2 Adjustments Knicks Can Make Against Pacers to Win Game 7 in 2024 NBA Playoffs

INDIANAPOLIS – Isaiah Hartenstein has an easy solution for Knicks‘ attack in game 7: move the ball, make life easier Jalen Brunson.

“It was guarded by three guys, most of their belongings…,” Hartenstein said Friday night in Indianapolis. “I feel like any man playing iso against three people – he was still, what, 31? It’s tough, but we as a team have to do a better job moving the ball and leaving him open. Maybe him getting off the ball a little more, making it easier, it seems like that.

Indiana Aaron Nesmith followed Brunson all over the court in the first half of Game 6. The Pacers regularly sent a second defender at Brunson and basically dared other Knicks to beat them. The strategy worked as Brunson shot 2 of 13 in the first half (0 of 6 in the second quarter) and Indiana took control on Friday night.

“They’ve been doing a great job with all the series of adjustments and it’s made me adjust as well,” Brunson said. “So obviously I was making shots that I normally make and I missed them (in the first half). It was a mix of…me missing shots and a mix of them playing really well.”

Maybe Brunson and the Knicks discovered something at halftime that could help them in Game 7? Brunson had 26 points in the second half on 9-of-13 shooting (three assists, 0 turnovers). His score had no impact on the final result (Brunson was -5 in the second half), but both Brunson and Tom Thibodeau seemed to enjoy the offensive process in the last two quarters.

“He’s going to figure it out,” Thibodeau said after the game. “There was a physicality to the game, which is good. We knew it would be there. And then I thought about the second half, I thought he got everything he wanted.

BOARDED

Brunson’s offense is an obvious key to Game 7. Brunson’s health Josh Hart is crucial. Maybe just as important? The Knicks’ recovery.

New York dominated the boards in Game 5 victory at home. Indiana and New York were nearly tied on the offensive board in Game 6, which is essentially a win for the Pacers. Entering the series, the Knicks were seen as having a significant advantage on the boards. Indiana’s comeback led to extra possessions; The Pacers finished with nine more shots than the Knicks in Game 6.

“I think you’ve heard them the last few days, that’s been a point of emphasis for them: attacking the glass, picking up loose balls, just playing a little bit more courageously,” Donte DiVincenzo he said. “And that’s exactly what they did tonight. You have to give them credit. They were returning home. They feed off the energy, the crowd, and now we look at that and that’s what we have to do on Sunday.”

DiVincenzo also believes the Knicks will make adjustments on offense to get the ball moving side to side more often and create seams in Indiana’s defense.

“We will have an understanding of how we have won games all season. And I have no doubt we will respond on Sunday,” DiVincenzo said.

“Obviously there are small adjustments, but… it all comes down to will and who wants it more, who will compete more for the full 48 years,” DiVincenzo added. “We responded well after Game 4. They responded well after Game 5. So that’s our job. It is our duty to regroup, watch the film and simply understand. And we have to play harder to complete 48.”