Just minutes ahead of tip-off, the New York Knicks received good news with Josh Hart and OG Anunoby both being cleared to play for Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers.
It’s been all downhill from there for the thousands of Knicks fans who paid ridiculous prices just to get into Madison Square Garden for the highly-anticipated Eastern Conference Semifinals finale.
Indiana led the NBA with 123.3 points per game, and their sharp shooting was on full display on Sunday afternoon. The Pacers came out firing, setting a new record for the most first-quarter points in a Game 7 in NBA history, scoring 39, compared to the Knicks’ 27.
The second quarter wasn’t much different, with the Pacers adding 31 more points compared to the Knicks’ 28, to give Indiana a 70-55 lead at halftime.
In doing so, the Pacers shot a hard-to-fathom 76% on 38 attempts. What’s even more ludicrous is that the Knicks actually had more first-half shot attempts, 43, compared to Indiana’s 38. Yet, the Knicks only made 46% of them, which is still a respectable number, but not when compared to the Pacers.
Social media reacts to Indiana Pacers shooting New York Knicks out of MSG
With thousands watching the Pacers rout the Knicks, social media is in disbelief over what we saw in the first 24 minutes of play.
A 15-point lead is nowhere near enough to declare this game won or lost. If Indiana could get out to a 15-point lead in 24 minutes of play, then the Knicks can do the same in the final 24 minutes, but based on how the first half went, Tom Thibodeau’s team has their work cut out for them.
Related: Fans must pay insane prices to see Game 7 of Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks at MSG