In the regular season of the 2023-24 NBA, the Indiana Pacers were the highest-scoring team with an average of 123.29 points per game. The New York Knicks were way below them on the list of the NBA’s best offenses, but since the start of the 2024 postseason, these guys have been great offensively.
Sure, their postseason average (108.33) is below Indiana’s, but their best player Jalen Brunson is currently the highest-scoring player in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Can he lead his team to a 1-0 lead in the series on May 6? Let’s find out!
Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Indiana Pacers +6.5 | -115 |
| New York Knicks -6.5 | -105 |
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When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York
- Date: Monday, May 6, 2024
- Time: 7:30 PM ET
- How to Watch: TNT
Indiana Pacers Preparing for Their Hardest Challenge So Far
In the First Round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Indiana’s opponent was Milwaukee. However, the Bucks were without their talisman Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed every single game of the postseason. That’s why it’s not surprising that the Pacers won the series 4-2.
This time, however, they have a much tougher job on their hands. They’re playing against a well-rounded team that’s been in great form since the start of the 2024 postseason.
To knock the Knicks out, the Pacers need to continue doing what they’ve been doing throughout the 2023-24 NBA campaign. They need to continue working great as a collective. Even though Indiana’s roster doesn’t have any superstars, there are plenty of players in each position that could shine.
Indiana’s opponents practically don’t know where the biggest threat is coming from. This explains why the Pacers have been able to score 100+ points in most of their games. In fact, since the start of the year, they went under 100 only twice.
Unfortunately, they also conceded 100+ points in most of the games in 2024. That’s something that needs to worry them ahead of the clash with the Knicks, whose guard Jalen Brunson has been in sensational form.
Will Jalen Brunson Lead the NY Knicks to a Win in Game 1?
New York’s Jalen Brunson is averaging 34.4 points in the 2024 postseason. The most impressive thing is that he went over 40 points in each of his last three games. He’s been sensational so far, but so have his teammates.
Even though they haven’t been scoring as much as Brunson, other Knicks players have been doing a fine job on the defense. They played against the high-scoring Philadelphia 76ers in the First Round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but still managed to keep Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and others to a relatively low number of points.
In fact, in one of those games, they kept the Niners to just 92 points. Can they do something similar against the Pacers? We think they might.
Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Prediction
If there’s a team that can stop the Pacers from going wild scoring-wise, it’s the Knicks. Still, this doesn’t mean the Pacers won’t score 100+ points on Monday evening.
We think they will, but that probably won’t be enough as we also expect Jalen Brunson to continue his incredible run. With him scoring 40+ (or at least 35), the Knicks should be able to win Game 1. Still, they probably won’t do it with 7+ points difference.
Pick: Indiana Pacers (+6.5)
Jessie Carter
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