Pacers Down Knicks in OT; Improve to NBA-Best 10-1

After dropping their first game of the season on Saturday night to the Chicago Bulls, the Indiana Pacers got back to business on Wednesday night, improving to an NBA-best 10-1 record after a satisfying 103-96 overtime win on the road against the struggling New York Knicks.

New York scored the game’s first 13 points, but the Pacers dominated late behind a season-high 35-point performance from Paul George, who nailed three consecutive free throws to get Indiana into the overtime period and then added nine points in the extra frame.

“Heck of a win for our guys,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said, according to ESPN.com. “A grind-it-out kind of game. That’s sometimes when we’re at our best. The offense wasn’t really flowing but our defense really buckled down.”

Indiana’s offense may not have been at its sharpest, but its stars certainly performed up to par, as George Hill added 23 points of his own to George’s total and collected eight rebounds in the win.

Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 30 points and a season-high 18 rebounds, but his numbers were still not enough, as the Knicks dropped their sixth straight at Madison Square Garden and their eighth of the season overall.

“I thought we had the game won,” Anthony said. “And in overtime, I don’t know, they just walked away with it.”

While New York seems to be dealing with several issues, the biggest glaring problem for it this season has been injuries. In the loss, the Knicks were once again without All-Star center Tyson Chandler, starting guard Raymond Felton and veteran big man Amar’e Stoudemire – the latter of whom was expected to appear, but instead missed his second consecutive game with knee concerns.

With a depleted frontcourt and a disappointing 3-8 record, the Knicks have already initiated trade talks with several teams, most of which have involved shipping guard Iman Shumpert. However, so far, no deals have materialized.

We’ll pass along more info on both of these teams as the season rolls on, but based on current trends, bettors should keep riding the hot Pacers and stay clear of the injury-ridden Knicks.