NEW YORK — Before the Indiana Pacers took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Friday, coach Rick Carlisle disputed the notion that their unique style of play necessitated a specific type of player.
“Not every player we have on our team is a perfect fit with exactly what we do,” Carlisle informed the crowd. “But coaching is about taking some parts that aren’t necessarily identical and finding a way to bring out the strengths of those players to meld them with the rest, and so we try to do that.”
Carlisle rejects the notion of being a “system coach,” emphasizing that his job is to maximize the roster that he is given. The Pacers, on the other hand, have unquestionably established themselves.
They are relentless in their pace, ball movement, player movement, and ball pressure. It’s not easy to play this way. It’s demanding.
Indiana’s second victory of the week at Madison Square Garden, 114-109, was far less dramatic and astonishing than the first. However, the game was still up for grabs down the stretch, and the Pacers continued to play their way.
Tyrese Haliburton grabbed a defensive rebound with less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter and, rather than killing the clock, threw a perfect outlet pass that found Pascal Siakam in stride for an easy layup on the break.
In the second round, the Knicks began most of their games slowly, but were able to force the Boston Celtics into stagnant possessions, ill-advised shots, and costly turnovers. Against the Pacers, they have not had nearly as much defensive success.
Mitchell Robinson caused Indiana some problems in the first half, but Siakam kept the Pacers afloat and they all found their groove. Indiana didn’t need another fourth-quarter explosion from Aaron Nesmith down the stretch, thanks in large part to T.J. McConnell’s early pressure on New York’s defense.
In this matchup, defending the first action well is insufficient. The Pacers will quickly transition to something else, and the Knicks must figure out how to keep up.
“They’re not going to stop,” New York winger Mikal Bridges stated.
Bridges said the Knicks needed to improve their defensive communication and coverage execution, but he said the same thing between Games 1 and 2.
He also mentioned that they may be “playing a bit too soft at the beginning of halves.” During this series, New York’s starters have been outscored by 155.1 points per 100 possessions, and it’s fair to wonder why coach Tom Thibodeau hasn’t started Robinson or Miles McBride yet.
Regardless of what Thibodeau does with the rotation moving forward, the Pacers have a significant depth advantage, which complements their dedication to their high-octane system.
“It’s so important, our speed and the way we play, just wearing teams down,” Indiana wing Ben Sheppard said.
Indiana’s playing style can be disorienting. It does not run many sets, and many of its possessions appear disorganized. The Pacers’ ballhandlers reject a lot of screens, and their screeners frequently “ghost” to the perimeter or slip into the paint without making contact. Everybody is a screener, and nearly everyone is a ballhandler.
The most impressive aspect of Indiana’s offense is its consistency. Thanks in large part to Haliburton, the Pacers finished the regular season with a 13% turnover rate, the third-lowest in the NBA. That dropped to 12.1% in the playoffs and 8.5% in two games against the Knicks.
Indiana had one turnover in the fourth quarter of Game 1, and one in the fourth quarter of Game 2. This is both incredibly impressive (teams that pass and move like this usually have to accept turnovers as a trade-off) and completely consistent with their identity.
“We’re just trying to play our game,” Carlisle explained. “You get into an environment like this where there’s so much noise, so much going on, and so many distractions if you let yourself be distracted. We always say, “Let the noise and all the other stuff help trigger a narrowed focus: on your teammates, on your job within the team.”
Carlisle stated that the Pacers “held their composure very well through some runs and a lot of crowd noise and commotion” on Friday. They pursued Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, but not at the expense of their offensive flow. For long stretches, they received a good (or great) look almost every time they went down the court.
“After being here last year, playing at MSG doesn’t feel as big,” Indiana guard Andrew Nembhard said. “I think we’re a little more comfortable in the moment.”
The Pacers had to call a couple of audibles in Game 2. Bennedict Mathurin, who had a poor first half, did not play in the second half, and third-string center Tony Bradley came in to battle Robinson on the boards after backup Thomas Bryant struggled.
New York also changed its rotation, with Robinson playing slightly more than Towns, but the team was unable to string stops together consistently. Indiana scored 138.3 points per 100 possessions after halftime, and that figure rose even higher (153.8 per 100) during Robinson’s minutes.
Given how close the first two games were — and the Knicks’ 5-1 road record during the playoffs — it would be premature to conclude that New York’s defense has been exposed once and for all. With their season on the line on Sunday, every miscommunication and lapse in coverage will be magnified.
New York needs to be more focused than ever in Game 3. The Pacers know who they are, and they will not beat themselves.
