Three takeaways from Indiana Pacers bounce back win over New York Knicks

The Pacers started their road trip well last night

The Indiana Pacers got back on track on Saturday night, taking down the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. It was Indiana's third win in their last four games, and it came against a squad that beat them just nine days prior.

The score margin remained within five points for the first 28 minutes of action. With 7:49 to go in the third quarter, Pascal Siakam hit a three pointer to give the Pacers an eight-point lead, and the game was rarely close again. The blue and gold took the lead with 3:25 to go in the second period and never gave it back.

"It's important to get a road win like this, at this juncture. It builds confidence," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. It was his team's 30th victory of the season.

After Carlisle's group had such a low-effort performance on Thursday at home, they needed an outing where they looked threatening. Their energy was where it needed to be for 48 minutes, and most lineups the Pacers trotted out were effective. They played at a needed level, especially in the second half.

The stars were great, with Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton having effective nights. But Indiana's bench, which featured a new player, was terrific when they needed to be. Those are among Indiana's takeaways from a 14-point road victory.

Tyrese Haliburton played, and scored, more than he has recently

Haliburton, the Pacers star, played for over 30 minutes in this game and scored 22 points. In general, neither of those numbers stand out for an All-Star player. For Haliburton and his season recently, they are both significant.

The All-NBA hopeful missed 10 outings in an 11-game span with a hamstring injury in January, and he had a minutes restriction upon returning to the floor. Since January 8, he had only played over 30 minutes in a game once, and his hamstring responded poorly to that much playing time.

In that same span, he only scored more than 18 points one time. Some of that was due to his minutes limit — part of that came as a result of his pass-first style. Either way, his numbers hadn't been the same.

In New York, he played for 30:17. He had 22 points on 14 shots. Haliburton was a star for all four quarters, and he was able to close the game, which hasn't been a given with his minutes managed.

"Feels good. Feels good to be able to finish games and come out here and compete," Haliburton said during an interview postgame on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast of the action.

The two-time All-Star is up to 28.4 minutes per game in his last three outings, and Indiana has won three of their last four with their leader more available. Haliburton is back and guiding his team to wins.

T.J. McConnell and Isaiah Jackson were terrific for the second unit

When Indiana lost to New York early in February, a key part of the defeat was the Pacers inability to win the minutes in which Knicks star Jalen Brunson was on the bench. They were dead even in those moments, and the Knicks won by four.

This time around, Indiana's bench was phenomenal. They won the minutes with Brunson resting by seven points, which proved to be vital. The biggest reason for that was the excellent play of T.J. McConnell and Isaiah Jackson.

Jackson was in the rotation due to Jalen Smith's absence, and he took advantage. The young big man was terrific protecting the rim on defense, which has been one of his best skills this season. On offense, he knocked down five of his six shots while adding eight rebounds and one assist.

The rebonds were important, and the Pacers were plus-nine with Jackson on the floor. McConnell, meanwhile, was the leader of Indiana's bench. He constantly put pressure on the basket, kept the game moving, and defended well.

"Continue to run," Pacers center Myles Turner said of what the Pacers needed to do in the second half while being interviewed on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast. McConnell was able to do that for the reserve unit when Haliburton was on the bench.

The veteran point guard finished with 16 points on 8/10 shooting. He added six assists and one steal. Indiana needed him to be excellent with Brunson resting, and he was — his performances off the bench have been crucial recently.

Doug McDermott made his Pacers debut

Doug McDermott, who Indiana acquired in a trade on Thursday, made his debut for the 2023-24 Pacers on Saturday.

His production wasn't there. He missed his only shot attempt, a three, and didn't have any stats. He was the reserve small forward in the first half but didn't play in the second half. As it stands, it appears he's the tenth man in the blue and gold's rotation.

He joined the roster in New York on Saturday, so he should look better as he acclimates to his new team. McDermott has experience with a few Pacers players, including McConnell and Turner, and played for Carlisle years ago in Dallas. He should be a fine fit in a limited role.

His debut wasn't particularly noteworthy in terms of production. What was more interesting was his spot in the rotation. Expect McDermott to look better with more time in a new situation.

The Pacers next play on Monday night when they travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets.

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• Sources: Indiana Pacers agree to trade with San Antonio Spurs, will acquire Doug McDermott. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers new rotation keeps T.J. McConnell on the court, which was vital vs Houston Rockets. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers start road trip with comfortable win over New York Knicks. CLICK HERE.
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