The Indiana Pacers produced an emphatic win on Sunday as they evened out their second-round series against the New York Knicks at two games apiece. The Pacers had to defend their home court on Sunday as they faced the prospect of going down 3-1 against the Knicks as the series heads back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5.
Indiana gave New York absolutely no chance in this one as the home team decimated the Knicks from the get-go, en route to a lopsided 121-89 victory.
A disappointed Tom Thibodeau faced the press shortly after his team’s brutal defeat. The Knicks head coach wasn’t exactly in a jovial mood as he dismissed any and all excuses his team may have for their 32-point loss:
“It’s not just OG [Anunoby]. [He] was out for a good chunk of the season, so that’s no excuse. Just get it done,” Thibodeau said.
The Knicks lost OG Anunoby in their Game 2 victory in New York, and the 6-foot-7 swingman has yet to resume significant activity in practice after suffering a hamstring injury.
Despite missing another one of his key guys, Coach Thibs refused to use this as an excuse to explain the head-scratching result of Sunday’s contest.
On top of Anunoby, the Knicks have also been without two other key cogs in Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Tyrese Haliburton and Co. took full advantage of New York’s injury woes on Sunday, and they will be looking to keep their foot on the game for their pivotal Game 5 showdown on Tuesday night.
