2024 Pacers Playoffs

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Wheat Hotchkiss

For the first time this postseason, the Pacers are facing elimination. Following their 121-91 loss to the Knicks on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, they are in a must-win scenario in Game 6 on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The takeaways from Game 5 were pretty clear, judging from the answers to questions following Thursday's practice at the Ascension St. Vincent Center. The box score from their 30-point loss said all that needed to be said.

The Knicks outrebounded Indiana 53-29 overall and 20-5 on the offensive glass. They outscored the Pacers 62-36 in points in the paint and 26-9 in second-chance points. The Blue & Gold also committed 18 turnovers to New York's nine. All of it added up to the Knicks attempting a whopping 29 more shots than Indiana in the rout.

"The statistical numbers on possessions and turnovers and all that, it tells the story of a wipeout," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "We’ve got a lot of things we’ve got to do better and we’ve got to do harder and we’ve got to do with a greater level of execution and detail. We’ve got our work ahead of us."

Rebounding remains the Pacers' primary focus. The Knicks led the league in offensive rebounding in the regular season, but Indiana actually did a good job keeping them off the offensive glass over the first four games of the series. The Pacers outrebounded the Knicks on the offensive boards in three of the first four games and also limited New York to 10 or fewer offensive rebounds in three contests.

It was a different story in Game 5, where Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein came up with 12 rebounds alone and New York quadrupled Indiana's total on the offensive boards.

"No secret that they dominated the glass," Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton. "We’ve got to be able to finish possessions better. Once we do that, that allows our offense everything to open up. We’ve got to finish possessions better."

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Indiana Pacers Media Availability | May 16, 2024

"It’s just that extra thrust when they get the offensive rebounds and have extra opportunities to score, that juices them up, especially in their home building," Pacers center Myles Turner added. "We can’t allow for that to happen."

To better limit the Knicks' second chances, Haliburton said that he and the other guards need to help out Indiana's bigs by crashing the boards harder on the defensive end. He noted that Hartenstein often crashes the boards just looking to tip back out a perimeter player, but the Knicks' guards have been more aggressive in seeking out those loose balls.

"That starts with me getting down and rebounding and helping out," Haliburton said. "The games that we’ve been good on the glass have been the games where our guards have really came down and helped. And I think offensively we can crash better too and use that to our advantage as well."

On the offensive end, Haliburton also vowed to approach Game 6 with a more aggressive mindset. The Knicks changed up their coverages on the All-Star in Game 5, with Miles McBride sliding into the starting lineup and picking up Haliburton full court for most of the night. It was clear that New York tried to take the ball out of Haliburton's hands, and that game plan largely worked, as he had 13 points on just nine shots and five assists in 34 minutes.

Haliburton faced similar questions after Game 1, when he scored just six points on just six shots, and responded by averaging 29.7 points over his next three games. Carlisle has reiterated many times throughout the year that Haliburton doesn't need to be scoring at a high rate to impact the offense, but he does need the ball in his hands to be able to make an impact.

“Aggressive doesn’t mean shoot 30 shots or whatever," Haliburton said Thursday. It’s just getting two feet in the paint, be more aggressive…just kind of that mentality is better for us.

“At the end of the day, I’ve just got to be better at getting the ball. They’re doing a good job denying and we can give you all schemes of screening for me and all that stuff, but I’ve just got to go get the ball.”

The stakes have been high all postseason, but they are certainly raised for Friday, with the Pacers needing a win to force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday in New York.

“It’s the first elimination game that we’ve faced," Carlisle said. "There’s always a high level of urgency, but when you face the possibility of the ending of your season, it certainly should be at a fever pitch."

This is the first playoffs for Haliburton, as well as fellow starter Andrew Nembhard and rotation players Ben Sheppard and Isaiah Jackson. But Haliburton said the team's veterans like Turner and Pascal Siakam haven't really raised the topic of what it means to play in an elimination game.

“I don’t think there really needs to be conversations," Haliburton said. "What’s known doesn’t need to be spoken about. Guys know the intensity that we need to bring tomorrow. Obviously with this being our home court, that’s exciting for us. But we’ve got to have a level of desperation that we’ve never had before. Got to be ready to go for 48 minutes, understand that every possession matters even more than it has all playoffs, and just have the right level of compete level tomorrow to be ready to go.”

