Knicks vs Pacers Game 4: Preview, Injury Report & TV…

Knicks vs Pacers Game 4: Preview, Injury Report & TV Channel

The Indiana Pacers can take full control of the Eastern Conference Finals with a win on home floor against the New York Knicks in Game 4 on Tuesday.

Knicks vs Pacers Game 4 Preview

The Indiana Pacers are two wins away from returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since the turn of the century and Tuesday’s Game 4 on home soil is the perfect stage to inch ever closer.

The series has enjoyed some iconic moments already, beginning with Tyrese Haliburton pulling out Reggie Miller’s famous choke celebration to send Game 1 to overtime alongside Aaron Nesmith exhibiting one of the hottest hands in playoff history.

Indiana went 2-0 at Madison Square Garden to blow the series apart as Pascal Siakam tallied a postseason career-high 39 points on 15/23 shooting. That marked his third 35-point playoff game for the Pacers, behind only Miller and Paul George in franchise history.

The Pacers led by as much as 20 in Game 3 before the Knicks stormed back to overturn another huge deficit, avoiding the dreaded 3-0 series hole that no team in NBA history has ever been able to successfully recover from.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter as Indiana dropped to 0-4 all-time when playing on the same day Indianapolis 500 is held – a coincidence?

The Knicks are the first team in league history to stage three 20-point comebacks in a single postseason after doing it back-to-back in Games 1 and 2 of the semifinals against the Boston Celtics.

The Pacers struggled from downtown in Game 3, connecting on just five in Sunday’s defeat – way down from their average of 13 in the playoffs.

Despite the struggles, Indiana still lead all teams in offensive efficiency – knocking down almost 50% of attempts from the floor and nearly 40% from beyond the arc. Looking to take a 3-1 lead for the third time this playoffs, Rick Carlisle’s side are in pole position.

The Pacers are especially strong at home, boasting an 8-2 record in their last ten while the Knicks are currently 24-17 on the road this season. New York will feel positive momentum heading into Tuesday’s decisive tie but as a collective unit, there is no doubt Indiana is a greater force.

Indiana was heartbroken when exiting the Eastern Conference Finals at the hands of the eventual champion Celtics in a sweep last year – probably the most competitive sweep of all-time – and they are vowing not to feel the same this time around.

Indiana and New York have a rich history. 25 years ago, the Pacers beat the Knicks at this stage to advance to the NBA Finals which drew the curtain on an incredible rivalry that saw the pair meet six times in the playoffs from 1993 to 2000.

The Pacers have won each of the last two match-ups against the Knicks in 2000 and 2013 – and from this point on, it’d be a surprise to see their fortunes change.