Pacers 121, Knicks 107: “This is a much better Knicks team than last year”
The Knicks fought hard for the first half and change, but ultimately fell on opening night to a much stronger Pacers team. Still, though, there were signs of light for the Knicks, namely the role that the young players played in the tight game. Matthew Miranda recaps the action.
The Knicks opened the 2019-20 season with a 120-111 loss in San Antonio. RJ Barrett and Julius Randle excelled, as did a sweet-shooting veteran, Marcus Morris. They were competitive for three quarters but couldn’t survive the fourth against a superior, veteran-laden opponent. Before the game, point guard was a major question mark. Elfrid Payton seemed to offer some answers.
The Knicks opened the 2020-21 season with a 121-107 loss in Indianapolis. RJ Barrett and Julius Randle excelled, as did a sweet-shooting veteran, Alec Burks. They were competitive for parts of three quarters but couldn’t survive the fourth against a superior, veteran-laden opponent. Before the game point guard was a major question mark. Elfrid Payton did not seem to offer any answers.
The results appear similar, but the feeling this time around is not. Yes, the Knicks lost, but there were encouraging signs; most encouraging was how many of those signs came from younger players who might be part of a future fit. In last year’s opener the only Knick youngsters to play more than 15 minutes were Barrett and Kevin Knox. Last night Barrett, Knox, Obi Toppin, and Mitchell Robinson all did, and if not for injury, Immanuel Quickley would have, too.
Also uplifting: New York succeeded in failing in a more modern manner. Last season in San Antonio they were just 10-of-30 on 3-point attempts. Last night they made 12-of-28 (43%), and for most of the game were hitting most of their threes. They’re not going to make that percentage all year, but for a team that’s been bottom of the barrel in attempts and makes from deep for years, any upward momentum offers hope, and hope is the first step toward change.
After 192 preseason minutes of Detroit and Cleveland, facing an actual good team in Indiana was a quantum leap in degree of difficulty. The preseason was hearing “Jolene” slowed down. This game was Krayzie Bone’s verse on “Thug Love.” The first few minutes were a jarring reminder of how fast the players and the ball move when a good team is on the floor. Unfortunately for Robinson, the action didn’t slow down quickly enough, and after committing zero fouls in 27 minutes in the preseason finale, foul trouble — much of it thanks to Knicks killer Damontas Sabonis — sent him to the bench less than five minutes in.
New York was taking and making 3-pointers, drilling four midway through the opening frame. They were also effective turning defense into offense, getting stops and pushing the ball and the pace; that fueled a 6-0 run to pull them within one. Barrett was unstoppable in the first quarter, scoring 10 points, including some beautiful one-on-one work against a strong defender in Victor Oladipo.
On the other end, Malcolm Brogdon repeatedly blew by Payton, getting to the rim at will. When I spoke with Indy Cornrows’ Mark Schindler on a pregame pod, he mentioned Oladipo had struggled for a while crossing people over; his handle an his legs hadn’t been on the same page in the Orlando bubble nor during the preseason. Oladipo turned it over attempting a crossover in the first. You may have had hope this meant he’d continue to struggle. Spoiler: nope.
Perhaps Quickley noticed Myles Turner seriously infringing upon the Knicks’ attempts at or near the rim. The rookie wisely drew a foul on a 3-pointer against T.J. McConnell. This is already a pet move of Quickley’s.
Speaking of wisdom: if you’re going to attempt lay-ups over a Pacer big, better to test Sabonis than Turner.
If Sabonis were to wake from a nightmare and shoot up in bed, it’s a safe bet that Mitch, wherever he is in the world, would wake and jump out of bed. Robinson bought each every fake Sabonis threw his way on the way to another dominant effort from the Lithuanian. Speaking of great efforts, Barrett put up 20 in the first half while making all eight of his shots.
Joining RJ in the gold star club was Alec Burks, who had 19 by the break. This one was especially lovely.
Both teams were hot throughout the half. As the game settled in, so did Oladipo, whose confidence in his athleticism appeared to keep rising. He was a blur finishing in transition, hitting baseline one-legged fadeaways, drawing charges, and driving to the cup.
Did somebody say “Obi Stockton”?
The rook continued to showcase the less-heralded parts of his game, making some terrific passes and hitting three of seven from deep. He missed all five of his shots inside the arc, but if the threes fall, he’ll clean up in the midrange and paint. New York went up as many as six points, and then Turner bumped into Quickley and Quickley was done for the night with a hip pointer.
