by Jordan Morey
One of the most storied rivalries in the Eastern Conference continues on Thursday night, but both teams will look much different than the last time they met.
The Indiana Pacers (27-21) and New York Knicks (31-17) will play their 194th regular season meeting on Friday when they face off at Madison Square Garden.
On the exact day the teams last played – a Dec. 30 Pacers win – the Knicks traded RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and draft picks to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn. Since the trade occurred on the same day of the game, none of the aforementioned players suited up for New York.
Just over two weeks later, on Jan. 17 the Pacers acquired two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam from the Raptors in exchange for then-starting guard Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and draft picks.
Injuries could also play a factor in the next game.
New York will be without one – maybe two – of its key members on Thursday, as starting power forward Julius Randle is expected to miss multiple games after injuring his shoulder on Saturday against Miami. Randle had 28 points and 12 rebounds in New York’s first game against Indiana.
The Knicks could also be without Anunoby on Thursday, as he missed Tuesday’s game against the Utah Jazz (24-25) with right elbow inflammation. Since acquiring Anunoby, who played on the same Raptors teams with Siakam from the 2017-18 season until traded, the Knicks have a record of 12-2.
Indiana comes into the game off a 129-124 loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics (37-11) at TD Garden. The Pacers have won three of their last four games.
The Pacers trailed 81-66 at halftime in Boston before cutting it to 106-103 at the end of the third quarter. The Blue & Gold trailed by double digits in the fourth quarter before making it a three-point game with less than a minute left, but couldn’t pull off the comeback.
Indiana All-Star starting guard Tyrese Haliburton made his return on Tuesday after missing 10 of his previous 11 games, but was limited to playing just 22 minutes – including none of the fourth quarter – as he continues to manage a left hamstring strain. He still finished with 13 points and 10 assists in limited action.
Aaron Nesmith led seven Pacers that scored in double digits with 26 points and a career-high 12 rebounds and Pascal Siakam recorded 23 points and six boards.
Bennedict Mathurin, who is the fourth-highest scorer on the team at 14.3 points per game, missed his first contest of the season on Tuesday due to a toe injury.
The Knicks enter their matchup with the Pacers on an eight-game winning spree – the longest active winning streak in the NBA – which includes a 118-103 win over the Jazz (24-25) on Tuesday.
Six players scored in double figures for the Knicks, led by 33 points by DiVincenzo and 29 from Brunson.
The Knicks rank highly in several statistical categories, and have the fourth-best net rating in the league currently.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Buddy Hield, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Knicks: G – Donte DiVincenzo, G – Jalen Brunson, F – Precious Achiuwa, F – Josh Hart, C – Isaiah Hartenstein
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – questionable (left hamstring strain injury management), Bennedict Mathurin – questionable (right great toe sprain), T.J. McConnell – questionable (illness), Jalen Smith – questionable (low back spasms), Myles Turner – questionable (mid back spasms)
Knicks: OG Anunoby – questionable (right elbow inflammation), Quentin Grimes – questionable (sprained right knee), Julius Randle – out (dislocated right shoulder), Mitchell Robinson – out (left ankle surgery)
Last Meeting
Dec. 30, 2023: A historic performance by Tyrese Haliburton propelled the Pacers to a 140-126 win over a shorthanded Knicks squad.
Posting 22 points and 23 points, Haliburton became just the third player in NBA history to record 20 or more points and 20-plus assists in consecutive games (the others are Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and John Stockton). Haliburton’s 23 assists also tied the Pacers franchise record for a game, set by Jamaal Tinsley in 2001.
Indiana led 64-62 at halftime before the Pacers dropped 41 points in the third quarter to pull away from the Knicks.
Five Pacers finished in double-digit scoring, led by 28 points by Myles Turner, while Aaron Nesmith drained seven 3-pointers en route to 25 points and Bennedict Mathurin chipped in 20 off the bench.
New York was without their third and fourth leading scores – RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley – as they were traded to Toronto earlier in the day for former Indiana Hoosier OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn.
Donte DiVencenzo led the Knicks with 38 points on 14-for-21 shooting (7-for-11 3-point) while Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle each scored 28 points. Randle also pulled down 12 rebounds for a double-double, and Josh Hart also had a strong outing recording 10 points and 10 boards.
Indiana shot 58.8 percent from the field, including 23-for-43 from 3-point range, and the Knicks shot 47.4 from the floor (17-for-37 from 3-point).
Noteworthy
- New York owns a 99-94 regular season record over Indiana.
- Myles Turner will tie Austin Croshere (540) for 12th all-time (eighth in NBA franchise history) in games played for the Pacers in his next game.
- Pacers forward Obi Toppin was drafted by the Knicks with the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and spent his first three seasons with the Knicks (2020-23). Obi’s brother, Jacob, plays for the G League Westchester Knicks.
- Bennedict Mathurin and Oscar Tshiebwe were both named to the 2024 Panini Rising Stars game on Tuesday as part of All-Star weekend.
- Mathurin needs 26 points to reach 2,000 for his career.
- Indiana’s Isaiah Jackson is four points from 1,000 for his career.
- OG Anunoby played at Indiana University from 2015 to 2017.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Tickets
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 PM ET.
Originally posted on pacers.com