Why the Knicks already have everything they need to save their playoff hopes

To paraphrase Kevin Millar: Don’t let them win Game 5.

The thing about these Eastern Conference finals, about this 3-1 deficit the Knicks are facing heading back home for Thursday’s do-or-die Game 5 against the Pacers, is that it feels a lot less like the Pacers are running the Knicks off the floor and a lot more like the Knicks are leaving something on the table.

The Knicks’ nine-point loss in Game 4 on Tuesday was the most lopsided game of the series, and as well as the Pacers played — Tyrese Haliburton putting up a 32-point triple-double, Aaron Nesmith coming off injury and shooting well, Pascal Siakam dropping 30, Bennedict Mathurin putting in 20 off the bench — the overwhelming feeling coming out of it was that the Knicks had put up a stinker.

Maybe there’s some bias there (this is a New York paper after all), and this isn’t meant to diminish what’s been an excellent series from Indiana.