Game thread: New York Knicks @ Indiana Pacers 12/7/2021 7:00pm [Game #25]

The New York Knicks haven't won consecutive games in more than a month, but they won't have to wait long to try to build on the momentum of one of their most resounding victories in that stretch.

The Knicks will look to make it two wins in as many nights Wednesday, when they will oppose the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.

New York snapped a three-game losing streak Tuesday night, when it didn't trail in the final three quarters of a 121-109 win over the host San Antonio Spurs. The Pacers ended a four-game skid Monday night, when they beat the visiting Washington Wizards 116-110.

RJ Barrett drained seven 3-pointers and finished with 32 points to lead a thorough effort by another new-look edition of the Knicks. Coach Tom Thibodeau, who made Alec Burks the starting point guard and removed Kemba Walker from the rotation late last month, swapped starting centers -- inserting Nerlens Noel into the lineup in place of Mitchell Robinson -- on Tuesday.

Six players scored in double figures for the Knicks, including Robinson, who had a double-double (11 points, 14 rebounds).

"We needed that win bad," Robinson said. "We're desperate right now."

The Knicks improved to 7-11 since a 5-1 start that ended with their most recent winning streak, a three-game run from Oct. 26 through Oct. 30.

Thibodeau said he hoped Tuesday's victory would spark the Knicks, whose previous three defeats included a 112-110 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 30 and a 119-115 setback to the Chicago Bulls two nights later. The Nets and Bulls entered Wednesday as the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.

"Things may not be going well and all of a sudden, you take a charge, get to a loose ball, you get a tip from behind, you get a block," Thibodeau said. "That could ignite you and all of a sudden you get an easy score, a couple of easy buckets and now you find your rhythm and things change quickly in this league. They can go from being terrible to being real great and vice versa."

The Pacers are eager to find out if their Monday win provides a similar spark. Indiana's inability to establish consistency this season -- its 1-6 start was followed by an 8-6 stretch that preceded the four-game losing streak -- may be inching management closer to embarking upon a rebuild.

The Athletic reported Tuesday the Pacers are taking calls from teams interested in acquiring Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert and Myles Turner -- Indiana's second-, third- and fifth-leading scorers, respectively.

On Monday, though, the Pacers were focused on the relief of finally earning a win and not the long-term ramifications of their slow start.

"Those four losing games felt like 10," said Pacers forward Oshae Brissett, who scored 12 points off the bench Monday night. "I don't really remember the last time we won. It feels like it was so long (ago). But I'm happy that we were able to pull together and play together and play the way we were supposed to. We've just got to keep it going."

Game preview courtesy of:
--Field Level Media

(STATS / cbssports.com)

Thanks for the Game-Thread Rady .. I would like to know if I'm gonna need 90 proof vodga to watch the Knicks go up against a (10-14) Fire Sale Pacers team where all their bottom players will be looking to have a career high ???

Last night, RJ Barrett having the best game of his NBA career SAVED the Knicks clueless Starters from looking bad by RJ shooting above 50% from the FG (11-20), and above 90% from the 3-Ball line (7-8) for a 32 pt performance against a 8-15 Spurs team.
Well, tonight the Knicks have to make a statement on this 3 game road trip by going 3-0 against under .500 teams.

Recall, in the beginning of the season, I kept writing I did not want MitchRob or Taj Gibson in our new starter lineup having Randle & Barrett calling all the shots on offense.
Yesterday, I was happy to see MitchRob come off the bench alongside D.Rose leadership to join the 2nd unit lineup.
MitchRob came close to getting a double-double in the first-half of the game being in the 2nd unit lineup.
It only took 22 min for MitchRob to get a double-double, and 3 block shots.
Tonight, I'm looking forward to watching MitchRob & Toppin battle Turner & Sabonis !!!

Julius Randle plays with nervous energy which leads to turnovers and bad shots. He needs to relax his mind. Last year he had the "eye of the tiger" for most of the regular season. This year we have only seen that in a couple of games

Obi was thinking Derrick Rose was 23 with that ally-oop pass.

Then he comes down in the next play with the lead pass from Rose with a quick between the legs dunk.

WOW! 57-77 Pacers .. Are the Pacers players laughing at us every time they score a pt ....
Maybe we are the team that need a Fire-Sale on our Starters !!!

