The New York Knicks soundly defeated the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday to continue their winning streak. Here is how it happened.
The New York Knicks cruised to a 136-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday for their fourth-straight win and their second over the Pacers in the last four days. Below were the keys to the game:
Josh Hart’s Big Night
On Tuesday, it was Josh Hart’s night to light up Madison Square Garden.
Hart scored a game-high 33 points while missing only one of his 13 shot attempts and making all five of his 3-point attempts. It was also the highest point total he has achieved in a Knicks uniform.
In the second half, Hart did not miss at all. In the third and fourth quarters, he went 5-5 from the field. In addition to his big shooting night, he grabbed seven rebounds and logged two steals.
OG Anunoby Joins the Fun
While Hart had a night to remember, OG Anunoby was right alongside him scoring at a high rate.
Anunoby scored 26 points while sinking 10 of his 13 shot attempts and four of his five attempts from the perimeter. Through 10 games in March, Anunoby has averaged 19.2 points per game while shooting 53.2% from the field and 44.6% from beyond the arc. In half of those games, Anunoby has scored20-plus points.
Jose Alvarado Fills in
The Knicks were able to achieve their big win while Jalen Brunson sat on the sidelines with a neck strain, but Jose Alvarado was able to be extremely effective in his place.
Alvarado played 26:39 and logged a 16-point, 10-assist double-double. He was able to facilitate to his teammates while also shooting efficiently — going 5-10 from the field and 4-7 from 3-point range. His 10 assists also marked a season-high, and he made his impact felt on the defensive end with two steals.
The Team Comparison
In most metrics, the Knicks were simply better than the Pacers.
New York was able to outscore Indiana in paint points (62-46), second chance points (20-13) and fastbreak points (20-16). The Knicks also won the rebounding battle, 49-36, while dishing out seven more assists (38-31).
The Pacers also committed 17 turnovers while the Knicks only had nine. By the end of the game, the Pacers had the advantage in only one category: 3-point percentage (44.7%-43.9%).
Who’s up Next?
The Knicks have a chance to extend their winning streak as they will face three of the NBA’s teams with the worst records: the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans.
Two of those three games the Knicks will host before the competition ramps up with games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Charlotte Hornets and Houston Rockets to end the month. With 12 games left on their schedule, New York possesses the third seed in the Eastern Conference at 45-25.