NBA: Pacers put Knicks on the brink of exit, take 3-1 series lead

For all the talk about matching up to the Indiana Pacers' size, the New York Knicks still found themselves shrinking against their Eastern Conference semifinals foes.

A big line-up failed to boost the second-seeded Knicks, who never led in the game, as the Pacers dominated on their home court with a 93-82 victory, Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time) at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, putting Indiana up 3-1 in their best-of-seven series.

Pacers take 3-1 series lead over Knicks. Pacers have never lost a series leading 3-1. Knicks have never won a series trailing 3-1.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 15, 2013

The Pacers had stolen home court by taking game one in New York, 102-95. The Knicks struck back to even the series, 105-79, but the Pacers fought back to take both games in Indiana, including the third game, 82-71, and this match.  

In a departure from their usual starting line-up, New York fielded Kenyon Martin at the power forward spot alongside Tyson Chandler, while Carmelo Anthony shifted to the small forward spot. The move did not pay dividends however, as Indiana went out and established an early 11-3 lead.

Three straight jumpers by Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton knotted things at 14-all, but the Pacers used a 9-2 run to close out the first quarter, going up 23-16.

The Indiana advantage hit double-digits in the second period, 30-19 and 32-21, but the Anthony-Felton duo once again cut that down, hauling New York to within five, 35-30, with 4:08 left in the first half. Undeterred, the Pacers unloaded a 13-2 run, putting the difference at 16, 48-32, after a George Hill steal and lay-up. Anthony however got the last word in, nailing a jumper with 0.4 seconds left for a 48-34 tally entering halftime.

Hill continued to wax hot out of the break, scoring 10 of his side's first 13 points, running their lead up to 18, 61-43, halfway through the third. Another Hill triple kept the two sides apart by the same margin, 66-50, but the Knicks reserves began to impact the game, as the duo of JR Smith and Amar'e Stoudemire attacked the Pacers' lead and reduced it to 11, 67-56, with a quarter left.

All-in-all, Hill accounted for 14 of his side's 19 third quarter points, single-handedly keeping the Pacers ahead.

Indiana's All-Star wingman Paul George took over early in the fourth, scattering six for an 80-63 buffer, 6:45 remaining in the game. The Knicks made a late rally attempt though, getting a triple from Chris Copeland, and a Raymond Felton alley-oop to Tyson Chandler, plus the foul, to crawl within 11, 84-73, still 2:48 to play.

The Knicks missed back-to-back triples on their next offensive possession, and then to add insult to injury, lost Carmelo Anthony to six personal fouls with exactly two minutes left. Melo's exit also led to a pair of George Hill makes at the line, 85-73, but off another second-chance opportunity following a missed triple, JR Smith canned a long-range bomb to make it just a 10-point game, 86-76, 1:46 left.

The Pacers couldn't get a shot off in 24 seconds, failing to score, but at least draining time. A turnover by JR Smith also helped their cause, as that forced New York to foul, for two points at the line by DJ Augustin. Steve Novak hit a triple for a nine-point Knicks hole, 88-79, but the Knicks were not missing from the stripe, allowing them to close this one out.

Paul George is the first Pacers player with at least 18 points, 14 rebounds & 7 assists in a playoff game since Mark Jackson in 1998.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 15, 2013

George Hill exploded for 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, adding three rebounds and four assists, plus a steal. Paul George continued to stuff the stats sheet with 18 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks, while Lance Stephenson chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds.

Power forward David West had 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Roy Hibbert added another 11 boards, in addition to three swats.

New York got 24 points and nine rebounds from Anthony, prior to his early trip to the bench. JR Smith came off the bench for 19 markers, but needed 22 attempts to get them. Raymond Felton had 14 points, six dimes, three swipes and two blocks, while Tyson Chandler put together 12 points, 10 boards and three blocks.

The Knicks hoped going big would allow them to match up on the glass with the Pacers, but they still found themselves outmatched in that category, 54-36, 16-11 on offensive rebounds.

New York managed to stay within range of Indiana in second-chance points, 19-16, but the Pacers out-ran them, 10-3 on fast break points, and led 36-26 in points in the paint. - AMD, GMA News