They're talented players," Sabonis said of former league MVP Rose and Walker, who is one of nine active NBA players to score 60 points in a game. Rose weaved his way into the paint again late in the fourth quarter, giving New York an 89-85 lead on a floater over Domantas Sabonis with 57 seconds remaining, and RJ Barrett buried a dagger 3 with 19.8 seconds left to snap the Knicks' two-game losing streak. The veteran duo combined for 20 points on 10-of-14 shooting in the first half, often getting into the paint and scoring near the rim on pick-and-rolls or one-on-one drives.
Fittingly, they're referred to as "the paint," and Knicks guards Derrick Rose and Kemba Walker looked like artists as they used it to their advantage against the Pacers. There are large rectangles painted on each end of every NBA court that stretch from just within the 3-point line to the baseline. More: Insider: Why Justin Holiday is playing better off the bench than as a starter for Pacers Pacers struggle to keep guards out of paint More: Pacers assign rookie forward Isaiah Jackson to G-League as he continues rehabbing knee We just gotta do a better job of executing." We were up against the shot clock a couple of times, and you know this place (Madison Square Garden) can turn into a frenzied place. "We had some good looks that didn't go down, and we had others that were not good. "I thought their aggression made it tough on us," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. The Pacers missed six straight shots during that nearly four-minute scoring drought as the Knicks closed on a 13-2 run and held the Pacers to a season-low 84 points.
#Winning eleven 5 free
Indiana didn't score again until LeVert made two more free throws with 1:55 remaining in the game. LeVert made a pair of free throws to put the Pacers ahead 82-79 with 5:48 left in the fourth quarter. Here's what stood out: Pacers fourth-quarter drought Justin Holiday started in Duarte's place, and Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert shared the backcourt for just the third time this season as Indiana's two-game winning streak was snapped. Pacers rookie Chris Duarte watched in street clothes Monday night, missing the first game of his NBA career with a sore right shoulder, as his squad struggled down the stretch in a 92-84 loss to the Knicks.
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