Pacers Report Cards: Grading every Pacers player's second-round performance
By Mueez Azfar
Final thoughts and grade
Second Round Stats: 4-3 Record, 115.3 PPG, 111.3 PAPG, 125.7 ORTG, 121.3 DRTG, 38.4 RPG (9.9 O and 28.6 D), 30 APG, 6.3 SPG, 6.3 BPG, 11.1 TOV, 20.9 FPG 53.2/42.5/74.3 Splits on 62.1% TS
As for the whole team, there is not much else to say. The only awful game played by the Pacers in the series came in Game 5, and besides that, Indiana did a good job holding steady with the Knicks and even outperforming them most times. While Indiana's rebounding stats took a hit from the first series, which is to be expected with New York dominating the boards in every one of their wins, the Pacers did a good job bouncing back and owning the boards in the final two games to take control of the series.
Most importantly, the Pacers used their high-octane style of basketball to run the Knicks out of the gym. With New York's roster being very tired at times, Indiana used this as a chance to step their feet further on the gas pedal and play at the frantic pace they have been known for this season, tiring the Knicks out and getting plenty of easy transition buckets.
Perhaps the three-point shooting was the biggest positive of the series and the biggest improvement from the first-round series. After shooting only 34.4% from deep as a team in the first round, Indiana shot an unbelievable 42.5% from deep in the second round as well as 53.2% from the field overall.
While only Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, and Ben Sheppard shot over 31% from deep in the Bucks series, every rotation player besides TJ McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, and Isaiah Jackson shot at least 40% from deep in this series. Indiana just could not miss at times, riding their hot shooting stroke to the top of the mountain and leaving the Knicks in the dust as a result.
The Pacers are now well ahead of schedule. Prior to the season, there was little to no chance anyone had them making the Eastern Conference Finals, especially since they were only two years into their rebuild, with them winning 25 games in 2022 and only 35 in 2023.
For Indiana to turn that into a 47-win season and two playoff series wins is unprecedented, and they deserve a whole lot of credit for that, no matter the circumstances. Of course, it makes it all the more sweeter that those series wins came against a new heated Pacers rival, and the oldest Pacers rival in the history books.
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