Brunson delivers 33 points and Towns dominates the boards, but Indiana survives a late New York comeback to take the NBA Cup matchup.
The New York Knicks made a late-game rally attempt against the Indiana Pacers, but fell 106-104 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Knicks were able to fight back from double digits down during the second half of their NBA Cup group stage game against the Pacers. However, they were unable to tie the game in the closing seconds after Karl-Anthony Towns missed a clutch three-pointer.
How the Game Went Down
However, the Knicks had an early advantage with a tight 27-26 lead after the opening quarter. But Indiana came back with a strong second quarter, scoring 32 points to New York’s 22 to make it 58-49.
Despite the Pacers going into the third quarter up, the Knicks fought back and went on a 10-0 run to go from behind 85-74 to making it just one point ahead going into the 4th.
Pascal Siakam hit a jumper with 1:49 remaining to give Indiana a 106-98 lead. However, Brunson and Mikal Bridges helped cut the lead down to just two points. The Pacers lost the ball with only 2.8 seconds remaining but Towns couldn’t hit the game tying jumper at the buzzer.
The Standout Performances
Jalen Brunson led the way for the Knicks scoring 33 points and dishing out 11 assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns put up a double-double, adding 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Mikal Bridges scored 18 points.
Miles McBride chipped in with 9 points, including 3 three pointers.
Pascal Siakam had an impressive late game jumper to score 19 points.
Aaron Nesmith added 18 points to help lead Indiana to victory.
Towns was dominant on the boards. Brunson continues to show why he is New York’s offensive engine. However, Indiana’s dominance on the boards (50-43) was key in a tight two point game.
Final Thoughts: So Close, Yet So Far
It was a frustrating loss for Knicks fans. The Knicks were extremely resilient, battled back from being down by double digits, and had a great opportunity to come back and win at the end.
While Brunson had a huge 33 point game and Towns had a double-double, the Knicks need to be better on the glass. They also can’t let their offense stall. This is a tight game against another conference opponent.
Now the Knicks need to move past this game and show they can bounce back in their next game. There is a lot of basketball left to play, and this team can compete with anybody.
Next Game: The Knicks will head to Toronto to play the Raptors on Sunday, November 15th.
