3 Takeaways From The Knicks Game 1 Victory Over The Pacers

Monday night’s Knicks Game 1 win over the Indiana Pacers was once again, a demonstration of what happens when teams come to Madison Square Garden. See, teams keep arriving at the arena under the impression they are about to have a basketball game but they’re really walking into a caged octagon where the Knicks will spend the next 48 minutes slowly working their limbs and pressure points until they tap out.

The Pacers tapped out.

Here are 3 takeaways from the Knicks Game 1 victory over the Indiana Pacers:

1. The refs are in hell

Following a lame-ass All-Star weekend where none of the players cared and the All-Star game broke the all-time scoring record in one of the most meaningless two hours in sports history, the NBA turned the intensity up to 11.

Referees were letting players maul each other without the constant sounds of whistles blowing plays dead. The Celtics had an entire game against the Bucks without a single free throw attempt.

But for whatever reason, the refs have no idea how to call this Knicks team.

Little ticky-tack, off-ball contact, moving screens—there were back-to-back clean blocks on layups whistled as defensive fouls—one of which being reversed thanks to a successful Knicks challenge, the refs are ACTIVE in this Knicks Pacers series thus far. Booked and busy.

Then there was the Donte DiVincenzo flop…

PatBev just chucked the ball at a fan at the end of the game. pic.twitter.com/UKrliCZUF7

— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) May 3, 2024

12 seconds left with the Pacers down 1 point and the game is decided on a moving screen foul. Sure, Donte exaggerated the contact, but this would’ve been a play-on for half of the season. We expect the playoffs to be MORE physical and this game was called like the refs were getting a bonus for every whistle.

And this game-deciding foul was a makeup call for an earlier Donte foul.

Make-up calls happen all the time. Exact same illegal screen (screener does not give legal step to go over/under screen). Pacers flop, they get call on illegal screen. Few possesions later, Donte flops after clearly being agitated with ref for flop/screen. Make up call. Simple pic.twitter.com/x3rocjp9cH

— Nate (@natetapee) May 7, 2024

YOU CANT DO MAKEUP CALLS IN THE FINAL 12 SECONDS OF A ONE-POSSESSION GAME. This isn’t the local varsity basketball squad. It’s the NBA playoffs and the refs are just doing weird shit.

2. Tyrese Haliburton sucks

I’m sure Pacers fans think they lost Game 1 because of the refs while their “All-Star” point guard took 6 shots, 5 of them being 3’s because he refused to even try to get near the basket. Tyrese popped a hamstring at the end of January and receded into this pass-first point guard role, demonstrating s-tier court vision, anticipation and heroic selflessness, matched with a remarkable vanishing of all athleticism, aggressiveness and

In the last two seasons, Jalen Brunson doesn’t have a SINGLE playoff game scoring below 20 points. In 7 career playoff games, Tyrese Haliburton has scored more than 20 points once. He’s scored less than 10 points twice, including this Game 1 where he let his backup, TJ McConnell, handle most of the scoring load.

It feels a little corny making everything about Jalen Brunson disrespect but I remember a point in the season where folks were confident in Haliburton being better than the guy who just scored 40 points in 4 consecutive playoffs games for the first time since MICHAEL JORDAN.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 6 points in Game 1.

3. Josh’s Hart

The Knicks have played 7 games this postseason. Josh Hart has played 48 minutes (or more) 3 times.

The biggest disadvantage the Knicks had going into this Pacers series was their lack of depth.

With Julius Randle and Bojan Bogdanovic out for the season and Alec Burks playing like his little cousin begged him to play NBA 2K and he can’t quite figure out the Xbox controls, New York is asking their starting five to do everything.

It helps when one of those starters can play a full 48 minutes with no problem. Here’s what Josh Hart did for the Knicks Game 1:

48 minutes
24 points
9-for-13 shooting (69%)
13 rebounds
8 assists
3 steals
1 block

What a sicko.

Defense. Rebounding. Scoring. Passing. Whatever the Knicks need from Josh Hart, he will do so for all 48 minutes with a smile on his face. THIS is how you make sure you don’t get traded this summer when the Knicks try to steal Giannis away from Milwaukee or Anthony Davis out of LA if LeBron James opts out.

What are your thoughts on the Knicks Game 1 W? Leave a comment below. Respond on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Or shoot me an email at Deadseriousmailbag@gmail.com. Let’s chat, bay-beeeee. Let me know if you think the Pacers will bounce back so I can pay the refs a little extra for Game 2.