-0 New York scoring streak, where Anunoby recorded seven points, put the Knicks in front 19-10 with 5:49 left in the first quarter.

A Haliburton 3-pointer momentarily stopped the bleeding, but DiVincenzo and Brunson then drained back-to-back shots from deep to make it 24-13 and force a Blue & Gold timeout with 4:01 on the clock.

Out of the break, the Pacers went on an 11-0 spree in less than a minute after Toppin scored five points, Aaron Nesmith hit a 3-pointer, McConnell converted a layup, and Haliburton made a free throw to tie the game at 24 with 2:52 left in the first frame.

While the Pacers and Knicks essentially traded baskets for the rest of the first quarter, Toppin was fouled on a 3-point attempt with less than a second left and made all of his freebies to knot the game at 36-36.

Indiana’s bench came out on fire in the second quarter, going 5-for-7 from the field – with Toppin and Sheppard each hitting 3-pointers and Isaiah Jackson converting an and-one – to give the Pacers a 49-43 lead with eight minutes left in the first half.

Brunson left the game with a foot injury with 3:32 left in the first quarter and was not on the bench for the entire second quarter, but returned for the start of the second half.

The Knicks narrowed the score to two midway through the second period, but the Pacers answered with a 10-2 run.

Haliburton's fifth 3-pointer of the night, two buckets from Andrew Nembhard, and a layup by Myles Turner in the final 2:27 helped the Pacers go up by 10 at the break.&nbsp;

In the second half, the Knicks outscored the Pacers 67-48 overall on 55.8 percent shooting.&nbsp;

New York used a 20-4 run to go back in front early in the third quarter, and the Knicks outscored the Pacers 36-18 in the frame. The Knicks shot 66.7 percent from the field while holding Indiana to 33.3 percent in the third.

Out of halftime, the Knicks made eight of their first 10 shots, which translated to an 18-4 run – with DiVincenzo scoring 10 points during the twitch, to lead 84-79 with 6:41 left in the third quarter.Anunoby left with an injury midway through the third quarter and didn’t return to the game. His status for Game 3 is unknown.

After a 6-0 Knicks run, Haliburton got a bucket to go, Sheppard drilled his third 3-pointer of the night, and Toppin converted an and-one before throwing down a putback dunk to narrow it to 94-91 with 1:28 on the clock.

In the final 66 seconds, Brunson hit a 3-pointer and got a finger layup to fall to put the Knicks ahead 99-91.Indiana had chances but couldn’t get back in front in the final 12 minutes.&nbsp;

McConnell scored six points in a 12-5 Pacers run to open the fourth quarter, cutting it to 105-103 with 7:27 left in the game.

The game then stayed within two points until a 7-2 run on a Hartenstein dunk, a DiVincenzo 3-pointer, and a Precious Achiuwa flush, put the Knicks up 117-110 with 3:38 on the clock..&nbsp;

Haliburton scored five more points, and Nesmith drilled a 3-pointer to make it 124-118, but Brunson hit a floater and free throws with 41 seconds left to make it 127-118 to seal it.

With 33.9 seconds left in the game, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was ejected after receiving two technical fouls after confronting an official about an overturned double dribble call.

The Knicks finished 18-for-22 from the free throw line and the Pacers&nbsp;went 10-for-17.

Indiana’s bench outscored New York’s second unit 46-12 in the game.

Indiana’s 73 points in the first half were one point shy of tying the most points in a half for the Pacers in&nbsp;an NBA playoff game (2017).

Ben Sheppard’s 11 points on Wednesday are a personal best in a playoff game.

T.J. McConnell’s 12 assists are a personal best in the playoffs.

Jalen Brunson’s streak of 40-point games in the playoffs ended at four on Wednesday.

The Pacers led the Knicks 21-18 in rebounding in the first half before New York won the boards 44-34.

