Indiana
NBA PrizePicks Predictions: Indiana Pacers At New York Knicks (Game 2)
Game 2 between the Knicks and Pacers promises plenty of fireworks, and we’re breaking down our five favorite PrizePicks player props. Can Karl-Anthony Towns stay hot offensively? Will Indiana’s bench replicate its Game 1 heroics? Let’s spotlight the top value plays to target in this pivotal showdown at Madison Square Garden.
Last night, we went 4 for 4 with 1 push, so don’t miss out on these cash-winning plays!
This line has jumped 1.5 points since Game 1—and rightfully so. After posting a team-best +12 plus-minus and pouring in nine points in just 25 minutes, it’s clear that Tom Thibodeau needs to keep unleashing the savvy guard in his rotation. In last year’s seven-game slugfest with Indiana, McBride averaged 10.7 points and hit this mark in each of the final five contests. This season? He’s cleared it in two of three regular-season meetings against the Pacers, averaging exactly 10.0 points per game. After New York’s Game 1 loss, he’s now topped this line in eight of his last nine games vs. Indiana. As long as this prop stays undervalued, we’re hammering it.
Towns was a force of nature in New York’s surprising Game 1 loss to the Pacers, erupting for 35 points on an efficient 11-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-8 from deep. He also showed notable discipline on the defensive end, keeping his fouls in check—an area that’s been a thorn in his side throughout the playoffs. With Myles Turner spending much of his time on the perimeter, Towns is likely to stay out of foul trouble again in Game 2, setting the stage for another high-usage outing.
If the Knicks hope to even the series, their second-best player has to go to work. KAT topped this scoring mark in two of three regular-season meetings with Indiana, posting 21, 30, and 40 points.
The Pacers simply don’t have a big man agile or physical enough to contain Towns near the rim—and if he stays hot from long range, he’s primed to dominate again in a pivotal Game 2 at Madison Square Garden.
The Indiana Pacers have quietly assembled one of the NBA’s most dynamic second units, perfectly tailored to support their high-velocity offensive style. With Indiana pushing the tempo at a blistering rate—ranking third in playoff pace at 99.03 possessions per game—their depth has become a tactical asset that often goes overlooked in the prop betting market.
One name to circle: Obi Toppin. The springy forward brings vertical explosiveness and relentless hustle in his limited floor time, especially thriving in transition and pick-and-roll actions where he can elevate above defenders. Toppin’s combined points, rebounds, and assists (PRA) line currently sits at 12.5—a number he’s eclipsed in 12 of his last 15 road appearances. Against his former team, the Knicks, he’s cleared that same total in 10 of their last 13 meetings, adding extra narrative juice to his already energetic play. Considering his familiarity with the Garden and the Pacers’ need for spark-plug minutes off the bench, this line feels ripe for exploitation.
The Pacers leaned heavily on their bench in Game 1, with reserves logging crucial minutes down the stretch and into overtime. Andrew Nembhard, limited by foul trouble, saw just five minutes in the fourth quarter but played the entire overtime period—chipping in 7 of his 15 total points during the extra frame. Without Tyrese Haliburton’s insanely lucky buzzer beater to send Game 1 into overtime, Nembhard would have fallen short of this line.
Despite his critical role in the Pacers’ victory, Nembard remains the fifth option in Indiana’s offensive pecking order, and his scoring outlook is far from dependable. Historically, Nembhard has struggled to find his rhythm against the Knicks, failing to surpass this projected point total in four of his eight playoff meetings with New York across the last two postseasons. In two regular-season contests against the Knicks this year, he managed just 2 and 8 points, further underscoring the uphill battle he faces against a stingy New York defense. With Myles Turner unlikely to be sidelined during critical fourth-quarter minutes again, Nembhard’s scoring ceiling may be capped once more.
OG Anunoby has consistently underwhelmed on the boards this season, hauling in five or fewer rebounds in 58 of 87 contests (66.7%), with a modest average of 4.8 per game. His numbers dip even further when sharing the floor with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, managing no more than five rebounds in 44 of 63 games (69.8%) and averaging just 4.7. Anunoby has corralled fewer than five boards in three straight matchups against the Pacers, averaging only 2.3 rebounds on 5.3 opportunities.
