Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Knicks and Pacers will be Sunday night in Indiana. Currently, the Pacers hold a 2-0 series lead. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Pacers are a two-point favorite for Game 3 and this contest presents a total of O/U 224 points.
Below, I break down Game 3 between the Knicks and the Thunder and give a pick for the game via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Knicks vs. Pacers preview, prediction
After the Pacers’ dramatic comeback win in Game 1, Indiana kept its foot on the gas in Game 2 and defeated New York, 114-109. There were 17 lead changes in this game and both teams led by as many as seven points. Pascal Siakam was incredible for Indiana, scoring a playoff career-high 39 points while shooting 65% from the field. Tyrese Haliburton also had a near triple-double of 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, and six Pacers scored double-figures, including each member of the starting five. In the loss for the Knicks, Jalen Brunson’s heroics continued with the guard scoring 36 points. Additionally, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges scored 20 points apiece, and OG Anunoby finished with 16 points. However, outside of these four players, no other Knick scored more than six points.
The Knicks held leads in both Games 1 and 2 but unfortunately weren’t able to execute as well as the Pacers late in these contests. While Brunson will likely continue to put up huge numbers in Game 3, New York needs all of its starters to contribute offensively to keep up with Indiana’s elite offense, especially Josh Hart, after he scored single digits in each of the first two games of this series. Also, the Knicks have a great collection of wing defenders in Anunoby, Bridges and Hart, but these players have been disappointments on this side of the ball and need to improve defensively, after Aaron Nesmith and Siakam had huge performances for the Pacers in Games 1 and 2, respectively.
For Indiana to keep succeeding in Game 3, it needs to keep playing its brand of basketball, which is playing at a fast pace and passing the ball at a high level. After winning the first two games of this series in Madison Square Garden, the Pacers surely are a confident group right now, but they can’t get too ahead of themselves like they did in the second round vs. the Cavaliers. Indiana won the first two games of that series on the road as well, but then when it returned home for Game 3, it got blown out by 22 points.
Knicks vs. Pacers pick, best bet
The Knicks know that going down 0-3 is a death sentence––no team in NBA history has ever come back from 0-3 to win a series––and they should respond with a road win in Game 3. New York is an impressive 5-1 on the road this postseason and it has been excellent when coming off a loss this season, with a 26-10 record, which is the third-best in the NBA.
77% of the handle and 61% of the Moneyline bets for this game are backing the Knicks +110 on DraftKings Sportsbook. In this situation, tailing the public here and investing in the Knicks is the right move for Game 3.