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Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability at New York Knicks (Game 2) | May 8, 2024

"It was another case of fourth quarter loose balls and rebounds we were unable to secure. So we're going to have to do a lot better in Games 3 and 4. We're looking forward to getting back home. Give them a lot of credit, give their crowd a lot of credit. This crowd is among the very best atmospheres you will ever play on the road. We just have to do some things better and get home." -- Carlisle on the loss

"T.J. played a pretty good chunk of minutes. I considered (putting him back in), but our starters have earned the trust to finish games. Nembhard is probably our best on-ball defender, and we were flying around trapping, too. We kind of had the kitchen sink going at (Brunson) in the fourth and they still came up with loose balls, offensive rebounds, and made shots. Their execution has been very good in those situations. Everything is on the table going forward, it has to be at this point. We'll look closely at anything." -- Carlisle on the fourth quarter rotations and finish

"We've just got to figure out a way to get all of our guys playing at an equally high level. The starts of third quarters have been tough, so we've got to be better there. Tyrese is a great competitor, he responds to all kinds of challenges like this - time and time again the last two years. Proud of his response tonight, but again it's not just about one guy breaking out of a scoring thing. It's about all of us. Everyone is just going to have to do more moving forward." -- Carlisle on Haliburton's bounce back game

"I just shot more shots and took what the defense gave me." -- Haliburton on his 34 points

"We've just got to be better defensively, be better as a group of matching their intensity. Better in the second half. The third quarter got away from us and flipped the game, but we were right there in the fourth. Just didn't make enough plays down the stretch." -- Haliburton on the loss

"We just didn't play good enough. At the end of the day, it's 2-0 and we're going back to Indy, and I like us in any matchup." -- Haliburton on looking ahead

"We felt like we should've won this game, we felt like we should've won last game. But I feel like the way the playoffs work, obviously this is only my second series, once you start to say 'damn, we should've won that game' it's going to mess you up moving forward. Everything happened for a reason. I'm not really tripping."  -- Haliburton on Games 1 and 2

"In that third quarter we just missed a few looks. I thought we played frantic. We just need to do a better job of not letting the rope slip when things are getting bad. We let that happen in the third quarter." -- Haliburton on the third quarter

"The glass. They were just rebounding every one of their misses. I felt like that was a big part of it. We just didn't rebound the way we needed to." -- Haliburton on the differences between the first and second half both games

"Honestly it's just the willpower. It seems like they just really wanted it more tonight with their energy. Their crowd got into it. We just have to kind of pick it up in the second half because we know that they come in waves." -- McConnell on losing first half leads both in Games 1 and 2

"We've got to be better. It's just that simple. They smashed us on the boards again tonight. They just brought more energy than we did, so we've got to fix that." -- McConnell on the loss

"He's a marquee player in this league, and playing him in Madison Square Garden, picking him up 94 feet, what greater challenge is there? Not just me, but for everyone. It's a collective effort, and we just have to keep trying to make things tough on him. ... We just have to continue to exert energy and get him to exert energy on both ends." -- McConnell on guarding Brunson

"He was aggressive. The best thing about Tyrese is that he is not going to force the issue and take bad shots. The guy gets 10+ assists in his sleep. Kind of the energy he had, he gets blitzed on every pick and roll. Him figuring out ways to kind of combat that and get to his spots and shoot the ball .... it was really good to see tonight." -- McConnell on Haliburton in Game 1 vs Game 2

"If we don't turn things up a bit, they can keep going. We've just got to be better as a collective energy-wise, protecting leads and especially rebounding. When you think you've got them boxed out, and they just keep going, and going, and going ... we just have to be better." -- McConnell on the Knicks being shorthanded

Tyrese Haliburton scored a playoff career-high 34 points on 11-for-19 shooting. His seven made 3-pointers tied the NBA franchise record for most threes in a game with Reggie Miller (twice), Chuck Person, Paul George, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Myles Turner. Haliburton's seven 3-pointers are also tied for the second-most ever by a visitor at MSG, one shy of Ray Allen’s eight made threes in 2011.

The Pacers will host the Knicks for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 7:00 PM on Friday, May 10.&nbsp;Find Tickets >>

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Game Rewind: Pacers 121, Knicks 130 (Game 2)

Monday, May 6 at 7:30 PM ET at Madison Square Garden

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Game Recap: Knicks 121, Pacers 117

If Game 1 served as any indication, the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup between the sixth-seeded Indiana Pacers and No. 2 New York Knicks could prove to be another classic series.

After a tight 36 minutes, the Knicks dropped 39 points in the fourth quarter — while coming with some clutch late-game moments — to post a 121-117 win over the Pacers on Monday at Madison Square Garden. Game 2 will occur in New York on Wednesday before the series turns to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday.