Figuratively done for the night were the Knicks centers — Mitch and Nerlens Noel both picked up three fouls in the first half. Not coincidentally, Sabonis had 22 by intermission. Brogdon repeatedly scorched Payton en route to 16. The Knicks led 66-61 behind their 3-point shooting, RJ and Burks’ bucketry, and the point forward pleasantries of Randle, who finished the half with eight assists and looked like a lock for a triple-double. Spoiler: nope.
Early in the third, Randle found Payton for one of the five 3-pointers he’ll make this year. A glittering prospect, anytime Elf rains from deep. But all that glitters is sometimes fool’s gold.
Sometimes if it’s shiny, it is gold. Oladipo’s luster continued to beam, scoring Indiana’s first 11 points of the second half, and he did so from all over the floor. This wasn’t the Vic who settled for contested threes in the bubble; this was closer on the continuum to the guy who took LeBron James to a seventh game a couple postseasons ago.
With Quickley out and Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr. both on the bench, the Knicks were fighting with one arm tied behind their back. The bondage doubled when Randle picked up his fourth foul with 7:00 left in the third. At the time, New York led 74-72. When he returned nine minutes later, Indiana was up 95-88. What happened?
Well, with no Randle and no alternatives at the point on a night Payton was more Hyde than Jekyll, the offense ground to a halt. Payton’s struggles weren’t confined to one end of the floor; Brogdon was penetrating so easily, the Pacers may as well have been on a power play. Wherefore ain’t thou, Frank? Some defense might’ve helped. Indiana became the team getting out for easy baskets, in large part because they owned the defensive glass. The Knicks could NOT get offensive rebounds; having both centers in chronic foul trouble didn’t help. Plus New York didn’t force a single turnover in the third quarter.
Still, with the deck stacked against them, they kept coming. Reggie Bullock hit from deep to make it 83-80 Indiana, at which point the Knicks were 11-of-20 from deep. They’d miss seven of their last eight. Robinson began to get a bit on track, and after a blocked shot, Toppin spun baseline and drew enough attention from Turner to free up Mitch underneath. More good looks from the rook.
But the loss of Randle, the absence of Quickley, and RJ and Burks returning to the mortal plane was too much to overcome. After scoring 33 in both the first and second quarters, the Knicks would manage just 41 in the second half, shooting below 33%. The Pacers finished the third strong and salted this one away by the middle of the fourth. The Knicks looked better for long stretches of play than last year’s team. They’re not good enough yet to overcome nothing from their point guards and centers.
Notes
Last year in San Antonio, Ntilikina played three minutes and finished -6. Last night he played five minutes and was -5. The growth continues.
A Pacer career-high 32 for Sabonis. Who is the last non-GOAT you remember to kill the Knicks the way he does? Mike Scott had some moments. Ish Smith, too. But my God, Sabonis seems to have it in for New York.
Turner tied his career-high with eight blocks. That dude would have really fit in nicely on the Celtics if they could’ve swung a deal for Gordon Hayward.
The Pacers starters played only 86 minutes together last season. This is not a team I’d want to face in the first round.
OAKAAKUYOAK Doug McDermott had a nice follow dunk. It always surprises me to be reminded of Doug’s hops. He’s also such an aggressive, smart cutter. Was getting layup after layup in the first half. The Knicks shipped him off in the Emmanuel Mudiay trade. Mudiay’s my boy and I will not slander his name. But McDermott seems like someone the Knicks maybe should’ve not traded.
Early on, Sabonis hit an open three from the top of the arc. Pacers analyst Quinn Buckner called it “the toughest shot in basketball.” Count your Clyde Frazier blessings, folks. Anyone who’s ever had to subsist on streams knows the rest of the NBA broadcast landscape is a barren wasteland indeed. Buckner is a homer who talks like he has an IV pumping coffee into his bloodstream throughout the game. He also called Burks “Alex Burke” and Noel “Nerlen” — and arrived at “Nerlen” after several self-corrections.
Good trivia question on the Pacer feed for you old heads out there: the Knicks and Pacers met on opening night in 1987. Who led Pacers in scoring?
With the win, Indiana now leads the all-time series, 112-111.
I feel like the Knicks have lost most season-openers in recent history. But even with this loss, they’re 6-5 since 2010-11. Guzzle from the half-full glass, friends.
Why don’t the coaches still wear suits?
Trivia answer: Chuck Person with 29.
Quoth the Pacers broadcast team, Buckner and Chris Denari, “This a much better Knicks team than last year.” It is. Next chance to see why is Saturday when New York hosts Philadelphia. The ceiling is still years away, but now’s a good chance to get in on the ground floor of what could be something.
