The Pacers pulled off a dramatic win at the Garden on Friday 105-103 thanks to the game winning jumper by Jarrett Jack with 0.9 seconds remaining. Jack was the difference as he scored his 29 points on 10-14 shooting. The Knicks had a poor start to the game as they did not have a lead until they made their run in the fourth quarter. They actually built a 5 point lead with a few minutes to play but could not secure the advantage. Their poor play had a lot to do with their offense which was not pushing the ball enough and turning the ball over at will (they finished with 21 total turnovers). It would also be nice to see the Knicks play with some desperation every game. They go through these lapses in games when they don’t get after it enough on both ends.
The Knicks made their move in the second half when their offense got in gear. A lot of that had to do with the performance of Al Harrington who scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half. But as we are all to used to seeing, the Knicks could not get the big stop at the end of the game. The Knicks led 100-99 with about a minute remaining. Jarrett Jack gets a switch with David Lee on him and nails the jumper. The next Pacers possession, with Indy up 101-100, the Pacers set a pick for Jack at the top of the key and the Knicks had some miscommunication as Lee failed to provide the help or at least slow down Jack who drove right down the lane for the easy deuce. Then with the score tied the Pacers run an isolation for Jack who nails the clutch jumper for the win.
Three Pacer possessions, three buckets by Jarrett Jack. Give credit to Jim O’Brien for not calling timeout after the Knicks tied it. With a stoppage I have to assume D’Antoni would have subbed Jared Jeffries in for the final possession to guard Jack who had the hot hand down the stretch. Jeffries’ length may have bothered Jack and would have given him less space for him to get off the final jumper. The Knicks are clearly still having trouble finding a way to finish games which has a lot to do with their inability to get crucial stops in crunch time.
Some other people postgame thoughts:
But while five steals is five steals…reality is David Lee has more to give on the defensive end. But the Knicks aren’t getting it.
The most critical play was with 24.1 seconds left and the Knicks trailing 101-100. Lee was supposed to switch on a screen to pick up Jarrett Jack but seemed to hesitate as if waiting for Nate Robinson to slide through. Jack used Lee’s hesitation to blow right by him and down the wide-open lane for a layup to put the Pacers ahead, 103-100. Lee, who had three fouls at the time, could have tried to pursue and clobber Jack just to avoid the freebie, but instead he went matador and turned spectator.
Marc Berman of the New York Post:
It’s one thing to get outclassed by Denver’s Carmelo Anthony. It’s another to get whipped by Indiana’s Jarrett Jack.
The Pacers point guard ambushed the Knicks last night, dominating all game, going wild in the final minute and hitting the game-winning 19-foot jumper over Chris Duhon with 0.9 seconds left as the Knicks dropped a 105-103 Garden heartbreaker.
Joshua Robinson of the New York Times:
With four miserable teams packed in the span of six games, this chunk of the Knicks’ schedule was supposed to be their buoy, a spell to keep them afloat and lift them back toward a .500 record.
Instead, it has been a stretch of stunning mediocrity — a sorry defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves, an expected failure against the Denver Nuggets, and only modest success against the Charlotte Bobcats. Friday’s 105-103 defeat to the Indiana Pacers (11-21) was simply the latest in a string of forgettable nights at Madison Square Garden.
Frank Isola of the Daily News:
Yes, the Knicks knew what was coming and no, they didn’t stop it. Only the Knicks can make Jack, a solid veteran guard, look like LeBron James and open a new year with the same old way of losing: not understanding how to close out games.
And a Pacer perspective via Indy Cornrows:
Jarrett Jack had a big overall game to go along with the last-second heroics. Jack finished with 29 points on only 10-14 shooting from the floor. He knocked down his first four 3-balls, so obviously he was feeling it all night. Of course, Jack doesn’t play a perfect game and a couple of his five turnovers were critical in letting the Knicks back in the game. No since dwelling on those tonight though. Since Jack has had to play so many minutes and grind through the “Heartbreak Hotel” games as he calls them, he has become the emotional leader for this team. He sets the tone for the team’s heart, soul and guts on the floor.
