New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 07/05/2024, 15:42  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 07/05/2024 at 20:40 in NBA Predictions

The New York Knicks will be at home looking to double their lead against the Indiana Pacers in their Eastern Conference semi-final matchup. They lead the series 1-0 and have home court advantage for the first two games and the entire series. The Knicks had to dig deep to come away with the victory in game one. Tom Thibodeau’s men rallied in the fourth quarter and scored 39 points, their most in a quarter in the game, to win 121-117. New York, who eliminated the Sixers in six games in the first round, have now won five of seven playoff matches. Three of those wins have come at home and they are on a two-game winning run. The Knicks shot 47% from three in game one and 53% from the field. Jalen Brunson had himself another monster game, putting up 43 points with 21 of those coming in the fourth. Brunson is the leading points-getter in the playoffs and is averaging 36.6 points. The Knicks are averaging 110.1 points and are shooting 45.4% from the field. Bojan Bogdanovic and Julius Randle are out for the season due to injury.

The Pacers defeated the Bucks in six games to win their first playoff series in 10 years. They lost the first game in Milwaukee but would bounce back immediately and win the next three contests. Rick Carlisle’s men will hope for another response after going 1-0 down for the second successive series. Indiana had the lead in game one for 28 minutes. Miles Turner led the team in scoring and notched 23 points with another five managing double figures. He was the only Pacer however to score at least 20. Indy shot 58% from two-point range but weren’t as efficient from three where they shot 38%. In these playoffs, the Pacers have averaged 113.6 points which is the second-best tally. They are averaging 43.6 field goals a game which has them number one in this category. The Pacers won the regular season series 2-1 against the Knicks and defeated them the last time they matched up in the playoffs. Tyrese Haliburton has been dealing with a back problem and has been questionable for Indy's last four games. Bennedict Mathurin is out for the season having suffered an injury at the tail end of the regular season