Coach Thibs .. where's the 3rd qtr. DEFENSE !!!

Look tired and slow

Duarte has 19 and both AB and EF have 17 combined. What else do you need to know. That?s why they down 20.

AB, EF, Rose, KW?. All are basically replacement level players.

Sad when a rookie on Indy is better than our starting backcourt.

Being down by 20 the Knicks starters are not going to get us back in the game by driibbling the ball so much and going one on one Iso .. Thibs should have take all them out the game the first 5 min of the 3rd qtr. . Play Grimes with the 2nd unit transition lineup .. 71-90 Pacers

Randle & Barrett stinking-up the 2nd unit lineup .. We have to trade both of them !!!

NY 6-24 groom downtown in Indy first game? like 5-22 tonight. We can?t shoot ok INdy? They play defense!

Meanwhile, we allow 100 in 3 quarters to a middling offensive team.

Kiyaman said:

Randle & Barrett stinking-up the 2nd unit lineup .. We have to trade both of them !!!

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You think you wanted to say game was close until Bench entered in late first q?


You better get upgrades. This team unwatchable without those 2. They might not win another game. Turn those 3 into Dame and Beal? then you have something.

You think Obi posting a 28-10-7 if he plays 38 minutes? Lol!

Knicks 8-28 from Downtown So far?. 3 minutes left?. 5 came in first q. 3-19 since.

DEUCES !!!
McBride Time made my day .. 4 min = 4 pts, 1 steal, and a Dime for Grimes 3 ball shot !!!

Obi did go between legs in dunk of the year?. But Duarte manhandled Evan and that was that?

mafra said:

You think you wanted to say game was close until Bench entered in late first q?


You better get upgrades. This team unwatchable without those 2. They might not win another game. Turn those 3 into Dame and Beal? then you have something.

You think Obi posting a 28-10-7 if he plays 38 minutes? Lol!

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Wsup Mafra .. The first 25 games of the season how would u grade the performance of the 2021-22 Knicks starter lineup? A? B? C? D? F?
The Knicks coaches/GM/and Leon Rose showed us fans during the offseason they were clueless on how to build a decent Knicks starter lineup around Randle & Barrett's type of performance.
They learned nothing from the Knicks post season games. .

The tandem of Randle & Barrett chemistry on offense/defense need to be question? Or looked for?
And Fournier and Barrett play the same position, wsup ???

I think the entire team gets a solid C- and the starting 5 and D+.

Obviously NyK benefitted last year from their advantageous 10 months off, compared to 2/3 of league?. And playing in empty arenas without crowds.

Now, just playing hard isn?t the answer.

Randle and RJ are out 2 best but that doesn?t say much. At leas they are coachable and willing to grind, so that sets tone.

Thibbs is OK to get the ship back heading the right direction?. But another playoff loss or 2 and we need an upgrade.

Evan has been as I suspected, which was a why I vomited in my mouth when we signed him.

I think you sell the entire team for Dame and Beal. Go from there.

Nobody untouchable.

Tired of AB. Start IQ or Grimes or Obi? more of those 3 and less of AB, EF and Rose.

Leon Rose? We shall see the team he builds for next Sept. this team was awful. Like he punted this season.

Bottom Line: Going from 5-1 to 12-13 is unacceptable, especially given their futility at MSG.

7-12 last 19?.

After the Covid blip, Knicks are settling in right where they always belong; bottom tier team.

Without roster upgrades, this team will be only significantly better, record-wise, than DET & ORL.

Indy, TOR, CHA, and Knicks will all vie for the 10th spot? TBH, I?m not confident we are a favorite to secure that final play-in position.

We just cannot depend on the quartet of RJ, Evan, Alec, and Rose just can?t be counted on game to game, night to night.

We need at least two and preferably 3 to be contributing? Also, Randle 2/3rds the player he was last year.

Good news is we see growth in RJ, Mitch, Obi, and IQ?. I would prefer we flip JR, AB, EF, DR, Noel to build around our core? but if you could flip those kids into Dame and Beal or something else? then I am down with Dame, Beal, Randle rocking it?.

We shall see what Rose does. Personally, I am open to anything. Let?s trade!