In the playoffs, the trend continues, with Anunoby surpassing this rebound line in just 4 of 13 games (30.7%). With glass-cleaning specialists like Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart all fighting for boards, expect Anunoby to focus on scoring and defense while falling short of his rebounding prop once again.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Indiana
Police arrest suspect in Westfield homicide
WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Police have arrested someone in connection to a homicide earlier this month in the Hamilton County city.
In a Friday night social media post, the Westfield Police Department announced the arrest but gave no details, including who was arrested or what preliminary charges the person may face.
“Due to the active nature of this case, limited details are available for release at this time,” the post said.
As WISHTV.com previously reported, James “Matt” Lushin, 47, was found dead shortly after 7:25 p.m. March 12 with trauma at his home in the 3900 block of Westfield Road, also known as State Road 32.
Social media posts from the scene showed police tape and emergency vehicles at a red brick house between Shady Nook Road and Gray Road.
Lushin’s obituary said the Kokomo native was a key partner with the real estate investment company, FLF Property. The obituary also said, “Matt was also a respected and accomplished member of the international poker community. He traveled the world competing in tournaments and built an impressive and successful career.”
Police have previously said the death was believed to be isolated, posing no ongoing threat.
Officials have not released a specific cause or manner of death.
Indiana
Retro Indy: Five years ago Covid confined March Madness to Indiana
Just three days before Selection Sunday in March of 2020, the NCAA announced that March Madness, like so many other events that spring, would be cancelled due to the new virus upending life. The decision marked the first time in tournament history that the final weeks of the college basketball season would not be played, squashing Atlanta’s plans to host the Final Four.
When the following year rolled around, the NCAA decided that March Madness would not succumb to the virus once more.
With a vaccine only on the horizon and hundreds of Americans still dying each day, the organization announced in November of 2020 that while the tournament would go on, it would certainly not be business as usual. All 67 games, NCAA officials said, would be held in one location. Central Indiana was the first choice as Indianapolis had been on tap to host the Final Four April 3-5.
The plan, said NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt in a November 2020 IndyStar article was to present “a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we’ve experienced.”
In January the NCAA made it official: All games would be played in and around Indianapolis in a modified version of a bubble.
Holding the tournament in one place just made sense, NCAA officials told IndyStar. Unlike in a typical year when a winning team would travel multiple times before the championship, this system would minimize travel, which could inadvertently expose players and coaches to the virus.
Two months later when the tournament kicked off on March 18, 55 of the 67 games were scheduled to be played in Indianapolis venues, such as Gainbridge (then Bankers Life) Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse. Purdue’s Mackey Arena and IU’s Assembly Hall also hosted games.
While the first Covid vaccine had arrived a few months earlier, few people outside of first responders and the most vulnerable had been immunized, so in an effort to avoid large crowds, the Indianapolis sites all capped tickets at 25% capacity. That meant only 17,500 people could attend games at the largest venue, Lucas Oil Stadium. The college arenas allowed far smaller audiences, with IU limiting attendance to 500 people.
A week before the tournament began Marion County Public Health Department officials and Mayor Joe Hogsett asked attendees to make smart public health choices, such as social distancing and obeying the face masks mandate. Referees donned masks as much as possible as did coaches and players on the bench.
The NCAA regularly tested athletes, administering 28,311 tests Covid tests during the tournament, 15 of which came back positive.
Post-mortems after the tournament asked whether the NCAA had made the right call. Two high profile deaths occurred in the aftermath of the tournament — one a University of Alabama superfan who had traveled to Indy for the games and the other a St. Elmo bartender. But proving a direct link between their deaths and the tournament would prove impossible, and some public health experts said the NCAA had done everything it could to protect athletes and fans short of canceling the event.
A study conducted by IU, Regenstrief researchers and others that appeared in August 2021 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that while mask wearing had theoretically been compulsory, about a quarter of attendees at the games were either not wearing masks or doing so inappropriately. Still, in an IndyStar article about the study Indiana Sports Corps president Ryan Vaughn termed the event “a resounding success.”
The following year, with a vaccine widely available and far fewer daily deaths from the virus, the tournament returned to a typical schedule, concluding in New Orleans’ Ceasars Superdome. More than 69,00 fans attended the final games, according to the NCAA. Local authorities had lifted the mask requirement by this point.
“Last year was about survival. Just having championships in any way, single site, keep everybody safe and be successful,” Gavitt said in an NCAA news release in late April 2022. “I think this year was about advancing.”
Indiana
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