Knicks’ dreams of getting back to EC Finals crushed in Game 7 loss

Well folks, grab your tissues because this one’s a heartbreaker. In a game that promised to be the stuff of legends for the New York faithful, the Knicks fell short, bowing out to the Indiana Pacers in a gut-wrenching Game 7 showdown. Final score? Knicks 109, Pacers 130. Ouch.

Donte DiVincenzo was on fire, dropping 39 points, while Alec Burks and Jalen Brunson chipped in with 26 and 17 points respectively. Seriously, these guys left it all on the court.

But let’s face it, the Knicks were up against some serious odds. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart had fans holding their breath until game day, but when they got the green light to play, Madison Square Garden was buzzing like a beehive.

Anunoby’s cameo was short and sweet, netting 5 points in under 5 minutes. However, it was a far cry from the legendary Willis Reed moment we all hoped for. And Hart? Well, he put in 37 minutes, but his stat line wasn’t showing the usual numbers. And you can’t even be upset with him, he played through pain and both of them gave all they had.

The Knicks were playing catch-up from the get-go, getting outgunned in every quarter. They found themselves in a 39-27 hole by the end of the first, and things looked dire when they trailed by a whopping 22 points in the second quarter.

But just when it seemed like all hope was lost, they staged a gutsy rally. They trimmed the deficit to 70-55 by halftime, and a fiery start to the third quarter saw them embark on a 12-3 tear, slicing the lead to a mere 6 points.

Yet, the Pacers weren’t about to let the Knicks steal their thunder. In the blink of an eye, they regained their composure and soared back to a 19-point advantage. And let’s talk about shooting lights out – the Pacers set a new playoff record by scorching the nets with a jaw-dropping 67.1% field goal percentage.

And if you thought it couldn’t get any tougher for the Knicks, think again. Take away Obi Toppin’s lackluster 1-4 shooting performance, and the Pacers would still be boasting a formidable 69.3% shooting rate. And if that’s not daunting enough, consider this – take away Pascal Siakam’s contributions (20 pts while shooting 8-15), and the Pacers would be shooting a staggering 73.3%. Talk about an uphill battle.

And just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, the injury bug reared its ugly head again. Jalen Brunson broke his left hand and hobbled off the court, leaving Knicks fans everywhere shaking their heads in disbelief.

DiVincenzo and Burks did everything they could, raining threes and sinking shots like it was nobody’s business. But when Miles McBride goes cold and Isaiah Hartenstein can’t buy a bucket, well, it’s tough to keep up with the Pacers’ offensive onslaught.

Pacers were led by Tyrese Haliburton who finally put up a show at Madison Square Garden, scoring 26 pts. Siakam, and Andrew Nembhard added 20 points each, while Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner scored 19 and 17 points respectively. T.J. McConnell was the needle mover off the bench for the Pacers, scoring 12 points while going 6-8 from the field.

So there you have it, folks. The Knicks’ dream of reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 24 years? Crushed. But hey, chin up, New York. It’s been a fun season and there’s plenty of hope for next year.