Marcus Morris Sr. scored 12 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter Saturday night, when his jumper with 5:50 left gave the New York Knicks a lead they would not relinquish in a 92-85 upset of the host Indiana Pacers.
Julius Randle (16 points, a season-high 18 rebounds) had a double-double for the Knicks, who entered Saturday tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference but rode dominant defensive efforts in the first and fourth quarters to win for just the fourth time in the last 16 games. Taj Gibson added 10 points.
Domantas Sabonis had 25 points and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who lost for only the third time in 11 games. Indiana scored only 11 points in the first quarter -- its lowest output in a quarter all season -- before being outscored 20-14 in the fourth quarter. Myles Turner had 12 points while Malcolm Brogdon finished with eight points and 12 assists.
The Knicks led 24-11 after the first and led by as many as 17 points in the second quarter before going up 50-39 at the half. The Pacers edged back in the third quarter, when they outscored New York 32-22 and pulled within one at 72-71 on Brodgon's layup with 15.6 seconds remaining.
The Pacers took their lone lead when Turner hit a 3-pointer for the first basket of the fourth quarter, but the Knicks scored the next six points to go ahead 78-74. Indiana tied the score once more at 80-80, but Sabonis missed a potential go-ahead free throw with 6:11 remaining.
Morris then scored six points in an 8-0 run in which the Pacers missed five straight shots and were held scoreless for 4:20. An old-fashioned three-point play by Sabonis pulled Indiana within 88-85 with 36.4 seconds left, but Morris responded with a jumper from the foul line and iced the game with two free throws after Justin Holiday missed an open 3-pointer.
Pacers forward T.J. Warren left the game with a head injury following a collision with Randle under the Indiana basket in the third quarter and did not return.
--Field Level Media
New York | Indiana | |
Marcus Morris Sr. 28 | Scoring | Domantas Sabonis 25 |
Dennis Smith Jr. 6 | Assists | Malcolm Brogdon 12 |
Julius Randle 18 | Rebounds | Domantas Sabonis 8 |
Julius Randle 6 | Free Throws Made | Domantas Sabonis 5 |
Julius Randle 2 | Steals | T.J. Warren 2 |
Bobby Portis 1 | Blocks | Justin Holiday 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
New York | 92 | 41.5 | 7-26 | 17-23 | 19 | 57 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
Indiana | 85 | 42.1 | 8-24 | 13-21 | 21 | 34 | 1 | 4 | 11 |