As injuries mounted and minutes piled up for their healthy players in the postseason, the big question facing the Knicks was whether it would all catch up with them.
Well, they received a resounding response on Sunday.
The Knicks fell behind early and never came close to recovering, ultimately losing 121-89 to the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
In a series of close battles and close finishes, it was quite the opposite.
The Knicks couldn’t do anything right. The Pacers rolled from the first minutes.
Tom Thibodeau emptied his bench – what was left of it – for the fourth quarter.
The Knicks shot just 33.7 percent from the field.
Now, the Knicks will try to recover in Game 5 Tuesday (8 p.m., TNT) at Madison Square Garden.
Thibodeau’s team was once again without OG Anunoby as he continued to deal with a hamstring injury he suffered in Game 2. The Knicks continue to be without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic.
Alec Burks led the Knicks on Sunday with 20 points.
Jalen Brunson finished with 18 points on 6-of-17 shooting, 0-of-5 from the perimeter. The Pacers, especially Aaron Nesmith, have guarded him well in the last two games.
Takeaways
A terrible first quarter sinks the Knicks
Things started off badly and never got better.
The Knicks couldn’t hit anything in the first quarter. The Pacers seemed to hit everything.
The Knicks shot just 6 of 23 for the opening period. Brunson, once again clearly not 100 percent as he continues to deal with his right foot injury, missed all five shots he took in the first quarter.
The Pacers took a 34-14 lead at the end of the period. They were already on track for a blowout – Indiana then took a 69-41 halftime lead.
The game was never close. There was never any doubt about it.
Indiana was in complete control.
The Knicks’ three-point shot
It was bad.
Really bad.
The Knicks finished 7 of 37 from beyond the arc.
Donte DiVincenzo, outstanding in the previous four games, was just 1 of 6 from long distance.
In a game where they needed to dig themselves out of a huge hole, the Knicks’ inability to hit anything from deep cost them dearly.
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Game 5 is now absolutely huge
This was already going to be important. Every playoff game is.
NOW?
Game 5 is a must.
The Knicks can’t afford to suffer another loss and fall into a series deficit before returning to Indianapolis for Game 6.
The Knicks need to feed off the Garden’s energy — it’s been loud throughout the playoffs — and get off to a strong start to put the Pacers away early.
