Don’t fret, Busta believes in your Knickerbockers.
The New York Knicks (0-2) have run out of mulligans. After coughing away both Garden games against the Indiana Pacers (2-0), they fly to Indianapolis down 0-2, staring at some difficult math. Win tonight and the series has a pulse; lose and the plans change from a parade to a funeral march.
Pascal Siakam exploded for 39 in Game To, shredding every cover Thibodeau threw at him, while Tyrese Haliburton pulled the strings, and Indiana’s bench out-scored New York’s again. Indy benefited from Swiss-Cheese-D and poor communication by our heroes. Captain Clutch, Jalen Brunson, answered with 36 points and nearly stole it late, but a flat start, sloppy play, turnovers, and Karl-Anthony Towns’ minus-19 glare on the score sheet told the story.
Antonio tells us that there are whispers of a change—Mitchell Robinson for early rim protection, perhaps, or maybe Miles McBride at the shooting guard for a quicker spark—but the rotation remains a seven-man vise. The answer must come from sharper execution from tired bodies down the stretch.
The encouraging part is that the Knicks are 5-1 on the road this spring and were 24-17 away from home all year, while the Pacers, dangerous as they are in Indy, have already dropped one at Gainbridge this postseason.
The blueprint is obvious. Hit first, and pack on a lead early that can weather those 10-0 runs those Hoosiers can knock off in a minute or less. Take notes from what Minnesota did to the Thunder last night. Towns has to survive space hunts without dragging the defense into rotation hell—or score a boatload of points to offset his defensive deficiencies. And Josh Hart must rediscover his nose for extra possessions or the Knicks will keep playing uphill.
ESPN.com likes Indiana at 60%. I’ll take the underdog. Tell ‘em, Busta:
Game Details
Date: Sunday, May 25, 2025
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
TV Broadcast: TNT
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