Things couldn’t have started much better for the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks.
Indiana was particularly strong on offense, opening up a 39-27 lead after the first quarter. The 39-point first quarter didn’t just quiet the rowdy Madison Square Garden crowd. It also made NBA playoff history.
“Indiana’s 39 points are the most in the first quarter of a Game 7 in NBA history,” Zach Kram of The Ringer noted on X (formerly Twitter) after the opening quarter ended.
It makes sense. Game 7s, while exciting, are often not particularly well-played games. Players are understandably tense, knowing how much any mistake could hurt them. With that, games tend to be low-scoring. This is particularly true in the early part of the games, as players try to ease into the normal flow of action.
Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam did most of the damage for the Pacers, scoring a combined 25 points. Haliburton led the way with 14 and was particularly strong on three-pointers, going 4-for-5 from long distance. Siakam, meanwhile, added 11 points and made the only three-pointer he attempted.
[Zach Kram on X]
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