Indiana vs NY NBA Hoops Handicapping
Indiana arrives in the Big Apple off its first loss of the season and will aim to get back on the rails when they take on a slumping New York Knicks on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. [ad-4468020]
Date/Time: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Broadcast: ESPN
Spread: Indiana -5.5
Over/Under: 188
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If you are a Pacers (9-1) fan, you have to be disappointed in Saturday’s 110-94 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Indian had been on a roll, wining nine straight to start its 2013 campaign behind s solid effort on both ends of the floor. Defensively, the Pacers have been downright stingy, holding opponents to less than 80 points in four of their first 10 games.
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But that wasn’t the case against the Bulls, as they allowed Luol Deng to pour in 23 points while Derrick Rose added 20 for the Bulls, who with the win, reeled off four straight wins after a 1-3 start.
Roy Hibbert led Indiana with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, but the offense was anemic as the Pacers – who came into the game shooting 46.4 percent on the season – shot just 40 percent.
In fact, Indiana shot just 16-for-51 from the field in the first half, with Paul George and Lance Stephenson combining to shoot 4-for-20.
George struggled, connecting on only 3-of-14 from the floor to finish with 12 points.
Meanwhile, the Knicks (3-6) had lost three of its last five and two straight heading into its game with the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, and have struggled at the Garden. They managed to win their first game at home over Milwaukee, but since have dropped five straight following their 110-90 loss to Atlanta on Saturday night.
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The Hawks walked away with a 20-point victory with eight players finishing in double figures.
For the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony put up 23 points and 12 rebounds and Andrea Bargnani added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Iman Shumpert poured in 11 points.
New York led 26-24 through one, but then the defense collapsed as the Hawks flew off to a 15-3 run.
Anthony helped keep the Knicks in the game, converting a tough layup in traffic and finishing with 14 first-half points as New York trailed 54-47 entering the break.
To top it off, Atlanta’s bench outscored the Knicks’ reserves 43-26.
Matt’s Prediction:
The Knicks have struggled at home, while the Pacers seem to have stumbled onto a minor setback.
Indiana has gotten a little rest while New York will play its second game in as many nights.
Look for Indiana to rebound with a big win here.
Pacers 105, Knicks 85