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Pacers Vow to Be More Aggressive on Both Ends Facing Elimination in Game 6

Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Rick Carlisle and Pascal Siakam speak with the media following practice on Thursday.

Friday, May 17 at 8:30 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

The Pacers know what they have to do Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. They must win Game 6 against the Knicks to extend their season and force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday in New York, where the winner would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Indiana is facing elimination for the first time this postseason after dropping Game 5 on Tuesday night in New York, 121-91. The Knicks ran away from the Pacers at Madison Square Garden, outhustling and outplaying the Blue & Gold. Head coach Rick Carlisle said his young team learned "a hard lesson" from Tuesday's performance.

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

The Knicks had 29 more shot attempts than Indiana thanks to their dominance on the boards in Game 5. New York outrebounded the Pacers 53-29 overall and 20-5 on the offensive glass, outscoring Indiana 62-36 in points in the paint and 26-9 in second-chance points. Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein had 12 offensive rebounds alone.

Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson had another impressive performance, scoring 44 points and dishing out seven assists, but the Pacers aided New York's offense by committing 18 turnovers (and only forcing nine).

The good news for the Pacers is that the series is shifting back to Indianapolis, where the Blue & Gold are undefeated in the playoffs and beat the Knicks twice last season. In fact, Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday was pretty much a mirror image of Game 5, as the Pacers led 34-14 after the first quarter and stretched the margin as high as 43 points in a 121-89 victory.

After the two teams traded blowout victories, it would not be surprising if Game 6 is more tightly contested like the first three games of the series. The Knicks are trying to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, while the Pacers are hoping to extend their season and have a chance to move on to the third round for the first time in a decade.

The Knicks made some counters in Game 5, as head coach Tom Thibodeau elected to start 6-1 guard Miles McBride instead of 6-8 forward Precious Achiuwa. The smaller McBride took on the primary assignment of guarding Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, picking him up full court for most of the night. Haliburton finished with 13 points and five assists on nine shot attempts, his lowest scoring total since he tallied just six points in Game 1.

Haliburton responded well after Game 1, averaging 29.7 points over his next three games. The 24-year-old — who is playing in his first playoffs — vowed to be better in Game 6.

All season long, the Pacers have played some of their best basketball coming off a disappointing result. How Haliburton and his teammates respond to adversity this time will determine whether or not their season will continue.

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

Knicks: G - Jalen Brunson, G - Miles McBride, F - Donte DiVincenzo, F - Josh Hart, C - Isaiah Hartenstein

Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin - out (right shoulder labral tear)

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

May 14, 2024: The Knicks won every quarter en route to a 121-91 win in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.

Jalen Brunson scored a series-high 44 points on 18-of-35 shooting and dished out seven assists to lead the Knicks to victory. Josh Hart added 18 points and 11 rebounds, Alec Burks scored 18 off the bench, and Miles McBride scored 17 points.

Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 22 points and eight rebounds in the loss. Myles Turner added 16 points while going 4-for-7 from 3-point range.

Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)

TV: ESPN - Mike Breen (play-by-play), Doris Burke (analyst), JJ Redick (analyst), Cassidy Hubbarth (sideline reporter)

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 at 8:30 PM ET.&nbsp;Find Tickets >>

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Game Preview: Pacers vs Knicks (Game 6)

Rick Carlisle and Tyrese Haliburton speak with the media following the Pacers 121-91 loss to the Knicks in Game 5.

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Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability at New York Knicks (Game 5) | May 14, 2024

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Led by Jalen Brunson's 44 points and seven assists, the Knicks defeated the Pacers in Game 5, 121-91. Josh Hart (18 points, 11 rebounds), Alec Burks (18 points, five 3PT FG) and Isaiah Hartenstein (7 points, 17 rebounds) added 43 points in the victory, while Pascal Siakam tallied 22 points and eight rebounds for the Pacers in the losing effort. The Knicks lead the best-of-seven series, 3-2, with Game 6 taking place Friday, May 17.

