Indiana
Takeaways: It’s Jalen Brunson all the way in Knicks’ dramatic Game 1 win over Pacers
NEW YORK – The Knicks and Pacers have intense playoff history, and if Game 1 of the latest chapter is any indication, this series has a good chance to live up to that rich past.
The Knicks overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Pacers, 121-117, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night before another raucous and rollicking Madison Square Garden crowd.
Donte DiVincenzo drained a huge three-pointer with 40.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter that put the Knicks up by three and they hung on from there.
Game 2 will be Wednesday (8 p.m., TNT) at the Garden.
Nothing about the Knicks’ Game 1 came easily, but they again relied on grit and tenacity to pull out the victory.
They had a poor second quarter, getting outscored 31-22 by the Pacers in the period.
And that would’ve been worse had Isaiah Hartenstein not made a buzzer-beating three-pointer from beyond halfcourt as the final seconds of the first half expired. Hartenstein’s heave sliced the Knicks’ deficit to six points at the break.
The Knicks looked like they were taking control midway through the third quarter, but the Pacers reeled off a 10-0 run to go up by five to get a five-point lead of their own.
Indiana later took a nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks climbed back, cutting it to one on a three-pointer from the left wing by DiVincenzo.
Jalen Brunson later drained a pair of free throws to tie it at 109 with 3:29 remaining in the fourth quarter before OG Anunoby got a steal and a fast-break dunk to push the Knicks ahead by two.
Along with DiVincenzo’s three, the Knicks made key shots late to stay ahead.
After a tight series with the Sixers in the first round, the Knicks had yet another tight game with the Pacers.
They came out on top in Game 1.
TAKEAWAYS
Jalen Brunson hits 40 points… again
The Knicks star guard finished with 43 points on 14-of-26 shooting (1-of-4 from long distance) with six rebounds and six assists.
It was Brunson’s fourth consecutive 40-point game.
He again was serenaded with “MVP!” chants throughout the night.
Josh Hart’s all-around game
Hart was fantastic for the Knicks to do a little bit of everything.
He finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Hart made a tough layup and drew the foul. He missed the free throw, but managed to grab the rebound and got the putback to cut the Knicks’ deficit to one point.
Tyrese Haliburton not much of offensive factor for Pacers
This was a close game despite Haliburton not providing much scoring for Indiana.
Haliburton finished with 6 points on 2-of-6 shooting. He also had two rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
Indiana
How to watch Caitlin Clark: Time, TV for Indiana Fever vs Connecticut on 5/20/24
Caitlin Clark admits she could have played much better in WNBA debut
The Iowa superstar scored 20 points, but committed 10 turnovers in the Fever’s 92-71 loss to the Sun on Tuesday in the WNBA season opener.
The Indiana Fever are 0-3 to start the 2024 season after losing twice to the New York Liberty in a three-day span.
Caitlin Clark is averaging a team-leading 17.0 points and 5.7 assists per game. NyLyssa Smith leads the Fever in rebounds (7.0). Next up is the team that beat Indiana in the season opener, the Connecticut Sun (2-0).
Sign up: Subscribe to our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter
Special edition: Exclusive 4-page special section featuring the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark
Indiana Fever vs Connecticut start time, date
7 p.m. ET Monday, May 20, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
How to watch Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever vs Connecticut Sun
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (FREE)
Get Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever jerseys, gear
Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark jerseys, shirts, sweatshirts, hats from Fanatics can be found here.
Tickets to see Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Tickets for Fever games are available here.
This is the Indiana Fever 2024 schedule, with TV info; all times are ET; ^-preseason.
