Knicks vs Pacers
Quick Reference: Season Series at a Glance
| Category | Leader | Number |
| Season Series Winner | Indiana Pacers | 3–1 |
| Top Scorer (Single Game) | Jalen Brunson | 40 pts — Feb 10 |
| Top Rebounder (Single Game) | Mitchell Robinson | 22 reb — Mar 13 |
| Most Assists (Single Game) | Hart / Nembhard | 11 each |
| Biggest Winning Margin | Indiana | 34 pts — Apr 21 |
Why These Four Games Mattered
On paper, the 2025–26 regular-season matchups between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers looked like a mismatch. The Knicks finished the year as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers never came close to postseason contention.
However, Indiana won three of the four meetings, and two of those victories were not accidental. These clashes, which were tactical, physical, and possession-by-possession, revealed actual weaknesses in New York’s strategy.
This breakdown covers every meaningful number from all four contests. Game scores, individual stat lines, plus/minus data, and the strategic context behind what each result actually meant.
The Four-Game Breakdown
Game 1 — February 10, 2026 | Madison Square Garden
Final: Pacers 137, Knicks 134 (OT)
The season opener between these two sides ran deep into overtime and delivered one of the most remarkable box scores of the entire 2025–26 NBA season. The game produced 39 lead changes — more than any other regular-season contest all year.
Both teams shot efficiently. New York connected on 51.5% of their field goal attempts. At precisely 50%, Indiana trailed closely behind.The Knicks made 18 three-pointers. It still wasn’t enough.
The loss came down to second-chance opportunities. In a five-possession swing that ultimately decided overtime, Indiana grabbed eight offensive rebounds and scored 21 points off New York turnovers.
Knicks’ key contributors:
- Jalen Brunson: 40 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds (13/25 FG, 4/9 3PT)
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 22 points, 14 rebounds
- Josh Hart: 18 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds
Pacers’ key contributors:
- Pascal Siakam: 30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
- Andrew Nembhard: 24 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds
- Quenton Jackson: 19 points, 6 rebounds
Quarter-by-Quarter Scores:
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | Final | |
| Indiana | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 13 | 137 |
| New York | 33 | 36 | 24 | 31 | 10 | 134 |
Game 2 — March 13, 2026 | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Final: Knicks 101, Pacers 92
New York’s only road win of the series was built on defense and dominant interior play. Mitchell Robinson posted 22 rebounds — a career high — and his presence on the floor created a swing that the advanced metrics captured clearly: a +31 net rating when Robinson played, compared to –11 when he rested. That 42-point differential told the story of the entire game.
Brunson added 29 points and 9 assists in a controlled, efficient performance. OG Anunoby locked down Indiana’s perimeter scorers, finishing with 25 points and 4 steals.
Quarter-by-Quarter Scores:
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| New York | 25 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 101 |
| Indiana | 21 | 18 | 28 | 25 | 92 |
Standout rotational note: Landry Shamet contributed a +21 net rating off the bench. Jericho Sims struggled badly as Robinson’s backup, finishing at –27 — a lineup problem the coaching staff kept revisiting all season.
Game 3 — March 18, 2026 | Madison Square Garden
Final: Knicks 136, Pacers 110
The most dominant New York performance of the series .At least 20 points were scored by our Knicks.The team shot over 50% from the floor and drained another 18 three-pointers.
Josh Hart had his best scoring game of the season against Indiana, going 11/15 from the field and a perfect 5/5 from beyond the arc for 33 points. Karl-Anthony Towns hit a double-double. Brunson did what Brunson does — 21 points and 9 assists while managing the pace.
Knicks’ top performers:
- Josh Hart: 33 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists (5/5 from three)
- OG Anunoby: 26 points, 8 rebounds (4/5 from three)
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 22 points, 11 rebounds
- Jalen Brunson: 21 points, 9 assists
Quarter-by-Quarter Scores:
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Indiana | 38 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 110 |
| New York | 34 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 136 |
Game 4 — April 21, 2026 | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Final: Pacers 105, Knicks 71
A 34-point blowout to close out the regular season series. Indiana dominated from start to finish, and no Knick managed more than 12 points. New York shot under 38% from the field. The Pacers led by 20 or more points for most of the second half and eased off in the fourth quarter.
