In Game 1, Jalen Brunson etched his name in the history books alongside a player named Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Brunson’s 43-point effort against the Indiana Pacers was his fourth consecutive 40-point performance. Jalen now trails Jordan and two Hall of Famers, Jerry West and Bernard King, tied for six consecutive 40-point performances in the playoffs. The Knicks needed every point from their All-Star Guard after trailing deep into the fourth quarter, and Brunson delivered by scoring 21 points to pull out the victory. It sets up an interesting Game 2 with the Pacers knowing they can bring this team to the distance. In the article, we preview the Game and briefly discuss the Minnesota Timberwolves’ ravenous demolition of the Denver Nuggets on the road.
1. Indian Pacers Keys for Game 2- the Pacers were in a position to win Game 1 and lost by 4 points despite their star, Tyrese Haliburton struggling to score from the field. Haliburton scored 6 points, went 2 of 6 from the field, and grabbed two rebounds. Tyrese is not a score-first Point Guard, but that is a low output given that he averaged 16 and 20.1 points per game in the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks and the regular season. Halliburton did keep his team in it through his phenomenal ability to distribute the ball with eight assists. However, look for more aggression by Haliburton and Rick Carlisle to scheme ways to free up his star Point Guard against a Knicks determined to make life difficult. Defensively, the Pacers found out that Jalen Brunson is almost unstoppable in the playoffs, but they cannot allow Josh Hart and Dante DiVincenzo to combine for 49 points. The Pacers will be in a position to steal Game 2 if they can close out better to these shotmakers and intensify their defense against the Villanova duo.
2. New York Knicks Keys for Game 2-the Knicks won Game 1 thanks to the impressive output of their starters. The Pacers bench was outstanding providing effort, toughness, and swag to the court by outscoring their Knicks counterparts 46-3. T.J. McConnell scored 12 points, and his defensive nuisance energized his team, while OB Toppin matched his output with his three-point shot and between-the-leg fastbreak dunk against his former team. The Pacers will win the bench minutes in this series, but in Game 2, the Knicks bench players need to narrow the margin. It would be interesting to see who cracks the rotation after the season-ending injury to Mitchell Robinson. Another key for the Knicks is that they must look to dominate the rebounding category. The Knicks won on the boards 40 to 32 in Game 1 and will be a key ingredient going forward. The Pacers are the more efficient half-court offense, and the Knicks need extra possessions while limiting the amount for the Pacers.
3. Timberwolves stun the Nuggets- after the Nuggets prevailed in round 1, the consensus was that the Nuggets were the favorites to win the title. However, Anthony Edwards entered Denver on a mission to squash the talk by dropping 43 points and seven rebounds in Game 1. The narrative after Game 1 was that the Nuggets were bound to respond to the challenge, but somehow the defending champions looked worse in Game 2. Minnesota went on a stunning 24-5 run in the first half to cruise to an easy road victory. The Nuggets look in trouble because despite the brilliance of Nikola Jokic, the player that made them the preeminent favorites is Jamaal Murray. Murray has struggled in this series, and it could be attributed to his calf injury or the brilliance of the Ravenous Wolves’ defense. Also, Murray was fortunate not to be suspended by the league after throwing a towel and a heating pad on the court and showing the money sign to an official. The Nuggets need their Point Guard to refocus and fine form quickly if they are to make an incredible series comeback.