Backup Point Guard Disparity May Doom Knicks

Indiana went on their own briefly unstoppable run, riding their own backup floor general into an eventual 114-109 win. While Payne drowned, TJ McConnell maintained everything that's helped Indiana jump out ahead in the series with superior team play and blistering pace.

He plays with a similar playmaking feel to Tyrese Haliburton, reading the floor like someone intent on getting his teammates the best shots available. Usually that means passing up the court during one of their token sequences along the fast break or driving to kick out to a shooter or cutter, but just like Haliburton and his 3-ball, McConnell is just as willing to resort to his pull-up middy when he finds a fortuitous gap in the defense.

McConnell has demonstrated all that he has to offer in helping the Pacers' machine of an offense run throughout these playoffs, exposing a key difference between the two teams sparring for the right to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. While the Pacers are as reliant on their rotational players to keep the ball moving, the top-heavy Knicks may have met their demise in their thin stockpile of trusted reserves.

While Haliburton, McConnell and the rest of the Pacers are comfortable with splitting the shooting and passing load, Brunson has to shoulder a disproportionate amount of the scoring burden. No one can replicate what he does when he sits, leaving the Knicks to flounder without his operating the controls.

New York never planned on what to do without their stars due to how much playing time they see, a problem the Pacers have never had to confront. Their play hasn't hit a bump in rising up to a 2-0 lead no matter who sees the floor, and that's a credit to their depth and preparation for these big games.