Date, day
place, opponent
Time, TV/results
May 3, Fri.
at Dallas^
L, 79-76
May 9, Thurs.
vs. Atlanta^
W, 83-80
May 14, Tues.
at Connecticut
L, 92-71
May 16, Thurs.
vs. New York
L, 102-66
May 18, Sat.
at New York
L, 91-80
May 20, Mon.
vs. Connecticut
7 p.m., ESPN
May 22, Wed.
at Seattle
10 p.m., WTHR
May 24, Fri.
at Los Angeles
10 p.m., Ion
May 25, Sat.
at Las Vegas
9 p.m., NBA TV, WTHR
May 28, Tues.
vs. Los Angeles
7 p.m., NBA TV
May 30, Thurs.
vs. Seattle
7 p.m., Prime, WTHR
June 1, Sat.
vs. Chicago*
1 p.m., NBA TV, WALV
June 2, Sun.
at New York*
7 p.m., NBA TV, WALV
June 7, Fri.
at Washington*
7:30 p.m., Ion, WTHR
June 10, Mon.
at Connecticut*
7 p.m., NBA TV, WTHR
June 13, Thurs.
vs. Atlanta*
7 p.m., WTHR
June 16, Sun.
vs. Chicago
Noon, CBS
June 19, Wed.
vs. Washington
7 p.m., NBA TV
June 21, Fri.
at Atlanta
7:30 p.m., Ion
June 23, Sun.
at Chicago
6 p.m., NBA TV, WALV
June 27, Thurs.
at Seattle
10 p.m., Prime, WALV
June 30, Sun.
at Phoenix
3 p.m., ESPN
July 2, Tues.
at Las Vegas
10 p.m., ESPN
July 6, Sat.
vs. New York
1 p.m., CBS
July 10, Wed.
vs. Washington
Noon, NBA TV, WTHR
July 12, Fri.
vs. Phoenix
7:30 p.m., Ion
July 14, Sun.
at Minnesota
7 p.m., ESPN
July 17, Wed.
at Dallas
8 p.m., ESPN
Aug. 16, Fri.
vs. Phoenix
7:30 p.m., Ion
Aug. 18, Sun.
vs. Seattle
4 p.m., ABC
Aug. 24, Sat.
at Minnesota
8 p.m., NBA TV
Aug. 26, Mon.
at Atlanta
7:30 p.m., NBA TV, WTHR
Aug. 28, Wed.
vs. Connecticut
7 p.m., NBA TV
Aug. 30, Fri.
at Chicago
7:30 p.m., Ion
Sept. 1, Sun.
at Dallas
4 p.m., NBA TV
Sept. 4, Wed.
vs. Los Angeles
7 p.m., CBS SN, WALV
Sept. 6, Fri.
vs. Minnesota
7:30 p.m., Ion
Sept. 8, Sun.
vs. Atlanta
4 p.m., WTHR
Sept. 11, Wed.
vs. Las Vegas
7 p.m., NBA TV
Sept. 13, Fri.
vs. Las Vegas
7:30 p.m., Ion
Sept. 15, Sun.
vs. Dallas
3 p.m., WALV
Sept. 19, Thurs.
at Washington
7 p.m., Prime, WTHR
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Indiana
Indiana Fever Drop To 0-3 With Loss to Liberty
NEW YORK–The Indiana Fever dropped to 0-3 on the season with a 91-80 loss to the 2023 WNBA runner up New York Liberty on Saturday afternoon.
Fever guard and #1 overall pick Caitlin Clark scored 22 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and dished out 8 assists in the defeat. She also had 8 turnovers.
The Liberty had five double figure scorers and were led by Breanna Stewart with 24 points.
Even though the Fever lost the game, they did outscore the Liberty in the second half 43-34.
The Fever’s next game is against the 2-0 Connecticut Sun on Monday night at 7 pm.
1. Caitlin Clark Finished With 22 Points
Source:Getty
2. Kelsey Mitchell defended by Leonie Fiebich
Source:Getty
3. Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston Try to Get a Bucket
Source:Getty
Indiana
NY Liberty vs. Indiana Fever preview: Home Opener!
That’s a good bit of business. The New York Liberty were the guests for the Indiana Fever’s much anticipated home opener on Thursday evening. The Liberty were unhospitable as they went wire-to-wire and won by 36 points. They are now 2-0 on the WNBA season.
Where to follow the game
ABC is the place to be. Brunch and basketball so we getting started at 1 PM.
