Twice in the past 10 days, the Knicks had lost opportunities to push their record to .500 in ugly losses to the Magic and Warriors.
They seemed on their way to another chance to level their record and move up the crowded Eastern Conference on Saturday night. However, Tom Thibodeau’s growing squad stormed back from a 16-point deficit in the first half, reaching a tie for fourth place in the playoff standings with a rough 110-107 win over the Pacers at the Garden.
“We didn’t start the game well, it was funky and we had to work our way through it,” said Thibodeau. “It’s a long game, but the main thing was to find a way to win at the end.
“We had a lot of guys who get up and make big plays. … We just scratched it off. “
RJ Barrett echoed two free throws with 14.6 seconds to go, but Derrick Rose’s steal and Frank Ntilikina’s two free throws with 2.9 seconds to go sealed the Knicks’ sixth win in eight games as they improved to 17-17. Notably, they started 17-42 last season and finished with 21 wins in 66 games.
Big man Taj Gibson sustained a sprained left ankle in the first quarter and did not return. Starting center Mitchell Robinson is already offside after a hand operation.
Rose started in place of Elfrid Payton (hamstring) for a second game in a row, scoring 17 points with 11 assists and five steals for the Knicks, who will hit the worst Pistons (9-24) on Sunday evening.
All-Star forward Julius Randle also filled the stats with 28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, including two important free throws in the last minute. Barrett scored 24 and Immanuel Quickley finished 10 in 13 minutes – including his second four-point play in as many games in the fourth quarter – as the Knicks made it to Indiana’s season series (2-1).
Myles Turner’s 3-pointer got the Pacers 94-91 over with 6:37, and his drive extended the lead to five with just four minutes to go. But Barrett made contact on his fourth 3-pointer of the night, then converted a traditional three-point play to regain the lead for the Knicks on the 3:32 mark.
Randle also scored from long range and Barrett added an inside scoop for a 104-98 game with 2:22 to go. The Pacers climbed back in with the next five points, but Nerlens Noel sank two free throws after a steal for eight points in a season-high 41 minutes.
Randle’s fellow All-Star power forward, Domantas Sabonis, was held at 15 points for the Pacers, who played without point guard Malcolm Brogdon (knee) for the first time this season. Former Knicks Doug McDermott (20 points) and Justin Holiday (13) came together for 33 for Indiana (15-17).
To start the day, the teams in fourth and 10th place in the east were separated by one game, but the Knicks came level with the inactive Raptors.
“It’s been a long season and that’s what we need to understand,” said Thibodeau. “Every match is equally important. One game does not get more meaning than another. They all count the same. Wherever you end up, that can be the difference between many things. “
The Knicks missed their first five shots and saw Indiana an 8-0 lead, with Holiday taking a pair of early 3-pointers to prompt Thibodeau to call a quick timeout after barely two minutes into the game.
The Knicks, who scored 77 points at half-time and a season-high 140 overall in Thursday’s win over the Kings, trailed by a whopping 16 points in the half. But their defense brought in a final run of 24-6, highlighted by Rose’s direct three at the buzzer for a 54-52 lead at the break.
The sprint also included Quickley’s second 3-pointer of the half, two dunks from Randle and two more marks from Barrett’s center.
Barrett’s escape dunked with four minutes to go in the third, a Rose free throw on a technical foul on Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren and seven consecutive runs by Randle helped the Knicks carry an 81-78 lead in the last quarter.