via Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 13: Magic Johnson attends “To Kill A Mockingbird” Broadway Opening Night at Shubert Theatre on December 13, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
via Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 13: Magic Johnson attends “To Kill A Mockingbird” Broadway Opening Night at Shubert Theatre on December 13, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
The Indiana Pacers tied the Conference Semi-finals and forced a Game 7 last night and Magic Johnson seems to be the most impressed one. Notably, the Indiana Pacers secured a 116-103 win against the New York Knicks in Game 6 on Friday. Magic, who has been mightily impressed by the Knicks’ run this postseason and has often stated the same on X, was all praise for Rick Carlisle and his men as the series now heads back to the Big Apple.
In a series of posts on ‘X’, the former LA Lakers star lauded not just the team and players but head coach Rick Carlisle as well. He highlighted in one of his posts how six Pacers stars ended with double-figures in points.“… they destroyed the Knicks in the paint! Paschal Siakim led with 25 points and 7 rebounds followed by Myles Turner’s 17 points and 7 rebounds,” further read the post. The Pacers had 62 points in the paint last night as compared to just 38 from the Knicks.
In a separate post, Magic Johnson spotlighted the Pacers’ payback against the Knicks tonight. “Coach Rick Carlisle did a masterful job preparing his team to play,” the 5x NBA champ further credited the Pacers head coach for the team that “embarrassed the Knicks”. Apart from this, Magic also acknowledged Tyrese Haliburton’s 15 points and 9 assists for the team. However, he feels that TJ McConnell acted as the spark plug for the Pacers in the game. “He came off the bench and scored 15!” Johnson said.
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Tyrese Haliburton added 15 points and 9 assists but TJ McConnell was the spark plug for the Pacers tonight. He came off the bench and scored 15!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 18, 2024
In his last appreciation post, Magic Johnson stated he was impressed with the Pacers’ game plan in Game 6. “… and the driving kick game on offense was off the charts,” he posted. It is worth mentioning that aside from the six players from the Pacers hitting double figures in points, the team also had 14 offensive rebounds and 35 assists. And in terms of defense, the Pacers managed 33 defensive rebounds, 3 steals, and 8 blocks. However, the continuous to-and-fro of victories in the series has built the suspense for the Game 7 outcome.
Will the home-court advantage favor the Knicks?
It is worth mentioning that so far in the series; the Knicks claimed the victory in the first two games, while the Pacers won the subsequent Game 3 and Game 4. The Knicks made a comeback with their 3rd win in the series, which the Pacers recently countered in Game 6. Now all the stakes and championship aspirations are on Game 7 and the Knicks have a home-court advantage.
Moreover, the Pacers may be worried that so far in the series, neither team has lost at home. Apart from this, the Knicks have a successful record (5-2) of Game 7 on their home court. However, the last time (1995) the Knicks faced the Pacers in Game 7 at their home court, the Pacers emerged victorious by 97-95. Moreover, the team coming together as a whole to deliver a dominating performance must have boosted their morale. Now, it is to be seen which team gets the best of the other and continues with its championship aspirations.