Late-season fatigue played a role, but so did Indiana’s physicality. This game was a message — and a reminder that even a non-playoff team can rough up a contender when it wants to.
Quarter-by-Quarter Scores:
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Indiana | 25 | 27 | 31 | 22 | 105 |
| New York | 13 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 71 |
Full Season Series — Player Stats (All 4 Games Combined)
| Player | Team | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | STL | BLK | FG% | 3P% |
| Jalen Brunson | NYK | 4 | 31.2 | 4.5 | 8.3 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 47.2% | 40.0% |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | NYK | 4 | 19.5 | 11.8 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 51.3% | 28.6% |
| Josh Hart | NYK | 4 | 18.7 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 58.0% | 52.6% |
| OG Anunoby | NYK | 4 | 17.2 | 6.8 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 49.0% | 42.0% |
| Mikal Bridges | NYK | 4 | 15.8 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 48.0% | 36.0% |
| Mitchell Robinson | NYK | 3 | 9.3 | 14.0 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 62.0% | — |
| Pascal Siakam | IND | 4 | 24.5 | 6.2 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 48.5% | 35.0% |
| Tyrese Haliburton | IND | 2 | 22.5 | 4.0 | 9.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 48.0% | 40.0% |
| Andrew Nembhard | IND | 4 | 16.2 | 4.5 | 7.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 44.0% | 38.0% |
| Jarace Walker | IND | 4 | 14.5 | 6.2 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 42.0% | 34.0% |
| Aaron Nesmith | IND | 4 | 10.8 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 41.0% | 32.0% |
Best Individual Performances of the Series
Scoring Leaders
- Jalen Brunson, February 10, 40 points (13/25 FG, 4/9 3PT)
- Josh Hart, Mar 18 — 33 points (11/15 FG, 5/5 3PT)
- Pascal Siakam, Feb 10 — 30 points
- Jalen Brunson, Mar 13 — 29 points
- OG Anunoby, Mar 18 — 26 points
Rebounding Leaders
- Mitchell Robinson, Mar 13 — 22 (career high)
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Feb 10 — 14
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Mar 18 — 14 (with 22 points — a full double-double)
- Mitchell Robinson, Feb 10 — 12
- Jarace Walker, Mar 13 — 9
Assists Leaders
- Josh Hart, Feb 10 — 11
- Andrew Nembhard, Feb 10 — 10
- Tyrese Haliburton, Feb 10 — 9
- Jalen Brunson, Mar 13 — 9 (also 29 points)
- Jalen Brunson, Mar 18 — 9
Head-to-Head Matchup Analysis
Brunson vs. Haliburton — The Floor General Battle
Jalen Brunson averaged 31.2 points across all four games. He shouldered a scoring burden that few point guards in the league could carry, and he delivered it efficiently — 47.2% from the field, 40% from three.
Tyrese Haliburton only suited up for two of the four games due to load management. In those two appearances, he averaged 22.5 points and 9.5 assists — and Indiana went 2–0 when he played. His ability to manipulate defensive rotations forced New York into schemes they weren’t comfortable running.
Verdict: Too close to split cleanly. Brunson scored more and was available more often. Haliburton changed outcomes at a higher rate when healthy.
Team-Level Statistics
| Category | Knicks | Pacers |
| Points per game | 110.5 | 111.0 |
| Field goal % | 48.2% | 47.5% |
| Three-point % | 37.5% | 34.0% |
| Rebounds per game | 43.5 | 46.0 |
| Assists per game | 25.5 | 27.0 |
| Turnovers per game | 12.5 | 11.5 |
| Second-chance points/game | 9.8 | 14.5 |
In the majority of categories, there is hardly any difference between these figures. The Knicks shot better from three. Indiana owned the glass and passed the ball more efficiently. The one gap that stands out — second-chance points — explains the season series almost entirely. The Pacers generated 4.7 extra points per game from offensive rebounds alone. Across four games, that adds up to roughly 19 additional points. In a four-game series where the aggregate scores were nearly identical, those extra possessions were the difference between 3–1 and 2–2.
