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Knicks Must Make Statement vs. Pacers

The New York Knicks have their Madison Square Garden opener against the Indiana Pacers.

Jeremy Brener

May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) brings the ball up court against Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the fourth quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) brings the ball up court against Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the fourth quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The last time the New York Knicks played a game with anything on the line at Madison Square Garden came five months ago in the team's Game 7 loss against the Indiana Pacers.

Now, the Knicks and Pacers have returned to the scene of the crime when Indiana stole homecourt advantage and a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The series loss against the Pacers is something star point guard Jalen Brunson has thought about all offseason long.

"Game 3 in Indiana, I think, was a missed opportunity on our part," Brunson said in video from SNY. "Then in the following Game 4, we didn't show up, so how we closed out that series was not ideal, them winning four of the last five. ... That's something that I've thought about. Whenever you don't win, you think about what you did to lose."

The Knicks have had a long time to digest and stomach the loss, but with the Pacers back in town, it's an opportunity to heal from that defeat a little bit.

The playoff loss will still sting, and it may never go away. But in order for the Knicks to not let it affect them as much during the season, a win filled with revenge against the Pacers would give the team a lot of confidence going forward.

After the team's season-opening loss earlier in the week against the Boston Celtics where they allowed an NBA-record 29 3-pointers, getting in the win column for the first time this season will do a lot for the Knicks moving forward.

A loss won't derail things or mean too much in the long run, but it's important to start applying winning culture and traditions sooner rather than later.

The Knicks and Pacers are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and MSG.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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