Pacers vs. Knicks (Preview & Picks)

The Knicks are coming off a beatdown from the Celtics. It wasn’t as if the Knicks played bad, they shot 56% from the floor. It was Boston hit 29 fucking threes, which tied their franchise record. Side note - Hilarious that they missed 13 straight threes to close out the game, not breaking the record, on ring night, and still got boo’d despite winning by 23 points. Say what you’d like about Bostonians, but they’re authentic. 

On the flip side, the Pacers are coming off a comeback win vs. a scrappy Pistons team. I had the Pistons +5 and they lost by 6, so I was not thrilled with the Pistons getting outsourced by 14 in the 4th. Per usual, the Pacers spread out their scoring. Turner had 20, Siakam 19, Mathurin 19, and a laughable 15 for Haliburton, aka the snow-bunny hunter. 

Now i’ll cut to the chase, I fucking love the Knicks tonight. Putting aside the revenge factor from getting bounced by the Pacers in last year's playoffs, and that it’s their home opener, AND that they’re coming off a blowout loss, the Knicks are fully healthy. They are the better team. The fellas are going to come into this game locked in. 

The Pacers are still horrible on the glass, they gave up 12 offensive rebounds against the Pistons with Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris... KAT and Hart should eat rebounds tonight and create second chance opportunities. On the flip side, the Knicks matchup well defensively against the Pacers. KAT / OG / HART can all handle Siakams versatility and Turner's strength, plus Bridges can lock up Haliburton or Mathurin, which will help Brunson excel on the offensive end with less defensive responsibility.

Best Bets:

• Knicks -4.5
• Jalen Brunson Over 29.5 Points
• Karl-Anthony Towns 10+ Rebounds