Before Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, former New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony talked about being afraid for his former team in their match-up against the Indiana Pacers.
Speaking on his “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast, the incoming Hall of Famer talked about the construction of the current Knickerbockers squad and how they don’t stylistically match-up with the upset-minded Indy group.
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“We were designed to beat Boston,” said Anthony. “Our team was put together to match up against Boston. Here’s what scares me against Indiana: We wasn’t designed to match up with Indiana because Indiana’s so unorthodox, you don’t know what they’re gonna do. You don’t know what Haliburton you’re gonna get. You don’t know what Nembhard you gonna get. You don’t know what Turner you’re going to get. You don’t know what Siakam you’re gonna get. That’s the scary part of it.”
The Pacers play a random offense
There’s no question that when the Knicks decided to go top-heavy with their roster, they had the Celtics in mind. Boston had arguably the best starting five in the league with the Jays, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis when everybody is healthy. That’s why NY went after OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Leon Rose’s ploy succeeded because they eliminated the Celtics in their second-round assignment. However, matching up against the Pacers would be tougher because of Rick
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Carlisle’s random offense allows any of its five starters and even sixth man Ben Mathurin to lead the team in scoring when they get going. Tyrese Haliburton is their clear-cut superstar, but he can have low-scoring nights, and yet they still win. Melo thinks the Knicks aren’t ready for this kind of opponent.
“If Indiana come and get one on this court, we in for a long…we’re in an uphill battle, more so than we were against Boston. I got Knicks versus Minnesota in the Finals, but I’m afraid, in a sense, not afraid, but I wanna see how this plays out with Indiana,” added Anthony.
Melo’s fears came true in Game 1
Unfortunately for the Knicks, Melo’s worries were valid in Game 1, and the randomness of the Pacers’ offense showed when Aaron Nesmith hit the big baskets in the fourth quarter when Indiana mounted its furious comeback. Anthony did not even mention Nesmith in his opening statement.
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The No.14 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft scored a playoff career-high 30 points in Game 1, including 20 points from a record six three-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Pacers stole the game with one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of the NBA playoffs. But what’s crazier than Nesmith hitting the big shots was that Wednesday night’s epic comeback win was the Pacers’ third in the current postseason, one each per round.
Game 2 will be played at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks hope to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole. Head coach Tom Thibodeau vowed to make adjustments, but with how unpredictable Indiana’s offense has been this year, especially in the playoffs, New York has its work cut out for it in the series.