After the Indiana Pacers' stunning comeback Game 1 victory over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark called them "the greatest comeback team I've ever seen." The Pacers are up 3-2 in the series, but they lost Game 5 following an uncharacteristically low-energy performance.
Indiana has built a reputation as one of the most energetic and resilient teams in the NBA. However, they failed to show that same energy in Game 5. For the Pacers to officially punch their ticket to the NBA Finals and send the Knicks home, they have to remember Clark's praise.
The Pacers must bounce back from Game 5 disappointment
In the Game 5 loss, the Pacers scored just 94 points. This was their lowest total during their playoff run so far, and it was the first time since their February 4 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers that they scored fewer than 100 points. Additionally, the Knicks had control of the game the entire time as the Pacers failed to gain a lot of momentum from the start.
The Pacers are still up in the series, and they remain just one win away from an NBA Finals appearance. However, their loss in Game 5 was not very inspirational, and it seems that they would benefit from a bit of a reset ahead of Saturday night's Game 6 matchup. Fortunately for them, they will have an opportunity to continue to build on their new reputation, even if it's in a different way.
It may not be a comeback in the same way they have had late in multiple games this postseason, but Indiana will have a chance to come back from an ugly loss to shut the door before the Knicks gain any momentum and potentially win the series. If they do, they will take another step in the right direction and become even closer to achieving their goal of winning an NBA Championship.
Indiana is in a good spot, but they still have to take care of business. They will have an opportunity to do exactly that by heading back home for the last time in the series on Saturday night. The Pacers must pull through and send the Knicks packing for the second year in a row. However, in order for them to do so, they need to get back to playing their brand of basketball and be the ultimate comeback team the entire basketball world (including Clark) knows they are.