In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Knicks and Pacers will put everything on the court. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers have taken this series as far as they can go. The unpredictable seesaw continues, with the Pacers playing the main spoiler. The Knicks won 2-0, but the Pacers caught up with the series by defeating the Knicks by more than 30 points in Game 4. The Knicks defeated the Pacers by 30 points in Game 5, but lost in Game 6 by 13 points. .
Game 7 begins now. If the Pacers win, they will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 2013-14 season. The 10-year drought is pretty bad, but not as bad as the Knicks. They haven't reached the conference finals since 1999-2000.
Which team will end the drought today? We'll find out in just four quarters. See all the Game 7 action here.
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The best thing about the playoffs is that teams that previously had no problems with each other start hating each other by Game 7. And sometimes that carries over and becomes a rivalry that lasts for a while.
(I know Knicks vs. Pacers has history, but these versions of the teams don't.)
A little change happens in the first 4 minutes and 50 seconds and things get tricky. Donte DiVincenzo didn't like how long it took Pascal Siakam to recover in the lane when DiVincenzo was fouled and lined up at the FT line. There were all kinds of peeps on the court. Now, the Pacers are asking for a review of Tyrese Haliburton's foul on DiVincenzo.
The Pacers seem to be playing at their own pace.
The Pacers got off to a hot start — 7-of-8 from the floor, five assists with no turnovers, pushing makes and taking advantage when the Knicks weren't matched up. Indiana weathered the storm early and took a 16-10 lead into the first timeout.
(Partial) Thoughts on Knicks/Pacers Game 7 -The Knicks had a ton of high screens for Jalen Brunson. -I have an OG/Willis Reed comp somewhere, but I'm in a weird place where it's old but not that old. -The Indiana Pacers don't care.
Pacers have to match the energy in the building early on. It was a big day for Haliburton, who had some great games and some lackluster games. https://t.co/zmi66gajE8
