N.Y. Knicks: Bockers Slow Down Indiana's Pace

From the desk: KICKIN' CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WIT' JIMMY

MONDAY

Pacers      84

KNICKS    96

FINAL

Coach Thibodeau Asks And He Receives

Talk about slamming the breaks on the Pacers ...

The Knicks entered Monday's action losers of three of their last four.  Despite a different mix of personnel, Coach Thibodeau still makes defense no less a point of contention. 

Last season the Knicks limited their opponents to a league-fewest of 104.7 points per game.  This season, the opposition has eclipsed 100 points in nine of the Knicks' first 14 games.  At present, they are allowing 109.2 points per game, the tenth most in the league and an increase over last season of 4.5 points per game. 

On Monday, the Knicks took heed and clamped down on the Indiana Pacers.  But not before Indiana took a one-point lead into the half and a 74-69 lead after three.  Afterwhich, the Knicks limited the Pacers to just ten points in the fourth quarter - one-three pointer, two points from midrange, and five points from the line.  Meanwhile, with 23 points in the final session, the Knicks overcame a five-point deficit and came away with an eight-point margin of victory.

Coming off the bench, Derrick Rose is still the backbone and effective MVP of this team.  He scored 14 points and tied for a game-high seven assists in 25 minutes.  Immanuel Quickley tied for a team-high 16 points, including 4/4 from behind the arc in 23 minutes, also off the bench. 

Julius Randle registered a workmanlike double-double with eleven points and a team-high eleven rebounds in 35 minutes.  

But here's the difference between this season and last.  Kemba Walker was 8/11 from the field for 16 points but finished with a minus-15, while Evan Fournier added seven points but posted a minus-10 in 24 minutes.  The Knicks bench averaged a +16, while Julius Randle and RJ Barrett finished -2 and -1, respectively.