Knicks hold Tyrese Haliburton scoreless in blowout win over Pacers

Rick Carlisle knew the challenge that awaited his Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden — a new-look Knicks team and a fired-up crowd hungry for revenge.

Carlisle knew the same fans his Pacers eliminated in Game 7 of last season’s Eastern Conference Semifinals hadn’t forgotten the sting of being one game shy of a Conference Finals appearance. He knew that this new-and-improved Knicks team wouldn’t be the same depleted squad his deep Pacers ran off the Madison Square Garden floor last year.

And he knew all too well the electricity that pulses through the World’s Most Famous Arena. Ahead of Friday’s tipoff against the Knicks, Carlisle spoke candidly about the challenge his Pacers faced in their second game of the regular season.

“There’s certainly nothing easy about it. It’s gonna be hard,” the coach said on Friday. “They’re a top team. They’re projected to be way up there. Regardless of what happened in Boston the other night, they’re coming home, [and] we’re coming off of last year’s playoffs. On your third day of the regular season, this will be the closest thing to a Game 7 atmosphere and feel. So it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to compete in that environment and this venue, and we’ve gotta embrace that and keep understanding how hard it’s gonna be.”

Even with all his preparation, Carlisle’s Pacers couldn’t predict what was to come. Out went Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. In came Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges — two players who’ve reshaped the very identity of the Knicks on both ends of the floor.

For the Knicks, everything looks different when they’re not up against the reigning champion Boston Celtics.

After the Celtics clinically dismantled the Knicks in the season opener, the Knicks paid it forward with a dominant 123-98 blowout victory over the Pacers in their home opener at Madison Square Garden.

And it all started with Tyrese Haliburton — the Pacers’ All-Star point guard and a player free agents reportedly want to join in Indiana. But against the team his Pacers eliminated in last season’s Conference Semifinals, on the same court, in front of the same fans, Haliburton had nothing to give.

Zero points.

Fewer points than his two All-Star appearances and one playoff appearance.

Haliburton dished out five assists but missed all eight of his field goal attempts, including seven from beyond the arc. Several of those were uncontested looks that fell short.

As Haliburton struggled to find his footing, Bridges stepped up to steal the show. Maybe, for just a day, Bridges stole Haliburton’s superpowers.

The Knicks’ newly acquired third star — who cost New York five first-round picks in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets — struggled to hit a three in the preseason or in the first half against Boston. But on Friday, Bridges was unstoppable, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and two-of-three from downtown, finishing with 21 points and five assists on the night.

Bridges said he found his rhythm in the second half against the Celtics, where he shot seven-of-eight from the field and two-of-three from beyond the arc. Since that halftime in Boston, Bridges has been nearly automatic, shooting 15-of-20 from the field and four-of-six from three-point range — a welcome sight for a Knicks team whose deep playoff hopes hinge on their third star playing at an elite level.

Towns added 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson contributed 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 10-of-19 shooting from the field. All five Knicks starters scored in double figures, including Josh Hart, who double-doubled against the Pacers with 20 points and 10 rebounds — scoring more points on Friday than he posted in all four preseason games and Tuesday’s opener in Boston combined (14).

Here’s something the Knicks did much better at home against the Pacers than they did in Boston: defend the three-point line.

After giving up an NBA record 29 made threes on 61 attempts during ring night in Boston, the Knicks clamped down, holding the Pacers to just 3-of-30 shooting from downtown on Friday,

And just three days after making 11 threes on 30 attempts against the Celtics, the Knicks shot 12-of-27 from deep on their own home floor. It’s not quite the volume Tom Thibodeau would like to see from a team filled with perimeter shooters, but as he explained pregame, it’s less about the quantity and more about the quality of the shots.

“We need easy baskets. I don’t want it to be like you’re compelled: ‘Oh we have to take 50 threes,’” Thibodeau said. “No, we have to take the right shots. We want as many layups as we can get, as many free throws as we can get, and as many threes as we can get. Everyone shares and is creating those shots. That’s what we have to do.”

The Knicks bounced back from Tuesday’s loss in Boston with a commanding dismantling of the Pacers on Friday. Next up, they host Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers — the third straight playoff contender on the docket to kick off a Knicks season filled with championship aspirations.