Connect with us

Indiana

Preview capsule for the Indiana-New York Eastern Conference finals

Published

on

Preview capsule for the Indiana-New York Eastern Conference finals


NEW YORK (AP) — Preview capsule on the Indiana-New York Eastern Conference finals series that starts Wednesday:

No. 4 Indiana Pacers (50-32, 8-2) vs. No. 3 New York Knicks (51-31, 8-4)

Season series: Knicks, 2-1.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Schedule: Game 1 at New York on Wednesday, Game 2 at New York on Friday, Game 3 at Indiana on Sunday, Game 4 at Indiana on May 27, Game 5 at New York on May 29 (if necessary), Game 6 at Indiana on May 31 (if necessary), Game 7 at New York on June 2 (if necessary).

How they got here: New York knocked out Detroit in six games in the first round and then ended Boston’s championship reign after one year by beating the Celtics in six in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pacers needed just five games to eliminate Milwaukee in the first round and top-seeded Cleveland in the second and lead all teams in the postseason in field goal shooting (50.1%), 3-point rate (40.6) and assists per game (29.7).

Storyline: A fierce playoff rivalry from the 1990s is back again and this time is a bit of a surprise, as the Knicks and Pacers finished well behind Cleveland and Boston in the Eastern Conference. This is the ninth matchup between the franchises, with Indiana leading 5-3. That includes the Pacers’ victory in the 2000 Eastern Conference finals, the previous time the Knicks made it this far, and their win last year when they beat the Knicks in seven games in the second round.

Key matchup: Jalen Brunson vs. Tyrese Haliburton — but also Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard and T.J. McConnell. The two point guards are the headline names in the series but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned all those players as options to defend Brunson, who played for him in Dallas before blossoming into a superstar in New York.

Advertisement

Advertisement

X-factors: As always, it’s health. The Pacers mostly avoided Damian Lillard in the first round and pounced on a wounded Cavs team that dealt with injuries to Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter. The Knicks finished off the Celtics after Jayson Tatum was lost to a ruptured Achilles tendon, and with Kristaps Porzingis a shell of himself the entire series because of a virus. Brunson and OG Anunoby couldn’t finish Game 7 last year because of injuries and Josh Hart struggled through it because of an abdominal strain, after other key Knicks had already been lost. The Pacers are deep and maybe could withstand an injury. The Knicks aren’t and need all their starters to be available.

Prediction: Indiana’s offense might be on too much of a roll to slow down four times. Pacers in 6.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba



Source link

Advertisement

Indiana

Indiana tourism surges past pre-pandemic levels in 2024

Published

on

Indiana tourism surges past pre-pandemic levels in 2024


INDIANAPOLIS (WNDU) – Indiana tourism surged past pre-pandemic levels in 2024, according to a new report released by Gov. Mike Braun.

The report shows 83 million visitors traveled to Indiana in 2024, a 1.9% increase from 2023. Visitor spending increased 4.7% from the previous year, totaling $16.9 billion and fully recovering to pre-pandemic levels.

Visitors spent an average of $203 each during their stays. For every dollar spent by visitors, 65 cents stayed in Indiana, according to the report.

“Our state’s record tourism year is great news for Hoosiers and proof of just how much there is to love about visiting Indiana,” Braun said. “Tourism means jobs, stronger Main Streets, and economic growth. These results show that our investments are yielding returns for our economy and showing what makes Indiana a great place to live, work, play and stay.”

Advertisement

To view the full Rockport Analytics report, click here.



Source link

Continue Reading

Indiana

Indiana faces Milwaukee, aims to halt 5-game skid

Published

on

Indiana faces Milwaukee, aims to halt 5-game skid


Milwaukee Bucks (11-18, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (6-23, 14th in the Eastern Conference)

Indianapolis; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bucks -1; over/under is 220.5

Advertisement

BOTTOM LINE: Indiana will try to stop its five-game slide when the Pacers take on Milwaukee.

The Pacers are 2-5 against opponents in the Central Division. Indiana has a 3-14 record in games decided by 10 or more points.

The Bucks are 3-4 against Central Division opponents. Milwaukee ranks fifth in the NBA averaging 15.0 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 39.9% from downtown. AJ Green leads the team averaging 3.1 makes while shooting 46.8% from 3-point range.

The Pacers average 109.7 points per game, 7.2 fewer points than the 116.9 the Bucks allow. The Bucks average 15.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.4 more made shots on average than the 11.6 per game the Pacers give up.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Bucks won the last matchup 117-115 on Nov. 4, with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 33 points in the win.

Advertisement

TOP PERFORMERS: Pascal Siakam is averaging 23.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and four assists for the Pacers. Ethan Thompson is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Ryan Rollins is averaging 17 points, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals for the Bucks. Kevin Porter Jr. is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 3-7, averaging 108.9 points, 41.1 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 7.3 steals and 6.1 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.9 points per game.

Bucks: 3-7, averaging 108.0 points, 39.2 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.1 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.7 points.

INJURIES: Pacers: Obi Toppin: out (foot), Ben Sheppard: day to day (calf), Isaiah Jackson: day to day (head), Aaron Nesmith: out (knee), T.J. McConnell: day to day (knee), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).

Advertisement

Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (calf), Taurean Prince: out (neck).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Indiana

Indiana basketball vs. Siena score, live updates, highlights today

Published

on

Indiana basketball vs. Siena score, live updates, highlights today


Indiana basketball (9-3) finishes nonconference play with a visit from Siena (9-3) out of the MAAC tonight. The Hoosiers are 6-0 against mid-majors, while this is the Saints’ first game against a power conference opponent.

We will have score updates and highlights throughout, so please remember to refresh.

What time does Indiana basketball play Siena tonight, Dec. 22? Start time for Indiana basketball vs Siena tonight, Dec. 22

The Indiana-Siena game is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET tonight, Dec. 22, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

Advertisement

Where to watch Indiana basketball vs. Siena tonight, Dec. 22? What channel is the Indiana-Siena college basketball game tonight, Dec. 22?

TV: BTN

Watch college basketball with a free Fubo trial

How much are IU basketball tickets tonight? Indiana basketball tickets vs. Siena tonight, Dec. 22

IU basketball tickets on StubHub

Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Indiana 84-62

“Indiana’s second-half power outage Saturday felt like an aberration, at least in games like this. Siena, though, might not necessarily be a walk-over opponent. The Hoosiers should win comfortably, but any pre-holiday malaise might make their last nonconference game uncomfortable. “

Advertisement

Where to listen to Indiana basketball vs. Siena tonight, Dec. 22

As of Dec. 21

  • 0, Jasai Miles
  • 1, Reed Bailey
  • 2, Jason Drake
  • 3, Lamar Wilkerson
  • 4, Sam Alexis
  • 5, Conor Enright
  • 6, Tayton Conerway
  • 7, Nick Dorn
  • 10, Josh Harris
  • 11, Trent Sisley
  • 12, Tucker DeVries
  • 13, Aleksa Ristic
  • 15, Andrej Acimovic

(all times ET; with date, day of week, location and opponent, time, TV)

  • Sun., Jan. 4: vs. Washington, 8 p.m., BTN
  • Wed., Jan. 7: at Maryland, 6:30 p.m., BTN
  • Sat., Jan. 10: vs. Nebraska, noon, BTN

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending