Indiana Pacers suffer first preseason loss to Knicks in New York

The Pacers fell to 1-1 in preseason play.

Oct 7, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) drives past New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers took their first loss of the preseason in New York on Friday night, falling to the Knicks 131-114.

It was a back and forth battle early between the previously undefeated preseason teams. The Pacers jumped out to an early 9-5 lead, which promoted a timeout from Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. That stoppage ignited New York, who fought back and took a lead at 17-14, which led to a timeout call from Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. The two teams continued to trade blows throughout the first quarter, and Indiana led 31-26 at the end of the frame.

The lead continued to oscillate between the two teams until about halfway throughout the second quarter. At that point, Jalen Brunson had consecutive successful drives for the Knicks and ballooned their lead to 10. New York never looked back from that run and carried an 18 point lead into halftime.

The Knicks outscored the Pacers 46-23 in the second quarter, turning their defensive success into points. New York did a great job containing the paint, and Indiana wanted to attack the rim. The Knicks won out in that strategic battle.

Tyrese Haliburton had a wonderful offensive half for the blue and gold with 13 points and five assists.

The second half of preseason games typically takes on a different life than the first half as coaches tweak rotations and experiment a bit. This game was no different. The Pacers started off the quarter by playing their starters for about eight minutes and cutting the Knicks lead down to single digits. But Carlisle turned to deep bench players during the frame, and New York led by 15 when the quarter ended.

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The fourth quarter was a battle of the benches, and Opi Toppin stood out for the Knicks. The Pacers didn't keep it close and ultimately ended up falling.

Indiana has been working on its defense throughout training camp, and it was noticeable in the team's preseason win on Wednesday. In New York, though, that wasn't the case — the team gave up 105 points in the final three quarters and allowed 17 transition points during the game. They struggled on that end of the floor and had no answer for R.J. Barrett and Jalen Brunson.

Tyrese Haliburton had a wonderful game for the Pacers. He is expected to be the team's offensive engine this season, and he showed it in this game, finishing with 20 points and seven assists. His defense was shaky, but he guided the Indiana offense successfully.

Fourth-year big man Goga Bitadze made his preseason debut for the blue and gold. He finished with five points, eight assists, and four rebounds in 16 minutes. He was around the ball often on offense with screens and cuts.

Rookie Bennedict Mathurin continued his strong preseason with a 19 point outing. He canned two threes and grabbed five rebounds as well.

Indiana's next preseason game is once again versus the Knicks. It will take place next Wednesday in Indianapolis.

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