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Game Recap: Knicks 121, Pacers 91

Jordan Morey

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

After five games, neither the New York Knicks nor Indiana Pacers have given up a home game in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Dominating the rebounding margin 53-29, forcing 18 turnovers, and getting 44 points from star guard Jalen Brunson, the Knicks (3-2) posted a 121-91 Game 5 win over the Pacers on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

The series now turns back to Indianapolis, as the Pacers will host the Knicks for Game 6 on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. If a Game 7 is necessary, the Knicks will host the final matchup on Sunday afternoon.PLAYOFF CENTRAL: Follow Indiana's Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>

The Knicks led by 15 points at halftime before using a 19-0 run in the third quarter – holding the Pacers scoreless for almost seven minutes – to take a 21-point lead into the final frame. The Pacers never got closer than 12 points off the lead in the fourth quarter.

New York outscored Indiana 62-36 in the paint, 26-9 in second-chance points, and 27-21 in bench points. Both teams made 12 3-pointers.

From the field overall, the Knicks finished 47-for-101 and the Pacers went 31-for-72.

Brunson finished 18-for-35 (2-for-6 from 3-point range) from the field en route to his series-high 44 points. After Brunson, Josh Hart and Alec Burks each had 18 points, and Miles McBride added 17. In addition, Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein pulled down 17 rebounds for the Knicks, including 12 offensive boards which tied Charles Oakley’s Knicks playoff record for offensive rebounds in a game.

Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 22 points, Myles Turner had 16, and Tyrese Haliburton finished with 13 points and five assists.

“If we don’t get stops and rebounds, our game is not going to look good,” Pacers head coach Rick Carilsle said. “We’re not going to be able to get the ball out, all of our playmakers aren't going to have opportunities to get the ball and attack. If you take the ball out of the net, particularly after free throws and offensive rebounds, you’re climbing an uphill battle. They turned their pressure up tonight and our pressure was virtually nonexistent. We failed on many levels. We’ve got to make some serious adjustments for Game 6 and get out of here and get home.”

The Knicks led the Pacers 69-54 at halftime. Brunson scored 28 points to start the game, and New York outrebounded Indiana 27-11 (12-2 offensive) in the first half while the Blue & Gold had nine turnovers.

In the first quarter, the Knicks shot 57 percent as a team and pulled down seven offensive rebounds to build a 38-32 lead over the Pacers. Indiana shot 55 percent in the first quarter but had five turnovers in the frame.

All five Pacers starters scored in successive order to start the game, and the Blue & Gold made six of their first 10 shots to lead 16-9 four minutes after the tip.

The teams then traded baskets until a 15-3 New York run, during which McBride scored a trio of baskets from close range, gave the Knicks a 31-25 advantage with 2:10 on the clock.

Out of a timeout, Obi Toppin ended the Knicks' scoring spree by draining a pair of free throws before Aaron Nesmith hit two hit freebies of his own and Siakam made a three for the Blue & Gold to pull within a possession. Burks hit a 3-pointer for the Knicks with 11 seconds on the clock to put his team back up by six.

New York strung together 8-1 and 8-2 runs through the first four minutes of the second quarter, as Brunson caught fire by scoring 12 points during the stretch, to extend the Knicks' lead to 54-40 and force an Indiana timeout.

Out of the huddle, the Blue & Gold answered with a 7-2 run of their own, where Andrew Nembhard made his second 3-pointer of the night, but the Knicks then scored 11 unanswered points to go up 65-47.

In the final two minutes of the first half, the Pacers got a layup from Haliburton, an and-one from Toppin, and free throws by Siakam to cut it to 15 points going into the break. Game 5 was the first time the Knicks have led at halftime in any game during the series.

In the first two minutes of the third quarter, Turner made three straight 3-pointers to cut it to 70-63 with 9:56 on the clock, prompting a Knicks timeout. The Pacers then didn’t record a basket for almost seven minutes..

New York responded to Turner’s hot shooting with a 17-0 string, featuring five points each by McBride and Brunson, to extend the Knicks' lead to 91-64 with 3:13 left in the third quarter.

A 3-pointer by Pacers rookie Ben Sheppard stopped the bleeding for the visitors with 2:56 left in the frame, but the teams went basket-for-basket the remainder of the period as the Pacers trailed 96-75 heading into the fourth quarter.

