Knicks-Pacers Series Gets Off to Thrilling Start

Pacers Steal Home-Court Advantage With Game 1 Victory

The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers kicked off their first-round playoff series with a thrilling Game 1 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. The Pacers, who finished the regular season with a slightly worse record than the Knicks, stunned the home crowd by stealing home-court advantage with a 111-106 victory.

Indiana's victory was due in large part to their hot shooting from beyond the arc. The Pacers hit 15 three-pointers in the game, including six from Victor Oladipo. Oladipo led all scorers with 30 points, while Domantas Sabonis added 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Knicks Bounce Back With Game 2 Victory

The Knicks bounced back in Game 2 with a 105-98 victory at home on Monday night. New York was led by a balanced scoring attack, with Julius Randle leading the way with 19 points. Evan Fournier and RJ Barrett each added 18 points, while Jalen Brunson chipped in with 17.

The Knicks' defense was also much improved in Game 2, holding the Pacers to just 38% shooting from the field. Indiana was also uncharacteristically cold from three-point range, hitting just 8-of-30 attempts.

Series Shifts to Indiana for Game 3

The series now shifts to Indiana for Game 3 on Thursday night. The Pacers will be looking to regain home-court advantage, while the Knicks will be looking to take a commanding 2-1 lead.

The Pacers have a 2-1 record at home against the Knicks this season. However, the Knicks won the only regular season meeting between the two teams in Indiana.