New York Knicks' bench sparks huge road win against Indiana Pacers (Highlights)
Jan 23, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) is guarded by Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks came away with a huge win against a playoff team on the road, the Indiana Pacers, behind the efforts of their bench.

  • New York Knicks 109 (20-26)
  • Indiana Pacers 103 (22-22)
  • NBA, Final, Box Score
  • Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

The New York Knicks’ bench came to play tonight. Indiana Pacers legend and TNT analyst Reggie Miller was singing the praises of Knicks rookie Willy Hernangomez all night. Miller could tell what fans have been yelling for a majority of the 2016-17 season: Hernangomez needs more minutes.

The rookie logged 24 minutes tonight and racked up his third double-double of the season (just two less than Joakim Noah‘s five) with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Hernangomez finished with a +/- rating of +12, but still wasn’t the best reserve New York had on Monday.

The Knicks were +14 in the 32 minutes when Justin Holiday was on the court. The “throw-in” during the Derrick Rose trade played tremendous defense and made three 3-point shots.

The hero was Carmelo Anthony who had an efficient night shooting the ball (9-17 for 26 points) including a clutch fadeaway jumper that clinched it with less than 30 second remaining. Kristaps Porzingis (3-11 FG, 8 points) is still a step slow from his Achilles injury so Anthony’s play was even more important tonight.

Key Player

The Knicks held Pacers point guard Jeff Teague to 3-9 shooting and just 7 points. He came into Monday’s game at 45.0 percent from the field and averaging 15.7 points per game. He was outplayed by Rose.

Key Stat

The Pacers were 7-26 (26.9 percent) from three-point range. The Pacers are only 28th in the league in three-pointers made per game, but for the Knicks who struggle so much guarding the deep ball that’s a huge accomplishment.