The New York Knicks were bludgeoned in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Indiana Pacers 102-95, largely on the strength of Indiana's bullying interior.
Seven-foot center Roy Hibbert scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and had eight rebounds, while renowned tough guy David West notched 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting. The Knicks' struggles were reminiscent of several tough games they dropped to the Chicago Bulls during the regular season, when Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer routinely pushed them around.
Carmelo Anthony got his points, 27 of them, but needed 28 shots to do it. He was inefficient as well, making just 10 of them. He also took a beating, something Knicks head coach Mike Woodson may take into account when he makes his starting lineups going forward. The Knicks could potentially turn to Kenyon Martin at power forward and shift Anthony back to his traditional small forward spot to keep him from undue abuse down low. Another option could be available to Woodson Saturday; power forward Amar'e Stoudemire has been practicing with the team and will likely be in uniform soon.
"I'm not saying I won't do that. But I'm just saying right now we've only got one game under our belt. ... The small lineup that we started didn't cost us," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Monday. "And I don't consider Melo a small. You guys might, but I don't."
The Pacers present a difficult matchup for the offense-oriented Knicks, Hibbert said. "We're a big, physical team. Their specialty is their offensive firepower and we've got guys that could hold down the paint and the perimeter, too. So we just try to make everything as hard as possible for those guys and use our length and athleticism."
The wing defense is a problem as well. The Pacers have tenacious defenders in All-Star Paul George and shooting guard Lance Stephenson. Stephenson led Indiana in rebounds in Game 1, pulling down 13 boards.
The Knicks and Pacers will tip off at 7:00 p.m. in Madison Square Garden. The game will be broadcast on TNT and can be live streamed for free here.
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