The New York Knicks saw a motivated Indiana Pacers crew at MSG tonight. Led by Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers planned to climb back from their Game 1 loss. Luckily, their path eased up as Jalen Brunson mysteriously exited the court during the initial stretch. As Brunson returned, OG Anunoby saw a hamstring injury, possibly denting the Knicks’ roster for near-future. Nevertheless, the Knicks came through from a 63-73 deficit at halftime to a 9-point margin, favoring them at the final buzzer.

“Whoever wins this series is gonna get stumped by the Celtics,” Charles Barkley said in the post-game TNT telecast. The 11-time all-star had a tough time spewing his reservations regarding the MSG team and said, “Y’all think y’all the greatest thing since sliced bread,” as Shaquille O’Neal hyped him up. “C’mon, y’all ain’t that good in New York, y’all overrated,” he added as Shaq hilariously provoked his on-set partner for more.

Barkley then found solace in NY’s pizza and bagels. “Just because y’all make good pizza and good bagels,” Barkley said as he seemed out of commentary. However, Shaq came in for the assist, citing, “Now hold on Chuck, don’t forget about the.” Immediately getting the reference, “I ain’t gon say anything bad about the street meat,” Barkley said to ignite laughter amongst the entire panel.

The Knicks made a comeback in the third quarter. Jalen Brunson, returning to the court, picked up right where he left off and connected on 66% of his shots. As the remaining crew focused more on defense, they limited the Indiana Pacers to their worst quarters of the games. After scoring 35+ in initial stretches, the Pacers could only garner 18 points in the third and 30 in the fourth.

The Knicks have injury concerns in the locker room

“I’m just happy I did [return], to be honest with you,” Jalen Brunson said after leading his team to the finish line. His 29 points come after four consecutive 40-point games, which put him alongside Michael Jordan after Game 1’s 43 point outburst. “We found a way, that’s it,” Brunson managed to conceal the details about its injury scare earlier tonight.

Even after finding his footing post the locker room stint, Brunson said, “I’m gonna try to be,” when probed about his readiness and availability for Game 3 in Indiana. OG Anunoby, the defensive menace who kept NY afloat in Brunson’s absence, saw an early locker room path. Minutes after his corner three helped NY clinch a lead in the third, Anunoby faced a hamstring issue. He had 28 points on 10 of 19 shooting, and did not return to game.

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With that, the Knicks, who already play without Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle, have tough evaluations ahead of the May 10 game on road.