While the Oklahoma City Thunder are already on the verge of running away with the Western Conference Finals, the Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the Knicks and Pacers promises to be lengthy and entertaining battle.
On Wednesday night, what looked for 45 minutes like a big win by the Knicks instead gave way to one of the most memorable comebacks in NBA playoff history.
Pacers vs. Knicks Game 2 Betting Odds
The Pacers, who trailed by 14 with 2:51 remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 1, rallied behind a flurry of Aaron Nesmith 3-pointers to force OT, then outscored the Knicks 13-10 in overtime in front of a stunned crowd at Madison Square Garden.
Both Jalen Brunson (43 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (35 points) scored at will on the Pacers in Game 1, but Tyrese Haliburton, Nesmith and Co. never quit en route to their third historic comeback of the playoffs.
Indiana also erased a 7-point deficit in the final 40 seconds of overtime in Game 5 vs. the Bucks in the first round, and it erased a 119-112 deficit in the final minute of Game 2 of the conference semifinals vs. the Cavaliers.
The Knicks completed a couple of memorable rallies of their own against the Celtics earlier this postseason, making tonight’s contest one that fans will have to stick with from start to finish, regardless of the score.
How to Watch Pacers vs. Knicks Game 2
- Tipoff: 8 p.m. ET
- Channel: TNT/Max
Pacers vs. Knicks Series Winner Odds (as of May 23)
- DraftKings: IND -170; NYK +145
- FanDuel: IND -154; NYK +130
- bet365: IND -155; NYK +130
Pacers vs. Knicks Game 2 Prediction, Analysis
We wrote before Game 1 that about the only thing we felt comfortable predicting was a high-scoring contest. Sure enough, Wednesday’s series opener was nothing if not a shootout.
As for what to expect in Game 2, a low-scoring battle once again feels incredibly unlikely. In Brunson and KAT, the Knicks have two shotmakers that the Pacers are struggling to contain. As we broke down in our piece on the best Pacers vs. Knicks Game 2 prop bets, Towns in particular appears to be a nightmare individual matchup for Indiana.
But offensively, the Pacers’ pace and Haliburton’s ability to find open shooters eventually wore down New York, just as it did Milwaukee in the first round and Cleveland in the second.
Barring a coaching adjustment by either Rick Carlisle or Tom Thibodeau that slows down one or more of Brunson, Towns and Haliburton, I expect Game 2 to feature plenty more offensive fireworks and once again be decided by who plays better in the final minutes.
Pacers vs. Knicks Game 2 Best Bets
Betting against Brunson in the clutch this year has rarely worked out well. But as this series wears on against the 10-deep, athletic Pacers, I expect the Knicks to struggle to finish games, especially if both these teams
So, while I like Brunson and Co. to squeak out a win tonight, I’m not confident that they’ll do so with much room to spare. With that in mind, give me the over and the Pacers to cover as 6-point favorites.
- Over 224.5 (-110 at bet365) — 1 unit
- Pacers +6 (-110 — available at DK, FD) — 1 unit
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