In Game 1, which featured 12 ties and eight lead changes, the Pacers trailed by three points after the first quarter, led by six at the half, and took a five-point advantage into the final frame.

The Knicks retook the lead with under three minutes left in the game, but the Pacers kept it close down the final stretch.

New York guard Donte DiVincenzo hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to make it 118-115 Knicks before Indiana's Pascal Siakam scored a close-range bucket to cut it to one point with 27 seconds left.

Indiana then got the ball back by forcing a Jalen Brunson turnover, but on the next possession Pacers center Myles Turner was called for an offensive foul on a screen with 12 seconds left.

In the final ticks, Brunson made a trio of free throws and the Knicks got a defensive stop to clinch it.

“There are so many events in an NBA game. There’s always a sharp focus on the last minute, but there were things that happened with five or six minutes left that really hurt us,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “ …It’s not just the last minute or two, it’s the whole game. The whole fourth quarter. This is a great experience for our guys. It comes at a cost – it’s no fun, but we’re going to have to learn some things for Game 2.”

RELATED: Pacers Demonstrate Resilience, Depth Despite Coming Up Short in Game 1 >>

Indiana’s bench outscored New York’s second unit 46-3 in the game. Six Pacers players scored in double digits, as Turner topped the Pacers with 23 points, Siakam added 19, and T.J. McConnell supplied 18 off the bench for the Blue & Gold.

Brunson, who entered the night leading all scorers in the postseason at 35.5 points per game, finished with 43 points on 14-for-26 shooting (14-for-14 from the free throw line), DiVincenzo logged 25 points, and Josh Hart recorded 24 points and 13 rebounds.

Overall, the Pacers shot 52.3 percent and the Knicks made 52.3 percent of their shots. New York won the rebounding margin 40-32.

The Pacers led 55-49 at halftime, as the Blue & Gold bench outscored the Knicks’ second unit 27-1 in the opening 24 minutes.

All nine players who played for the Pacers in the first half recorded a basket, led by McConnell's 10 points off the bench and nine points from Turner. Brunson had 18 points for the Knicks on 6-for-12 shooting and Hart logged 11 points and seven rebounds at the break.

Indiana shot just 37.5 percent in the first quarter, but limited New York’s lead to 27-24 thanks to a late push by the bench unit.

Despite an early 8-0 run by the Pacers, where Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard each made 3-pointers, Brunson dropped 10 points in the first four and a half minutes of the game to help the Knicks to a 14-10 lead.

After Pacers forward Obi Toppin's 3-pointer halted a 10-2 Knicks run, Hart hit a trey and went the length of the floor for a layup to put New York ahead 19-13, prompting a timeout by the visitors.

In the final 3:39 of the opening frame, the Pacers’ bench scored 11 points, with McConnell making a trio of baskets, rookie Ben Sheppard draining a 3-pointer, and Isaiah Jackson throwing down a transition dunk to make it a three-point game.

Indiana shot 53.8 percent in the second quarter, with Turner scoring nine points in the period on 4-for-6 shooting, to take a 55-49 lead into intermission.

A 3-pointer by Sheppard, two layups from Jackson, and a running layup by McConnell gave the Pacers a 33-32 lead before three straight baskets from Turner pushed the Pacers in front 40-36 with 5:41 on the clock.

Indiana and New York then kept the score within a possession until the Pacers mustered a 9-3 run in the final 1:58 to take a four-point lead into the break.

Both sides exchanged dramatic deep shots in the final ticks, as Haliburton hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds on the clock before Knicks 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein swished nothing but net at the buzzer from half-court to end the Blue & Gold run.

Turner added 13 points in the third quarter, and the Pacers shot 61.9 percent as a team in the frame, to lead 87-82 by the end of the period.

The Pacers and Knicks traded blows early in the third quarter until an 8-2 run by the Knicks evened the score at 62 with 8:18 on the clock.

Neither team could go ahead by more than four points over the next five minutes until the Pacers mustered a 16-4 run — where five players recorded a basket — to go up 84-77 with 43 seconds on the clock.

DiVincenzo hit a 3-pointer and made a layup to cut it to two points before Turner drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Pacers a five-point advantage going into the final 12 minutes.

