On Thursday, the Knicks did what they needed to do to keep their season alive. In arguably their best performance of this series, they blew out the Pacers by 17 points, forcing Game 6. But the job was far from over. Facing elimination, with their backs against the wall once again, Jalen Brunson and Co. needed to come out with the same sense of urgency and desperation for tonight’s clash in Indiana. And they did. However, Charles Barkley had one major concern about their performance!

Despite playing in enemy territory, the Knicks started the game strong, going toe-to-toe with the Pacers. By the time the first half ended, they were only four points behind the home team. But there was one glaring issue stopping them from taking the lead. Barkley pointed it out during the half-time show on TNT’s Inside the NBA, “The one thing that bothers me from the Knicks, they’ve given up four layups after a made basket. You can’t do that ever. You should never get a layup after a scored basket.”

On multiple occasions, the Knicks failed to get back on defense on time following a made basket. As a result, Tyrese Haliburton and Co. got easy points in transition, allowing them to maintain their lead. Well, Indiana’s pace has caused major problems for Tom Thibodeau’s squad throughout the series. Even after Game 4, Karl-Anthony Towns deemed it a key reason behind their loss, “We didn’t match their pace.”

Coach Thibs also highlighted their pace and transition offense as a major concern, “We hurt ourselves with our turnovers, putting them in the open floor.” But despite giving up a few easy layups, the Knicks were able to stay in the game tonight, which was a good sign heading into the second half. So, Chuckster remained optimistic about the New York team’s chances, “I think the Knicks got the game under control.” If they somehow sneak a win tonight, all the pressure will switch to the Pacers heading into Game 7, as Barkley warned.

Charles Barkley’s warning rings alarm bells for Pacers as odds of winning Game 7 emerge

Although the Knicks are the ones facing elimination, its also a must win game for Indiana. That’s because if they lose tonight at home, the series will head back to New York, where they will have to play in a hostile MSG environment. Moreover, there will be the added pressure of not blowing a 3-1 lead and ending up on the wrong side of history. So, Sir Charles had a stern warning for the Pacers before tonight’s tip-off, “They better play with desperation tonight. Coz if they do not win this game, they got an a– kicking coming Monday night.”

Yes, the Hall of Famer does not fancy Pacers’ chances of winning the East Finals if this series extends to seven games. Also, history does not favor the team that loses Game 6 at home. Since 2003, teams that fail to close out a series at home in Game 6 have a 10-15 record in Game 7 on the road. That’s a 40% success rate, much lower than the 95.6% success rate the Pacers had when they were up 3-1. So, losing tonight might not be an option for them. Do you think they can pull away with their lead in the second half and eliminate the Knicks in Game 6?