Best Bet In Another 'Must-Win' For New York Knicks At Indiana Pacers Game 4
The New York Knicks (1-2) looked like their season was over when they were down 20 points to the Indiana Pacers (2-1) in Game 3 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. But New York slowly chipped away at the lead until Karl-Anthony Towns took over the game late. KAT scored 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the fourth quarter alone to give the Knicks a 106-100 win.
After the NBA media had been complaining for days about a lack of adjustments, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau put C Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup for Game 3. Robinson was only +1 with 6 points and 6 rebounds, but adding him to the starting 5 was smart because it allows KAT to focus on scoring and creating shots for teammates.
Related: LET'S BE REAL, AT THIS POINT KAT IS DOING THIS ON PURPOSE, RIGHT?
This probably should've been the plan all along. Granted, every playoff series is different, but Towns isn't good enough defensively to play center in today's NBA when his opponent has a true center, as the Pacers do with C Myles Turner. The Minnesota Timberwolves knew what they were doing when they traded for C Rudy Gobert to minimize KAT's defensive responsibilities.
New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers Game 4 Betting Odds
That said, Towns is dominating the Pacers in this series. Simply put, Indiana doesn't have the size to stop KAT. He is averaging 26.3 points on 68.0% true shooting (.521/.450/.870) and 11.3 rebounds with a +9 net rating. I took a flier on Towns winning the Larry Bird Trophy for Eastern Conference Finals MVP at +1300 pre-series because he owns the Pacers.
Related: LET'S BE REAL, AT THIS POINT KAT IS DOING THIS ON PURPOSE, RIGHT?
Furthermore, not only does KAT have to cover less space, but it's much easier to play perimeter defense because guys know they can aggressively close out on 3-pointers when Robinson is protecting the basket. A couple of years ago, Mitch trained himself to block shots with both hands, which is rare and makes him a top-three defensive big.
New York Knicks C Mitchell Robinson gets a putback vs. the Indiana Pacers during Game 3 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. (Photo credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
Also, having Robinson on the floor allows New York to lean further into their two edges over the Pacers: Defense and rebounding. He has the highest offensive rebounding rate in this series and the best defensive rating with a minimum of 20 minutes played. Indiana can't get into the paint or score second-chance points with Mitch on the court.
Finally, the Knicks have been more efficient in the half-court in this series. Playoff series become slower as they progress, so we see more half-court basketball. The Knicks play at a slower tempo already, and it's tougher for the Pacers to get out into transition with Robinson in the game because they need all five guys to grab rebounds.
Best Bet: New York Knicks +118 moneyline, down to even money, at FanDuel
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