In this Knicks and Pacers series games one and two could not have looked more different. So what happened between Sunday and Tuesday that lead to the Knicks taking complete control in the middle of the third quarter of game 2? It was a little bit of everything actually.
From the start the defensive intensity of the Knicks was way higher than it was in game 1. Mike Woodson made it a point to tell his team they came out flat on Sunday and last night they game out of the gate like a bat out of hell. They were forcing turnovers, however their shots weren't falling. Indiana stormed all the way back from 13 down to take the lead early in the third.
The defense didn't fall asleep, Indiana just started making some shots. That was about the time Melo decided that it was time to go inside. It started with a tip in and then he began taking the ball to the basket and taking it to the basket hard. He scored 11 in the third quarter and the Knicks padded their lead. Then when Melo came out for a rest, the Knicks really started moving the basketball and pulling away. It wasn't just one guy, it was a team effort. Even Pablo Prigioni was shooting the ball.
Finally, another difference between games one and two was the rebounding. In game one the Knicks lost the battle on the boards 44-30. In game 2 the Knicks held the advantage out rebounding the Pacers 37-33 in what was really a must win game for the Knicks. More intense defense, better shot selections and more people involved in the offense, and better rebounding were the main differences between games one and two. Now the series heads back to Indiana for a pivotal game 3 on Saturday. If the Knicks can play like they did last night, they can take this series in 6 games. But Indiana will make some adjustments. Now it's interesting, time to see what happens.
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