Injuries
All clear for both teams.
The game
Sometimes, a box score tells you everything you need to know. And in Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s case, that +43 in the box score lets you know how awesome she was on Thursday. Bee had the primary assignment on Caitlin Clark and shut the future All Star down. Clark couldn’t find her rhythm and only went 2-8 from the field and put up a 9/7/6 line. It was a total team effort and we got to see the chemistry and continuity of this experienced Liberty squad
For Clark, it’s a matter of continuing to adapt to the physicality of the W and the craftiness/intelligence of the defenders that are assigned to her. For the Liberty, they’ll continue to throw different looks at Clark and bump her off of her spot as much as possible. Look for Laney-Hamilton, Kayla Thornton, and a sea of seafoam to chase Clark around. For all the criticism the Liberty perimeter defense gets, they were still a terrific defensive team and communicate incredibly well with one another.
We’ve got a basketball doubleheader this weekend! The Liberty and Fever complete their two game mini-series, and tomorrow, a full series will end. Over at MSG, the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks will do battle in game seven of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Basketball in NY is undefeated and hoops fans of all stripes will be well fed today and tomorrow.
Going into Thursday’s game, I was thinking Breanna Stewart needed some time to shake off some rust from not playing overseas and having a longer (but well deserved!) break from basketball. Shows what I know. Stew York looked like her MVP self on Thursday night and cooked the Fever to the tune of 31/10/4/3/2 in only 29 minutes. What helped Stewart immensely was her getting the majority of her shots by the rim and on the move. The Liberty are such a tremendously disciplined team and everyone on the court knows how to create the best shot possible for their teammate.
Paint touches are always what you want. You’re closer to the rim and have a higher chance of drawing fouls as compared to being out on the perimeter. It’s been an early point of emphasis for Sabrina Ionescu, and it’s been paying off for her. Sab went 3-3 from the restricted area and if she’s able to continue getting to the rim like this, she can become an even better offensive player. And in case you thought she was short,
Lol, @GeoffJMags asked Sandy Brondello what she makes of her “smaller players” attacking the paint thus far.
Sabrina Ionescu lets her respond, then says “I’m 5’11”, Geoff.”
— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) May 17, 2024
That’s right!
Player to watch: Aliyah Boston
Me personally, I love when there’s a little animosity on the hardwood! The games are intense and everyone’s doing their best to win. And when you’ve got people at the top of their profession trying to win, it’s gonna get chippy every so often. We saw that on Thursday night as Boston and Jonquel Jones got into a little back-and-forth in the first quarter:
Sometimes you gotta let em know! For Boston, she’s looking to put her first good game of the season after rough outings on Thursday and against the Connecticut Sun. For the Fever to be what they need to be, they’re going to need a LOT more from their star center.
JJ only went 4-11 from the field, but she proved to be a force on both sides of the ball. She picked up three blocks, grabbed ten rebounds, and made life hell on every Fever big that suited up. You need that interior presence to really go places and if opponents can’t have any luck at the basket with JJ patrolling the paint, it gives everyone else on the team more room to exert their wills on defense. With Jones back looking better than ever, it makes a great Liberty team just a touch greater.
From the Vault
Home openers are always a good time, and last year at the ‘clays was no exception.
More reading: Indiana Fever Blog, Swish Appeal, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next
-
Finance1 week ago
Spring Finance Forum 2024: CRE Financiers Eye Signs of Recovery
-
World1 week ago
India Lok Sabha election 2024 Phase 4: Who votes and what’s at stake?
-
Politics1 week ago
Biden’s decision to pull Israel weapons shipment kept quiet until after Holocaust remembrance address: report
-
News1 week ago
The Major Supreme Court Cases of 2024
-
News1 week ago
Tornadoes tear through the southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
-
World1 week ago
A look at Chinese investment within Hungary
-
Politics1 week ago
Tales from the trail: The blue states Trump eyes to turn red in November
-
World1 week ago
Borrell: Spain, Ireland and others could recognise Palestine on 21 May