FIRST TAKE | “Jalen Brunson will EXPLODE! Knicks will eliminate Pacres in Game 6” – Stephen A. Smith

FIRST TAKE | “Jalen Brunson will EXPLODE! Knicks will eliminate Pacres in Game 6” – Stephen A. Smith

their series uh versus the Pacers like the Denver Minnesota series this has been a roller coaster as well with major swings so here’s Stephen A’s take from Wednesday on the Knicks if they’ve CL I they clined the series whether it’s going to be in six or seven games remains to be seen and obviously anything to have in the game seven but I do believe they’ve clinched the series The Moment appeared too big for the Indiana Pacers last night at the Garden Reggie Miller was not in the house to play for them last night they didn’t seem to be able to handle that pressure and if you couldn’t handle the pressure in game five why in God’s name should I believe you going to handle it in a game seven so that’s why I believe the New York Knicks have clinched the series but that doesn’t mean they’ll win game six Stephen a suit had big energy that day and uh so did his Nicks prior the night before the mood was on point you could see all the felds Monica seriously Monica obviously you cover this team and watch him intimately uh most important player tonight in game six I’m just going to remain consistent Molly I say and legs I’m gon say Jaylen Brunson he is the guy that consistently draws two Defenders he is the guy that the offense runs through um he has been the guy at the top of the Scout report for this Pacers team to try to figure out how to guard and in spots tiip of the cap to Aaron nouth but as I sort of anticipated you give him a little bit more time Jaylen Brunson is going to rise to the occasion and figure it out um it is definitely going to be imperative that he gets productivity from the guys around him but to me he is undoubtedly without question the head of the snake um and where this whole thing starts for the New York Knicks and so I don’t necessarily know that that means he needs to have a 40 plus Point performance I got it somewhere in the 30s probably being sufficient assuming like I said he has the support of the of his team but from that clip you brought up Stephen A in terms of the moment being too big for the Pacers the thing that has stood out to me in this series is that the Knicks do not have to manufacture a new way to play in order to be successful they have played hard they have been on the glass they have defended and been physical all year long and so this Series has just doubled down on who they’ve been and that and what has allowed them to be successful well if you’re the New York Knicks recall needs to be your biggest strength and what I mean by that is recalling what transpired for you in game four where you were down by over 40 where you were getting blown out of the state of Indiana where Josh Hart the Energizer Bunny was sitting on the bench looking depressed because this brother fresh off for 18 rebounds and a thrilling game three loss had three rebounds and was ineffective with Dante dant chenzo the game before looked like the second coming of Steph Curry looked like Steph Curry red rubbed off and and he dropped 35 and hit about seven or eight threes suddenly couldn’t buy a damn basket and the Knicks got the breaks Devan chenzo the game before looked like the second coming of Steph Curry looked like Steph Curry had red rubbed off and we dropped 35 and hit about seven or eight threes suddenly couldn’t buy a damn basket and the Knicks got the brakes blown off of them okay if you’re the New York Knicks it’s recalling that it’s understanding that excuse me make shots make shots be tough have that energy don’t get blown out okay because anything can happen in a game seven even though I would pick the Knicks to win game seven even if they lost game six I think the two most important players um in tonight’s game is going to be Josh Hart and Dante dant chenzo because I have all the faith in the world in Jaylen Brunson that he’s going to do something right if he’s not making his shot he’s going to make opportunities for others to make shots that’s just the kind of player he’s been throughout this season and especially in this series so I’m certainly not going to go against Jaylen Brunson in that regard but what he has shown us is that on the road in Indiana he hasn’t been enough Dante devant chenzo and Josh Hart playing the way that they played in game three is why the Knicks almost pulled that out n hard’s you know hail Murray from 31 feet saved a day for Indiana I don’t think that’s GNA happen in game six if D venzo and Hart show up and do what they’ve done for the most part this series I think the Knicks win the night and they close out this series and they get to the conference finals all right here we go I picked the nickon seven so I want the Pacers to win game six cuz I want to be right damn it all right I’m nine for nine on my series picks if I if Denver Dallas yes if Denver Dallas and the Knicks win I’ll be 12 for 12 right so so this is how as an analyst that’s how you want to play out damn it I want to be right but here’s the thing you got listen I got a Nick fan I’m talking to and I got somebody else that’s that’s a little bit invested in the outcome of this and Monica mcnut so let me give you a different perspective okay let me give you a Pacers perspective cuz I think there’s a name there’s a name to me that game six hinges hinges on it’s Tyrese halberton tyres halberton has had two games in this series that you didn’t notice he was on the court okay this is a dude that had a meteoric rise during the season and he’s had games in this series when he was absolutely sensational one game in the garden but two games in Indiana he was absolutely electric he has to show up in a big way and if he does one it’s good for the Pacers because they need his offense they need him to play that way but two what that means is they’ve controlled the defense of glass they’ve allowed the Knicks one shot which means you can get Outlet passes up the floor and halberton can get out in the open court where he is pretty special when he has to go in there and they got five guys in the paint trying to keep the Knicks off off the glass and they can’t get their hands on the ball they’re getting beat to every 50/50 ball and then they’re taking the ball of the net Tyrese halberton is negated I also think he hasn’t played as confidently in some games in this series two games in the garden he just wasn’t as confident in pulling the trigger on that jump shot so for me game six is going to be about tyres Halbert if he shows up and looks like an All-Star caliber player like he does a lot of nights in this league I think Indiana’s got a great chance to win this game with the home crowd all that forcing a game seven in the garden on Sunday in which case I don’t think Indiana uh has a chance to win that game on the road in the garden with what that energy is going to look like I I think here for me personally here’s why um I like the Knick’s chances the rest that they received had this game been Wednesday and now we’re playing Friday it’d be different I think when you give this team that rest and when you give Tom Fido that amount of time to PA I think that’s a good thing and I think that this game is not going to be anything reminiscent of a game four with the recall issue that I just brought up in terms of remembering what happened to you I think that combined with the bre allowing jayen Brunson to be fresher allowing Josh Hart to be fresher um precious shua we can’t ignore what he’s been able to do uh since Mitchell Robinson obviously has gone down and hardenstein got hurt a little bit I like the New York Knicks chances tonight again I would pick them to win game seven no matter what but I like the chances of them closing the deal out tonight next in six that’s what we’re talking about pressure’s on uh coming up on first take plenty more playoffs to get into I can’t wait for tonight there’s been some highs and lows for Caitlyn Clark first couple games in the W has anybody seen anything that is a cause for concern though we break enemy ultimate your tower has been [Music] destroyed you have defeated an enemy executed e an ally has been defeated for e enemy ultimate future you have been defeated an enemy sh down a an enemy has been defeated an enemy has been defeated storing all for for Finger Licking Good First Blood you have defeated an enemy enemy double kill fire it well out of enemy ultimate you have defeated an enemy enemy double kill [Applause] Annihilation oh tower has been destroyed

FIRST TAKE | “Jalen Brunson will EXPLODE! Knicks will eliminate Pacres in Game 6” – Stephen A. Smith