Knicks Fall to Undermanned Pacers in MSG Shootout, 137-134: A Wake-Up Call in Broadway Lights
Final Score: Pacers 137, Knicks 134
Knicks Record: 34-20
Don’t let the Pacers’ 13-40 record fool you - when this team is even remotely healthy, they still carry echoes of the squad that made a Finals run just eight months ago. And Tuesday night inside Madison Square Garden, Indiana reminded everyone - especially the Knicks - that pride, talent, and a little MSG energy can still make for a dangerous combination.
Pascal Siakam dropped 30 points, Andrew Nembhard added 24 points and 10 assists, and Aaron Nesmith made life miserable for Jalen Brunson with suffocating on-ball defense. It was a performance that felt like a throwback to playoff battles past - gritty, intense, and just a little bit personal.
Siakam spoke to that postgame, calling the Garden “a special place,” adding, “Everyone that comes in here, they try to play their best game. This is where it’s at.
The eyes are there. Plus, the previous battles we’ve had with this team… It’s a special place.”
Nembhard echoed the sentiment: “Something about MSG always gives a playoff atmosphere. And we’ve played them a lot in the playoffs, so there’s a certain feeling that comes out, a certain competitiveness that just naturally comes out.”
The Pacers played like a team with something to prove - and with a memory. Despite their record, they came in with the kind of edge you don’t often see from teams that far down the standings. And it wasn’t just the stars who showed up.
Indiana’s bench was the difference-maker. T.J.
McConnell, doing what T.J. McConnell does, brought relentless energy and orchestrated the second unit with surgical precision.
The Pacers’ reserves outscored the Knicks’ bench 43-18 - a massive swing in a game decided by just three points. When the starters sat, Indiana’s momentum didn’t.
That disparity in bench production was glaring. The Knicks’ second unit couldn’t find rhythm or impact, and that lack of spark off the pine left New York vulnerable every time the starters needed a breather.
Now, context matters. This is still a Knicks team sitting at 34-20, and they’ve been one of the East’s more consistent squads all season. But this one stings - not just because of the opponent’s record, but because it was a game they had every reason to win.
Instead, the Pacers walked into the Mecca, embraced the spotlight, and played like the team with nothing to lose - and everything to prove.
For the Knicks, it’s a reminder: in this league, records don’t always tell the full story. Especially not when pride, playoff memories, and the bright lights of MSG are involved.