Final-possession thriller sees Pacers defeat Knicks 106-104 in NBA Cup matchup

A tense finish in Indianapolis

The Pacers and Knicks met Friday in an NBA Cup game, adding another chapter to their rivalry as the last two Eastern Conference champions faced off. Indiana won 106-104 after a contest that came down to the final possession.

Indiana’s 14-point advantage vanished when New York tied the game early in the fourth quarter. The Pacers later built a 12-point lead, but another Knicks run brought the margin back to two in the closing seconds.

After a late turnover by Indiana, New York had an opportunity to tie or take the lead. Karl Anthony-Towns missed a fade-away jumper, and the Pacers secured the win.

Nesmith finds his shooting touch

Aaron Nesmith entered Friday shooting 37% from the field to start the season. Against New York, he scored 18 points, making 7 of 10 shots and 2 of 3 from three-point range.

Improving as a team from deep remains a need for Indiana. Nesmith’s strong shooting night could help with that effort.

Indiana limits New York’s scoring

The Pacers held the Knicks to 104 points and limited them to 20 in the fourth quarter. New York scored more than 27 points in only one quarter, the third. Indiana also forced two 8-second violations and a late shot-clock violation. After Wednesday’s win over Washington, coach Rick Carlisle praised the Pacers for allowing 27 or fewer points in every quarter; he said, “That’s a hard thing to do in today’s NBA.”

Five Pacers reach double figures

Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 19 points, and five Pacers scored in double figures. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 16 points. Ivica Zubac recorded his second consecutive double-double, finishing with 12 points and 13 rebounds. The win came during a week in which the Pacers’ play had begun to come together.