Pressure is on for Pacers Now?

The Eastern Conference Finals continues tonight back in Indy. It has been a fun series between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks so far. Though the Pacers still hold a 3-2 series lead and the Knicks must win to continue on... the pressure feels like it’s turning toward the Pacers tonight. As a Pacer, and for their fans...the last thing you want is to go back to Madison Square Garden in a Game 7.

The Pacers have the depth, they have the home crowd, and they have the series lead. Tonight, though, they have the pressure. The Knicks on Thursday put on a show, finally dominating a game from tip to finish. That now looks to have shifted the big MO into their hands. It seems like just Thursday morning, the talking heads had it signed, sealed, and delivered that the already-clinched Oklahoma City Thunder would be facing the Pacers.

Not yet, though, boys. The Knicks look to have found a second wind, while some of the Pacers’ important players have lost a bit of their game. Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard combined for only 5-of-15 shooting in Game 5. That’s your starting backcourt giving you just 14 points, that’s not going to fly.

Nembhard (who I love very dearly) has fallen off a cliff the past two games. If they want to close out tonight, they need him to get back to being a scoring threat to open up the floor for bigger players like Haliburton, Myles Turner, and Aaron Nesmith. Really, though, this team goes as Haliburton goes. When he struggles, they either need an insane performance from someone else, or they just seem to lose. He doesn’t need to score 30, but he has to be an all-around player who makes things happen and gets this team out and running.

The Knicks want tonight in the half court...if they can force that, it becomes very problematic for Indiana. The Pacers were up 3-1, playing loose, with not a care in the world. But with one loss, it all feels like it’s flipped. A loss tonight doesn’t end their season like it would for New York, but losing two in a row and heading back to a winner-take-all at MSG? That’s a situation no one in the Pacers’ camp wants. Add in the fact that you’d get a few extra days of rest by closing out tonight, it becomes even more crucial.

Here’s what we need to see, or at least some of this, for the Pacers to end the Knicks’ season tonight:

• Andrew Nembhard in double figures

• Haliburton near or at a double-double (or even triple-double)

• Siakam scores 30

• OR Towns/Bridges get into foul trouble

Not all of that needs to happen...but a mix of a couple would put Indiana in a good spot. Lastly, the Pacers need to take care of the ball and limit New York to one-shot possessions.

We’ve had a great series so far, full of frantic comebacks and wild finishes. Tonight could be another one. The Pacers may be the team playing with the desperation the Knicks had in Game 5. With both teams now feeling the pressure...who handles it better? The home crowd can be a major difference-maker, so the Pacers want to start fast. And with how this series has gone, it’s not crazy to expect a frantic pace tonight.

For the sake of all fans... let’s just hope there are no vampires.