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INDIANAPOLIS — The Knicks played right into the Pacers’ hands. Josh Hart fell right into their trap.
Turning the ball over is precisely what can’t be done against a team that thrives so much in transition.
But Knicks turnovers were the biggest determinant of their 130-121 Game 4 loss to the Pacers Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Hart was most at fault.
He committed five turnovers, four of which came in the first half.
The Pacers got out in transition and capitalized on almost all of them.
They turned those five Hart turnovers directly into eight points on the other end.
As a team, the Knicks finished with 17 turnovers.
This is what the Pacers specialize in.
They speed the game up and force opponents into uncharacteristic mistakes.
They get opponents playing at a pace faster than they’re comfortable. They’ll accept a few easy buckets and high final scores in order to do so.
The Pacers had a whopping 22-9 advantage in fast break points.
They also converted the Knicks’ 17 turnovers into 20 points.
Hart also fouled out. The Pacers scored nine points either as a result or directly after those fouls.
Indiana only committed 11 turnovers, and the Knicks had just nine points off them. Tyrese Haliburton, who was brilliant, didn’t have any.
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Those margins are hard to overcome.
The Knicks committed two turnovers on their first two offensive possessions of the second half, by Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, respectively.
It helped spark a 7-0 Pacers run to start the third quarter, which ballooned their lead to 12.
When the Knicks cut the deficit to five in the third quarter, Hart stepped out of bounds — under very little pressure.
Haliburton made a successful shot, increasing the Pacers’ lead to seven points. Following this, Brunson lost the ball to Haliburton, allowing T.J. McConnell to score and widen the Pacers’ lead to nine points.
Right when the Knicks got themselves into striking distance, they shot themselves in the foot.
It’s a recipe for disaster.
