There are many reasons behind the advantage of the Indiana Pacers series over the New York Knicks in the direction of game 5 of the East Conference finals on Thursday. One is above the rest:
In a confrontation with the Guards of Point All-NBA Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton, there have been no doubts about which of the two has been more shocking. (Suggestion: It is the guy who had one of the most impressive offensive actions in the history of the playoffs in a victory that took the Pacers a victory of their first finals since 2000).
“His ability to play inside and outside the ball is so unique,” said an executive of the West Conference on Haliburton, who became the first player in the history of the playoffs with 30 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds and zero ball losses since they first traced for the first time in 1977-78.
“It allows you to be Steph Curry-Esque.”
Haliburton has a way to go to match the innumerable achievements that Curry has accumulated, including two MVP, four titles and more triple than any player in the history of the League. But every time Curry is on the floor, the defenses are constantly stressed by the threat it represents from any part of the court.
Haliburton in the controls of this offensive of the Pacers often leaves the defenses with an equally high task. That is partly due to Haliburton, unlike how Brunson operates and the Knicks offensive, is the leader of what is often an offensive engine of equal opportunities.
“[Haliburton is] Throwing it ahead, playing with dribble transfers, running Pick-And-Rolls, so he involves everyone involved, “said an explorer of the West Conference.” So [Aaron] Nesmith is getting into defense because he knows that he will receive touches and shots.
“I didn't think [Haliburton] I had this leap in him. He has been much more just because he improves his teammates. All these types have been put in positions to succeed. All these types are the best versions of themselves now because they have been instilled with confidence and optimized. “
Coaches, explorers and executives universally praised Brunson in this series. But its striking individual numbers, 33.3 points and 5.5 assists in 48% shots, are a bit eclipsed by four ball losses per game, almost three times more than Haliburton.
As much as the Knicks have trusted the player of the NBA year this season, that game plan makes the Knicks a little easier to prepare throughout a series of seven games.
“I love Brunson. But I'm not sure you can win with a dominant ball player like him,” said West's executive.
“There is a roof of how far it can take you because you have to play the way he plays,” said the explorer. “Those boys need a specific player next to them.”
That was a conclusion that coaches, explorers and executives gave ESPN this week about these exciting ends of the Eastern Conference. Here are some more, in addition to an early look at the Juggenaut of Oklahoma City Thunder in front of any team that reaches the NBA finals.
The pacemakers do not give you any place to attack
2:46
Pacers put Knicks on the edge with the gain of game 4 Arcito
The Pacers are at a victory of the NBA finals after driving the Knicks at home with a 130-121 victory in game 4.
In the course of a regular 82 games season, the most successful game plan is to take advantage of its individual strengths to overwhelm your opponent. With the teams that lack the preparation time to deepen a specific opponent due to the endless routine of the schedule, leaning to what it works is often enough to accumulate many regular season victories.
The playoffs change that theory in their head. Instead, winning often depends on minimizing weaknesses and not giving your opponent any alignment hole to explode.
And, beyond the individual brilliance of Haliburton, it has been its cast of support that appeared repeatedly in conversations about the Pacers, and particularly with its initial unit: Indiana has surrounded its star with four players: Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner, all the superior defenders to overcoming the floor.
“The Pacers still surprise me,” said an explorer. “It's not that they have succeeded, but how are they doing this? They can come to you in many different ways and are very solid everywhere.
“They have no weaknesses.”
One thing that has been particularly evident during this playoffs race, since Indian They could be to the eastern conference of the will of their will with years of shooting for years.
“Assuming to bring Myles, they are such a complete team,” said an assistant coach. “And they have size and physical in each position. And it is sustainable due to the agreements to which they have all signed.”
Each starter in addition to Turner is under contract for at least the next two seasons, and the team has control over most of its second unit.
New York's greatest weakness has been exploited
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Thibhibs wants Knicks to 'restart' after the defeat of game 4
The Knicks coach, Tom Thibodeau, shares his message to his team after losing to the Pacers in game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.
While this series would obviously be different if the Knicks had not suffered their historical collapse in game 1, which has been indifferent is that the combination of the cities of Brunson and Karl-Anthony has been a weakness that the Pacers have been able to attack repeatedly. Brunson, according to Geniusiq's follow -up, was the defender on 25 screens in the defeat of the New York game when Haliburton was the ball controller, the largest amount of screens on the ball defended by a player against Haliburton in a playoff game in his career.
For a season as big as Brunson has had it, it is also indifferent that the only two major New York races in the fourth quarter of this series, in games 1 and 3, came with Brunson in the bank, which meant that the combination of him and Towns were not there together, giving Haliburton and the Pacers an obvious goal in the actions of Pick-And-Roll.
The coach of the Pacers, Rick Carlisle, hinted so much after game 3, saying that the “best defensive players” in New York were on the court.
“If you're going to play a five shooting [in Turner] And you are going to have cities and Brunson together, “an assistant coach said:” It will be difficult. “
New York has two All-Nba players in Brunson and Towns, a trio of good wing players in Hart, Anunoby and Bridges around them and a couple of good reservations in thousands McBride and Mitchell Robinson, who entered the initial alignment for Hart starting with game 3.
But the specific strengths and weaknesses of this list of Knicks have fought to keep up with the balance with which Indiana plays, and that has put in the position in the position in which it is located.
“They have overcome too much,” said an executive on the Knicks. “I never loved his team. I think there is a roof with Brunson [and] They pay excessively for Mikal [in the trade last summer]. OG has been incredible, but it is limited in what it can do.
“They are the best collection of pieces, but it fits better for INDY and the style of play works better.”
The problems wait in the west
2:28
Thunder Cruise passed to the wolves to obtain the end of the West Conference
The Thunder surpassed the Timberwolves in game 5 of the finals of the West Conference to reach its first NBA finals since 2012.
Whether New York can achieve a return to miracle 3-1 or Indiana Closing, a Herculean task awaits any of the teams: it decreases the speed of the thunder of 68 wins, which absolutely dismantled the Timberwolves of Minnesota on Wednesday night to reach the NBA finals for the second time in the history of the franchise and the first time since 2012.
At that time, it seemed to be the first of many final trips for OKC behind the Kevin Durant trio, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. That should only provide some caution about writing in Thunder as the favorite for the coming years in the West. But that is the only reason to feel that way after seeing one of the youngest teams in the league continuously improving as the playoffs have progressed.
“The game 4 sent the biggest message to the rest of the league,” said an explorer on the rebound victory of Oklahoma City in Minnesota on Monday night. “I saw it and I'm scared [for the future]. Because they are good and they will be. That was the moment it was like, “ok, are good.“
The other reason, in the eyes of the rival explorers and executives, was that Oklahoma City not only survived a series of seven games against the three -time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, but did it after escaping the game 5 through a furious rally of the fourth fourth.
“I hope they win everything now,” said another explorer. “There have been doubts due to normal things about young teams that have to 'review it.' But especially once they went through Denver, and demolished the best player on the planet, now you expect them to solve it.”
