So unfortunate:Despite new additions, depleted Knicks lose to Pacers.

Despite new additions, depleted Knicks lose to Pacers. 

 

Reinforcements have finally arrived for the injury-ravaged Knicks, and not just the two expected contributors — Bojan

Bogdanovic and Alec Burks — who were acquired prior to Thursday’s trade deadline.

 

All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson returned to the lineup after missing one

game due to a sprained ankle, but his game-high 39 points were insufficient as the still-shorthanded Knicks were

dominated inside and lost 125-111 to the Pacers on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

“I thought the first game had some obvious positives, but there’s a lot for them to adjust to. “As a team, I believe we

can do much better,” Tom Thibodeau said. “We’re shorthanded. We’ll have to play a lot harder and tougher.

 

“We’re going to have to count on our defense and our rebounding and one of

the few times we’ve been outrebounded all year so we’re going to have to fix that and fix it fast.”

Thibodeau’s squad, with a record of 33-20, struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 31.3 percent (10-for-32), including a disappointing 2-for-9

performance from previously hot-shooting Donte DiVincenzo. Additionally, they were outrebounded by a margin of 41-32.

 

Miles Turner (23 points) and Pascal Siakam (19 points) capitalized on the absence of the Knicks’ top three centers

—Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jericho Sims—by shooting a combined 17-for-22 from the field.

 

All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers (30-24) with 22 points and 12 assists, as they shot an impressive 61 percent from the field.

 

“We need to improve our rebounding and defensive efforts,” Brunson

remarked. “They were very comfortable and shot well throughout the game. We need to step up on the defensive end.”

Burks scored 22 points in 22 minutes, but Bogdanovic was held to 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting in 33 minutes — both off the bench — as Taj Gibson joined

Precious Achiuwa in the starting frontcourt for the Knicks, who also played without Julius Randle and OG Anunoby.

“I felt good, but we couldn’t get the win,” Bogdanovic said. “It’s still early for me and [Burks], and we may need to learn

the set offense, play a little faster in the flow, and then defend with switches and what we’re doing.

 

“It will probably take a few games. I hope we can pick it up quickly.”

Burks, who had previously played two seasons for the Knicks, was already familiar with Thibodeau’s system, and

the coaching staff provided Bogdanovic with “a very basic package” of set plays for his team debut.

Bogdanovich entered first to thunderous applause, with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter and the Knicks trailing 20-19.

DiVincenzo made a couple of early 3-pointers, and Brunson scored three

driving buckets and went to the free throw line several times for a team-high ten points in the quarter.

“I focus on the reality of our situation. We have what we have, and I believe we can achieve victory with the resources at

our disposal,” Thibodeau stated. “So, that’s where my attention lies—getting the job done. There are no moral

victories. If you’re part of this team, it means you’re a talented player, and we have the capability to win.”

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