The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks are aware of the importance of their upcoming games. In the NBA playoffs, second chances are rare, so both teams need to make the most of their opportunities in the Eastern Conference elimination games on Thursday.
With 3-2 series leads, they need to quickly bounce back from their losses in Game 5.
“After Tuesday’s 115-92 loss at Milwaukee, Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton admitted, “We got a little stagnant, holding the ball and playing a little slower. When teams switch, it can kind of lull you into that.
We’ve got to be better there. I’ll be better there. Hell of an opportunity the next game back at home.”
The Pacers haven’t reached the Eastern Conference semifinals since 2014, but this season, they’ve been defying expectations.
Despite being the NBA’s highest-scoring team, they made the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and ended a franchise-record 10-game postseason losing streak last week.
They are aiming to win all three home games in a playoff series for the first time since the first round against Atlanta in 2013. If they advance, they will face the winner of the Philadelphia-New York series.
Forward Pascal Siakam, who was part of Toronto’s championship-winning team in 2019, emphasized the importance of bringing energy and competing at a high level while playing at home.
The Bucks, despite being severely short-handed, took advantage of their energetic home crowd on Tuesday.
