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INDIANAPOLIS — The Pacers, as they seemingly always do, made the Knicks sweat.
But there’s a reason there’s such a disparity in where the two teams are in the standings. By the end, it showed.
Jalen Brunson, after scoring 23 points in the first half — including an 8-0 run by himself — went quiet after halftime. Already without Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart (both out with knee soreness), they badly needed
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OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges to step up on the offensive end. And Anunoby responded to the call with 10 points in the fourth quarter.
Bridges drilled a key 3-pointer that extended the Knicks’ lead to seven with just under two minutes to play, then Anunoby’s dunk gave them a nine-point lead and pretty much put it out of reach as the Knicks survived with a 101-92 win over the Pacers Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“OG was huge for us,” coach Mike Brown told The Post after the game. “His ability to attack the rim tonight was big time, especially with the force that he did to get the nine free throws. He was a man on a mission.”
Anunoby finished with 25 points along with eight rebounds and five assists. Bridges, who finished with 11 points, reached double figures in scoring for the only time of this now-completed five-game road trip, during which the Knicks went 3-2.
OG Anunoby attempts a shot during the Knicks’ March 13 win against the Pacers. NBAE via Getty Images
Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Indiana Pacers on March 13, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NBAE via Getty Images
And Mitchell Robinson, in the starting lineup without Towns, made a big impact. He recorded a career-high 22 rebounds — nine of them on the offensive glass — and added 12 points.
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And Brown won two key challenges in the fourth quarter that won possession back for the Knicks.
The Pacers, despite being the worst team in the Eastern Conference and without their best player in Pascal Siakam (and really two best players, if you count Tyrese Haliburton), never make it easy for the Knicks. The Knicks were without…
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Publish date : 2026-03-14 02:18:00
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