Pacers vs Knicks Free Pick, NBA Free Picks, NBA Predictions 5/23/25
J.A. Cavalier- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
INDIANA @ NEW YORK (NYK -6, 225.5)
NBA ODDS, NBA PREDICTIONS, NBA PREVIEWS
PACERS @ KNICKS 5/23/25
Tyrese Haliburton has promised that for the remainder of his NBA career, New York Knicks supporters will view him as a villain. The Pacers now aim to take a 2-0 series lead when they visit the Knicks tonight in the Eastern Conference finals, after Haliburton's mishandled choke sign contributed to an Indiana overtime victory in Game 1.
As Indiana was heating up and rallying for a 138-135 overtime victory on Wednesday night, New York had a 14-point lead with less than three minutes remaining in regulation before crumbling. At the very least, Game 1 was a high-platoon battle, especially in the closing minutes.
With 2:51 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Knicks led 119-105 thanks to a 3-pointer from Jalen Brunson. However, the Pacers took control rather than raising the white flag. With four treys, Aaron Nesmith was hotter than lava. With 22 seconds left, his final trey, his sixth of the fourth quarter, pulled Indiana within 123-121. Nesmith scored 30 points and was 8-of-9 from beyond the arc.
When Haliburton rushed back to the three-point line and made a jumper that bounced high off the rim and landed through the net as time ran out, the Pacers were within two points once more.
Like Reggie Miller did against the Knicks in the 1994 postseason, Haliburton made the famous choke sign toward the crowd and the Knicks bench, and the Pacers let out a wild celebration. However, the officials decided that Haliburton's foot was on the line, converting the shot into a two-pointer and forcing overtime.
When the Pacers won the game in overtime, Haliburton, who finished with 31 points and 11 assists, was off the hook. Few people will remember that in Game 1, Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined to make 26-of-42 shots (61.9 percent). Brunson scored 43 points and Towns added 35.
The Knicks now feel that they must win Game 2 in order to avoid falling behind 0–2 when the series moves to Indianapolis.
Nesmith, who set a career high with the eight treys and matched his overall NBA scoring high with the 30-point effort, will undoubtedly be the main focus of the film session. On December 30, 2023, he made seven three-pointers, which was also his regular-season high, against the Knicks.
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Coach Rick FREE PICKS:
PACERS OVER 108.5 POINTS
With the game total set at 225.5, do you really think the Knicks can keep the Pacers under 110 points? Even in an overtime game in Game 1 on Wednesday, the Pacers put up 125 points in regulation. The Pacers have gone Over this number in 8 of their last 10 games and 17 of the last 20. Over the last two-and-a-half seasons, the Pacers and Knicks have met 14 times. Indiana has scored 109 points or more in 11 of those games. For the season, the Pacers averaged 117.6 points per game and went Over this prop in 84 percent (78-of-93) of games this season.
