The Pacers had the Royce Gracie choke hold on the Knicks in Game 3, leading by 20 at one point. But the Knicks battled back as Karl-Anthony Towns shelved the meows and provided roars after each trey and dime, leading New York to the comeback and eventual 106-100 victory.
The 100 points were the fewest scored by the Pacers during this playoff run.
How will Indiana respond? During the regular season, the Pacers had seven losing streaks consisting of three, two, three, four, two, two and three games. Since March 11th, Indiana has not had consecutive losses, including the playoffs.
New York made the adjustment of inserting Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup and bringing Josh Hart off the bench. The big run in Game 3, though, happened with Jalen Brunson on the bench.
Does Indiana need to make an adjustment or was it simply a matter of making shots? The Pacers went 5-of-35 (20%) from downtown in Game 3.
DraftKings Sportsbook has IND as 2.5-point favorites over NYK at home with the total at 220.5.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $500K Shootaround [$100K to 1st] (NYK at IND)
Captain’s Picks
Tyrese Haliburton ($16,500 CP): Indiana was flowing well during the first half of Game 3, but then the offense bogged down in the second half. Much credit needs to be given to the Knicks but I’m thinking the Pacers make the necessary adjustments on Tuesday. I have been impressed with how quickly and effectively they have adjusted throughout these playoffs. The conductor of the Pacers offense is Haliburton and, so far, he’s been the most consistent fantasy performer in this series. In the three games, he’s put up 57, 47 and 41 FPTS. He dished out 11 dimes in each of the first two games but only had seven in Game 3. I think he gets back into the double digits and another 50-burger is within the range of outcomes.
UTIL Plays
Mitchell Robinson ($6,200): After playing 21 minutes in the series opener, Robinson has received 29 in each of the last two contests. His rebounding and defense have been massive, and I don’t see why he doesn’t get close to 30 minutes again. Since he’s a low usage player on offense, a ceiling game is tough because it’s all about rebounds and blocks. That said, 30 FPTS isn’t out of the question.
Jalen Brunson ($11,600): Brunson had a bad game in Game 3. He only played 31 minutes due to foul trouble and shot 6-of-18 from the field, finishing with 26 FPTS. On a Showdown slate, the ownership is going to be massive, but there’s a chance some of it filters towards Karl-Anthony Towns, who was great in Game 3 and is $1,000 cheaper. I think we get vintage Brunson in this one, which should be helped with Aaron Nesmith listed as questionable.
T. J. McConnell ($4,000): I hate clicking on McConnell because he will rarely play 20 minutes. That said, he’s so effective and efficient when he’s on the court, it’s tough to deny. In this series, he’s played 14, 14 and 15 minutes but produced 17.5, 18 and 19.25 FPTS. Despite playing limited minutes, he’s a vital part of the team as he allows the Pacers to continue living up to their namesake. In addition, the drop coverage often employed by New York allows plenty of room to drain his little middies.
Fades
Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,600): I think Towns is one of the most unique players in the NBA. At his height, he possesses skills that few can match. That said, there have always been questions about his consistency and mental toughness. This is not a comfortable fade because Towns is always in play to have a massive game, but I’m traveling the path of a Brunson big game with a Towns letdown. I’m not going to the Church of Recency Bias.
THE OUTCOME
I’m expecting a close and hard-fought battle in Game 4, but with Indiana executing down the stretch. In Game 3, they had plenty of good looks. The shots just didn’t fall.
Final Score: Knicks 108, Pacers 112