“When things are going bad, we just have to do a better job of coming better together as a group,” Haliburton said. “I felt we were a little frenzied today. Obviously the Garden is a great environment and they have a great fanbase, but we just have to do a better job of coming together as a group. … That’s starts with me as a leader.”

Indiana opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run, led by six points from Siakam, but the Knicks responded with a 10-2 string to go up 106-86 before coasting to the win.

Jalen Brunson has scored 40 points or more five times this postseason. Tuesday was his second time scoring at least 40 against the Pacers (43 points in Game 1).

Indiana shot 17-for-22 from the free throw line and New York went 15-for-19.

The Pacers had 18 turnovers and the Knicks finished with nine.

There was one lead change and one tie in the game.

In his first postseason start, Miles McBride had 17 points for the Knicks.

The Knicks took 101 total shots in the game and the Pacers put up 72 shots.

“Very poor effort, obviously. Lost every quarter. Got annihilated on loose balls and rebounds. Gave up 20 offensive rebounds and 29 more shots. We all own it, but very embarrassing. Very embarrassing and a hard lesson.” – Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on the loss

“It was box-outs for sure. It’s just a cold-blooded desire to go get the ball, to make contact with somebody and go get the ball.  That’s what it is and we did not do it, and so we paid a heavy price.” – Carlisle on the rebounding

“There’s no excuses, but all the guys on our roster, I believe it’s the first time they’ve been in a Game 5 tied 2-2 going on the road. You learn a lot in those situations very quickly. For us, give up 38 in the first quarter, and lose by nine in the second, and lose by six in the third, and then get wiped out in the fourth. This is a different circumstance, and as a playoff series progresses it’s going to get harder and harder.” - Carlisle on the loss

“A smaller lineup, intuitively, you would think would give us a better chance to do well on the boards. But their overall level of fight in this game was superior to what ours was and that’s the bottom line. “ – Carlisle on New York’s lineup change

“Bad situations, poor decisions. This is how things can snowball when you’re not doing hte little things well. … There are a lot of things that are connected to a lot of things.“ – Carlisle on the 18  turnovers

“I think just the momentum shifted. They killed us on the glass better than they probably have any game all series. We just didn’t match that intensity level all night. …. We just have to do a better job of eliminating second-chance opportunities. I think the first half they shot 15 more shots than us - how do you win a game when teams are doing that, you know? We turned the ball over at a high rate today which is something we haven’t done all playoffs. We will watch some film and be ready to respond in Game 6.“ – Haliburton on the game unraveling after the first quarter

“I think a lot of our turnovers were self-inflicted. I do think that I gotta watch the film to really see where we can be better there. Kudos to them - they had a good night and are a good defensive team. They did what they’re supposed to do, and now it’s time for us to go home and do what we’re supposed to do. “ – Haliburton on the turnovers

“I just gotta do a better job of being aggressive. I think if you go back to Game 1, I said the same thing after Game 1. It’s more on me than on what anyone else is doing. I will fix that next game.“ – Haliburton on his 13 points

Indiana was outrebounded 53-29 in the game, including 20-5 on the offensive glass.&nbsp;

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 Rewind: Pacers 91, Knicks 121  (Game 5)

The "Gold Out" is back for Game 6 of Eastern Conference Semifinals. When the Pacers welcome the New York Knicks to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, May 17 for Game 6 of their best-of-seven series, all fans in attendance will receive a gold t-shirt.

The shirt, which was officially unveiled on social media on Tuesday, features a partial outline of the Pacers logo with the "IND Playoff Basketball" inscribed within the basketball at the center of the Pacers "P".

The Pacers defeated the Knicks last weekend in their two previous home games in the series, coming away with a dramatic 111-106 victory in Game 3 before rolling to a 121-89 win in Game 4. The Knicks responded by taking Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 series lead.

The Pacers must win on Friday to extend the series and force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday in New York. The good news for Pacers fans is Indiana is 5-0 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the playoffs and has won 10 straight home games overall including the regular season.

The 2024 Pacers Playoffs are presented by KeyBank, Starry, and Kroger. For Playoff tickets, news, videos, and more please visit Pacers.com/Playoffs.

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Pacers to Gold Out Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 6 vs New York on Friday, May 17

Myles Turner was mic'd up during the Pacers Game 4 win against the Knicks to even the series on Sunday night.