The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers have an upcoming Game 6 showdown in the East Semifinals on Friday, May 17 at 8:30 PM ET, with the Knicks seeking to finish the series. ZenSports Tennessee sportsbook offers the Pacers as 6.0-point favorites (-115). 

When: May 17, 2024 at 8:30 PM ET

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana

Watch: ESPN

New York Knicks Preview

The Knicks needed a strong performance in Game 5 in order to hold onto their home-court advantage and to snap their two-game losing streak. They did just that when they defeated the Pacers 121-91, with Jalen Brunson putting up a monster effort of 44 points and seven assists, shooting 18 of 35 from the field.

Josh Hart and Alec Burks each added 18 points, while Miles McBride was not far behind with 17 points. They will need another similar result in order to have success in Game 6. In total, they are averaging 113.4 points each game.

Collectively, the Knicks connected on 46 percent of their shots and made 12 of 35 from beyond the arc for Game 5. They easily set the aggressive tone to start, as they hammered in 38 points in the first quarter. This was mostly due to Brunson’s ability to maintain his strength on the offensive end.

Indiana Pacers Preview

The Pacers are now in a do-or-die situation in order to avoid elimination after a disappointing Game 5 loss. This was a mirror of Game 4, where they won 121-89, but instead the teams flipped the point totals. Can they bounce back as graceful as the Knicks?

Pascal Siakam led them in scoring with 22 points, followed by Myles Turner with 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton adding in 13 points. This will need to change heading into Game 6, as they need more scoring.

The team shot 43 percent from the field and 12 of 27 from beyond the arc, but were unable to keep up with the Knicks from the start. After falling behind rather quickly, they were down double digits and could only accumulate 16 points in the fourth quarter to top off the blowout loss.

One key area was their bench, where they had little output to make up the difference. They also could not stop Brunson, which will need to be a focus for Game 6. So far, the Pacers are averaging 112.2 points per game and are slightly below the Knicks.

Betting Odds

ZenSports Tennessee sportsbook gives you optimal chances for NBA betting options for Game 6. The Indiana Pacers are favored at home, as market insights show they have a 55.4 percent chance at winning to force a Game 7. Both teams have won exclusively on their home court, with the Pacers having a shot to continue the trend for this one.

New York Knicks: +193

Point Spread: +6.0 (-107)

Indiana Pacers: -244

Point Spread: -6.0 (-115)

Total Points: Over 215.5 (-110), Under 215.5 (-111)

Photo Credit: © Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports