The Knicks have held a sizable rebounding edge in their three wins at home during the second round, and they have conceded that advantage in each of their three losses in Indiana.
Tom Thibodeau’s injury-decimated team likely will need that trend to continue Sunday in Game 7 at the Garden for a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
The Pacers responded to coach Rick Carlisle’s profane pleas to “go rebound the f–king ball” after the Knicks had annihilated his team 53-29 on the glass in Game 5 by outscoring them 62-38 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle by 12 (47-35) in Friday’s series-tying Game 6 victory.
“Well, they went hard. We knew they would, coming off last game, and that’s what it’s about,” Thibodeau said after the game. “I think the force, you’ve got to be ready for that in a game like this.
“Back against the wall, you’re gonna get urgency and desperation and you’ve gotta match that intensity, and you’ve gotta keep doing it. I like the way we started the game, but we didn’t sustain it.”
The Knicks will have to correct that issue without or, at least, with a compromised Josh Hart, their leading playoff rebounder (11.8 per game) who has been listed as questionable with an abdominal strain suffered in Game 6.
In their first three wins at the Garden, the Knicks have outrebounded Indiana 137-95, an average of 45.7 to 31.7.
Conversely, the Pacers have controlled the glass in their three home wins by a 141-119 (47.0-39.7) margin.
“Just being physical. They responded kind of how we responded in [Game 5],” Isaiah Hartenstein said. “I mean, I think they shot like 15 more percent. There were a couple [of rebounds] that we should have got, for sure.
“We just have to get easier looks, but at the end of the day there were some possessions where we should have got those 50/50 balls.”
Added guard Donte DiVincenzo: “Loose balls, second-chance rebounds, I think you listen to them over the last couple of days, and that was a point of emphasis for them, attacking the glass, getting loose balls, just playing a little bit with more grit. And that’s exactly what they did. You have to give them credit. They were coming home. They feed off the energy, the crowd, and now we look at it and that’s what we have to do on Sunday.”