Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have been quite important for the New York Knicks in their path to and through the first four games of the conference finals.
For instance, Brunson struck an unforgettable game winner against the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of the first round. And it was Towns who, in Game 3 of their present run, led a comeback triumph against the Indiana Pacers with 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Although each player has given flashpoints on their own, their cooperation has failed in one very crucial area during the playoffs, especially in relation to the conference finals. Furthermore, New York cannot defend when Brunson and Towns split the floor, which is the main reason the Knicks suffers a 3-1 deficit—and elimination—against the Pacers.
The Knicks have a 130.2 defensive rating for the 91 minutes Brunson and Towns were on the field during the conference finals. For background, the league-worst Utah Jazz ended the regular season with a 119.4 defensive rating. When Brunson and Towns are on defense, Indiana’s attack basically becomes among the finest in NBA history.
The Pacers are firing 51.8% from the field and 39.4% from 3-point range in those 91 Brunson-Towns minutes. Indiana also has outscored New York by 24 points and has 51 assists in that period compared to just 10 turnovers.
When Brunson is the main defender, he is letting other players shoot 57.1%; Towns is allowing a conversion rate of 47.5%.
Often calling Brunson and Towns into screens, the Pacers have been unrelenting in hunting them when either is on the court. Indiana especially is pushing Brunson into more challenging opponents, like point player Tyrese Haliburton.
Brunson answered, “Not good enough,” following Game 4 when questioned about the Haliburton match. “Although I could sit here and be quite meticulous about some things, clearly not good enough. Regarding that, I have to change something on my side.
Towns remarked: “It’s not just him. All of us are involved here. Everybody has to improve in terms of making it challenging for every other person to score.
The hunting has put the Knicks in a tough spot: either Brunson and Towns guard one on one or they scramble their defense against an Indiana attack that joyfully moves the ball about.
