Mar 14, 2026
3 min read
Ivica Zubac played 29 minutes with Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell and Obi Toppin in the Knicks loss.
Most of the Pacers play against the Knicks, but it doesn't matter in a 101-92 loss
-The New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 101-92, extending the Pacers' losing streak to 12 games.
- Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points, while O.G. AnunobiThe former Indiana University player added 25 points.
- The Pacers now have the worst record in the NBA at 15-52, while the Knicks improved to 43-25.
INDIANAPOLIS -- NBA guard Jalen Brunson had 29 points and nine assists and former Indiana University star O.G.Anunoby scored 25 points to lead the Knicks to a 101-92 victory over the Pacers in Friday's Eastern Conference Finals game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Pacers kept the score close until the fourth quarter, but still suffered their 12th consecutive defeat and fell to 15-52, the worst record in the NBA.The Knicks improved to 43-25 and sit in third place in the Eastern Conference.
Center Mitchell Robinson added 12 points and 22 rebounds for the Knicks.Swingman Mikal Bridges scored 11 points and hit a key 3-pointer in the final minutes to put the game away.Forward Jareus Walker led the Pacers with 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists.Center Ivica Zubac scored 11 points and eight rebounds in just under 29 minutes in his second game with the Pacers.Forward Aaron Nesmith had 12 points and point guard T.J.McConnell had 10 points and six assists.
Here are three observations.
Ivica Zubac scored two goals in one minute overtime
Ivic Zubak may still have been on a minutes limit in his second game on the floor with the Pacers on Friday night, but he played minutes in all four quarters and made an impact.
Zubac had 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, eight rebounds and an assist, a steal and a block in 29 minutes while playing just 16 points on Thursday.
Zubac's life was made much more difficult in Friday's game than Thursday's because he had to deal with Knicks rebounding machine Mitchell Robinson.Robinson scored 12 points and grabbed 22 rebounds in the game and had Zubac feeling all afternoon.That said, the Pacers played more key players Friday night than Thursday, so after Zubac had Aaron Nesmith, T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin battle it out against the Suns.they benefited from projection and gravity, and benefited from their ability to make shots.
T.J.McConnell keeps the Pacers energized off the bench
T.J.McConnell missed the Pacers' previous two games with a strained hamstring when he was sidelined late in Sunday's loss to the Trail Blazers in Portland.The time off seemed to suit him as one of the Pacers most effective players and the second unit guard helped the team by hitting inside the midfield.
McConnell scored 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting and dished out six assists in 20:28 floor, posting a plus-cut of 1. He made life difficult for Jalen Brunson in a short stretch of this matchup and matched the energy of Knicks backup point guard Jose Alvarado.
The rest of the Knicks' stars provide the Pacers with plenty.
The Knicks entered Friday's game without All-NBA center Karl-Anthony Towns and do-it-all swingman Josh Hart, but got enough production from the rest of their personnel to beat the Pacers despite a poor fourth quarter.
All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson provided the foundation as usual, scoring 29 points on 11-of-25 shooting.Former Indiana University star and two-way wing Ozzie Anunoby was a problem on both ends, scoring 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting, 8 rebounds and 5 steals.He stayed quiet, but his 3-pointer with 1:57 left was the decisive blow to turn a four-point lead into a seven-point lead.Bridges finished with 11 points
Mitchell Robinson stepped into Towns' shoes and filled in admirably.More minutes meant more rebounds than usual as he finished with 22 points.He also scored 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
Dustin Dopirak covered the Pacers all season.Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and the Pacers Insider newsletter.