Five Key Takeaways from the Numbers
1. Brunson’s peak scoring wasn’t enough. His 40-point game in overtime still ended in a loss. That reflects a collective issue, not an individual one — when starters checked out or struggled with fatigue, the bench couldn’t sustain the level.
2. Mitchell Robinson changed everything defensively. The +31/–11 split in Game 2 wasn’t accidental. When Robinson was protecting the paint, Indiana’s guards had no clean paths to the rim. His availability — he sat out one of the four games — directly correlated with New York’s defensive performance.
3. Josh Hart’s floor value gets undersold. His 18-point, 11-assist, 8-rebound game in the opener nearly produced a triple-double without anyone treating it as a headliner. His efficiency against Indiana (58% FG, 52.6% from three) was exceptional across the series.
4. Indiana’s bench exploited New York’s depth gap. In games where starters rotated out heavily, the Pacers’ second unit consistently outperformed New York’s reserves. That depth problem was a recurring theme all season — and one the Knicks eventually solved when playoff intensity forced their rotation tighter.
5. Second-chance points are criminally underappreciated. Nearly every analysis of this series leads with Brunson’s scoring totals or the overtime thriller. The more telling number is Indiana’s 14.5 second-chance points per game — nearly five more than New York. Against a well-coached team, those are the possessions that win and lose series.
Series Context: Regular Season vs. Playoff Reality
Indiana finished below .500 and missed the postseason. New York reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, sweeping the Hawks, 76ers, and Cavaliers in eleven straight playoff victories and averaging a margin of victory over 30 points per game in the postseason.
So how did the Pacers take three regular-season games from a Finals-bound team?
A few reasons. First, New York’s history with Indiana was complicated — the Pacers had eliminated the Knicks in both the 2024 and 2025 playoffs, with Haliburton averaging over 21 points and 8 assists in those series. That rivalry sharpened Indiana’s focus even in meaningless regular-season games.
Second, playoff-caliber teams don’t always flip the switch for 82 games. When the Knicks faced non-contenders, they performed at a lower level for a while, but when the postseason arrived, they significantly improve
The regular-season knicks vs pacers match player stats ultimately reflect a team managing its energy through a long season — not a genuine competitive weakness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Knicks-Pacers regular-season series?
Indiana won three of the four matchups. On March 13, New York’s lone victory occurred away from home in Indianapolis.
What was Jalen Brunson’s best individual performance against the Pacers
His 40-point performance on February 10 stands out as the peak — 13/25 from the field, 4/9 from three, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in an overtime loss.
Did Tyrese Haliburton play all four games?
No. Haliburton was held out of two contests for load management purposes. Indiana went 2–0 in the games he played and 1–1 when he sat.
Which player had the most impactful plus/minus in this series?
Mitchell Robinson’s +31 in the March 13 win stands as the most dominant single-game impact rating of the series.
How many lead changes occurred in the overtime game?
The February 10 contest at Madison Square Garden produced 39 lead changes — the most in any regular-season NBA game during the entire 2025–26 season.
Did either team make the 2026 playoffs?
The Knicks qualified as the third seed in the Eastern Conference and advanced to the NBA Finals. Indiana was eliminated from playoff contention before the regular season ended.
Final Analysis
Every number in this series pointed toward a competitive four-game stretch between two teams playing very different seasons. Indiana had nothing to lose and a rivalry history to tap into. New York had a Finals run ahead of them and the discipline to save something for when it mattered.
The knicks vs pacers match player stats from 2026 are worth studying not just for what they reveal about individual performances — Brunson’s efficiency, Robinson’s rim protection, Siakam’s versatility — but for what they show about how NBA teams manage long seasons. Sometimes the most important data point isn’t what happened in April. It’s what those April numbers told the coaching staff about what needed fixing before May.
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