Despite how things felt for Knicks fans, the sun rose the morning after their cataclysmic collapse in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The series felt over, as is usually the case with a loss as gut-wrenching as that. Nonetheless, Knicks fans should feel optimistic heading into Game 2, considering the Knicks actually played some of their best offense of the playoffs in Game 1.
The loss was horrific, there is no denying that. It was likely nauseating for players and coaches to have to watch film and see that meltdown occur all over again. But film never lies. It will show that for that collapse to happen, 100 things had to break right for the Pacers and 100 things had to go wrong for the Knicks.
That is taking nothing away from Indiana. Things had to break right, sure, but they still had to make all of those clutch shots, which they did, over and over again. That said, there will also be many positives to take away from the first 42 minutes of Game 1, specifically on the offensive end of the floor. The Knicks will need to build on that in Game 2 while cleaning up all of the sloppiness that took place over the final six minutes.
The offense looked good
Focusing on the first three and a half quarters of the game, the Knicks have plenty to be happy about. Jalen Brunson showed that no one on Indiana's roster can stay in front of him, getting whatever he wanted on the offensive end.
Brunson's three wasn't falling, as he went only 1-of-6 from deep, but he was clinical from two, going 14-of-19 for the game. Of players who have attempted at least 15 2-pointers in the playoffs, only Rudy Gobert has shot better than Brunson's 73.68 percent from two. Rudy Gobert, who is over seven feet tall, is the only player who has shot better than Brunson from two on that volume. Let that sink in.
As a team, the Knicks generated 1.27 points per possession in Game 1, their second-most efficient output in a game in the playoffs so far. Making things more encouraging, their offense was clicking in a variety of ways. Per tracking data, they averaged 1.3 points per direct drive, 1.4 points per direct isolation, 1.25 points per direct post-up, 1.1 points per pick, and a whopping 1.5 points per direct handoff.
Those are all really good numbers and should give fans a reason to smile. Then you factor in things such as Karl-Anthony Towns being guarded by a center, and going 4-of-8 from three as a result, and Cam Payne providing some desperately needed bench scoring, and fans should have a reason to grin
It was a brutal loss, but the sun rose yet again. The Knicks played lots of promising offense, which was overshadowed, and rightfully so, by a historic meltdown. Onto Game 2.