Lifeless Knicks Pounded By Pacers

PACERS 93
KNICKS 82

Game 4 felt a lot like Game 3. In fact, Game 4 felt like the entire series, as the New York Knicks put forth another lifeless, gutless effort against the Indiana Pacers, as they walked away with a dominating 93-82 victory over the dilapidated Knicks.

New York was never in this game. They took the court with no life, and left clinging to their playoff lives down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Indiana jumped out to an 11-3 with 7:16 to go in the first quarter, and you knew right then, that this game was over with a capital O. The Knicks missed eight of their first nine shots, and whenever they appeared to be coming back to life -- Indiana put them away with either a big time three by Paul George, or a big time jumper by George Hill.

The Knicks did tie this game at 14 when Carmelo Anthony capped a 6-0 Knicks run with a bucket, but Hill answered with an 8-foot jumper and D.J. Augustin drove through the lane untouched for another bucket to make it 18-14.

The Knicks never tied the game again. They never even led in this contest.

The Pacers built their first half lead to 11, when David West nailed a jump shot to make it 32-21. The Knicks tried to respond with a three-pointer and a jumper by Anthony, but it was not enough, as Paul George answered with a three of his own to built the lead back up to nine, 35-26.

By the time George Hill hit a couple of free throw shots mid-way through the third quarter, the game had gotten totally out of hand with Indiana building an 18-point advantage, 61-43.

Other than Anthony, nobody was contributing on this basketball team. Whether it was J.R. Smith, Raymond Felton, or Jason Kidd, it didn't matter -- nobody could connect on a shot. Here are the grim stats: Kenyon Martin, 0-3; Iman Shumpert, 0-6; Felton 7-16 (with most of that coming in garbage time); Smith, 7-22; Kidd, 1-2; Tyson Chandler 4-9, and Amare Stoudemire 1-2. That was it from a Knicks team that shot 35 percent from the floor and 28 percent from behind the arch.

If it weren't for Anthony hitting 9-of-23 for 24 points, this game would have been a total embarrassment.

Now the Knicks limp home for a Game 5, in front of a what will be a shocked and impatient Garden crowd. The ire of the Knicks playoff flop is most definitely Smith, who has been rumored to be partying during this series. Smith has been awful all postseason, and another stinker could write the end of his stay in the Big Apple. But, it is not just him. Felton, who was so good against Boston, has been dreadful in this series.

If anything, the Knicks now know they have to get younger, and bigger if they really want to compete in the Eastern Conference.