In the fourth quarter, the Knicks shot 65 percent from the field to outscore the Pacers 39-30. Brunson went 6-for-10 in the period for 21 points.

The Pacers opened the fourth quarter on a 7-3 run thanks to free throws by Siakam, a 3-pointer by Toppin and basket by McConnell to lead 94-85, but the Knicks answered with an 8-0 spree — capped by a DiVincenzo 3-pointer — to cut it to 94-93 with 8:56 left in the half.

A dunk by Jackson stopped the Blue & Gold bleeding before Aaron Nesmith threw down a posterizing dunk over Knicks 7-footer Mitchell Robinson, and then completed a layup, to go back in at 100-95 with 7:43 left on the clock.

Back-to-back baskets by Hart cut it to 104-103 with 5:52 left before the Knicks went on a 9-0 run, with Brunson accounting for seven points, to take a 113-109 lead with 2:42 left in the game.

Down the last stretch, the Knicks made enough plays to secure the victory.

“We take it on the chin and get ready for Game 2,” Turner of the loss. “The best thing about this is we play every other day.”

Indiana went 15-for-19 from the free throw line and New York finished 22-for-26.

Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton had six points on six shot attempts in Game 1.

In the paint, the Pacers outscored the Knicks 64-58.

Neither team led by double digits in the game.

The Knicks finished with 14 turnovers and the Pacers had seven.

New York made 11 3-pointers and Indiana had 10 threes.

The Pacers were outscored 20-18 in fastbreak points.

indiana-pacers-postgame-media-availability-at-new-york-knicks-game-1-may-6-2024

Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability at New York Knicks (Game 1) | May 6, 2024

“The boards were a big problem in the second half. Fouls were a problem in the second half. We allowed (the Knicks) to score with the clock stopped, didn’t do a good job with possession, and we had turnovers as well. Those are pretty big factors. We did a lot of good things throughout the game, but this is one we’re going to have to learn from.” – Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on the second half and the loss

“We’re not expecting to get calls in here. It would be nice if they laid off that one, but they didn’t. That’s just the way it goes. We challenged it, they reviewed it. They’ve got a bunch of people in New Jersey that agreed with them. That's just the way it goes. We just have to learn from that, too. That’s a timing play … both guys were involved. We will just have to execute that better next time.” – Carlisle on the foul called on Turner with 12 seconds left

“This is New York’s pattern. As the game goes on, they get stronger with rebounding and they crash harder and harder. We talked about it coming in. It’s something that is a major factor. We had opportunities to come up with balls we didn't come up with. In a game when it’s a one-possession game, it makes a difference.” – Carlisle on New York in the second half

“We know they are a hard-playing team. I think in the first half we did a good job controlling the boards but that got away from us in the second half. You give those guys opportunities to score, they’re going to take advantage of it. On the defensive glass, we have to be a lot better down the stretch.” – Myles Turner on the loss

“We knew they were coming in charged up. It’s a staple of the way they play.“ – Turner on the rebounding in the second half

“We have to make life a little more difficult on him. He’s a special player -&nbsp; he plays angles very well. I think just throwing fresh angles at him. We know he’s going to score his points when he’s shooting 25 or 30 times per game. We know he’s going to get to his shots. I think it’s more so about limiting their other role players. Someone like Josh Hart who had a great game tonight and really juiced them up. DiVincenzo hits some big shots at the end. It’s one of those things you have to tip your cap to Brunson and do your job on the other guys.” –&nbsp; Turner on what Indiana can do better on Brunson

“The rebounding really hurt us. It gave them extra possessions. DiVincenzo got hot from three. As a collective, we have to be better rebounding the ball on defense. That’s been a focal point for us. We know they’re a great rebounding team. We’ll get that fixed.” - T.J. McConnell on what caused problems defensively in the second half

“I’m sure they addressed it in the locker room at halftime. We knew that we did a good job on the glass and they came out and just had more effort on that part of the ball. We’ve just got to get that fixed.” -McConnell on why rebounding was an issue after halftime

“We can’t worry about the officiating. They’re just trying to do their job. There were many plays where we could have made where it didn’t even come down to that. That’s the stuff we’ve got to focus on…We can control plays that we could have made to not have it come down to that.” - McConnell on late-game calls

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