They kept relentlessly doubling Chen Xi up high, forcing him to give up the ball. Even if Hartenstein kept scoring in the paint, the Pacers could live with that.
"If I really let a role player like you kill me in the paint tonight, then I'll accept it!"
Time slowly passed, and the twelve minutes of the First Quarter gradually came to an end.
With Chen Xi hitting his first three-pointer of the night from three steps beyond the arc at the Top of the Key, pulling up over a double-team, the score at the end of the First Quarter was 36–27.
In the second half of the first quarter, the Pacers gradually clawed back a little of the deficit.
Of course, only a little.
To be fair, Carlisle's strategy had been sound.
After Hartenstein's brief scoring burst, his efficiency had indeed begun to drop.
And afterward, Nembhard and Mathurin had both hit three-pointers from opposite corners, helping the team close the gap.
But the Knicks still had Chen Xi.
Once he spotted the problem, Chen Xi decisively shifted the team's offensive focus back to the perimeter. He continued using the attention his defense drew to create opportunities for his teammates who could shoot.
On top of that, the trio of Chen Xi, Hartenstein, and Hart brought tremendous pressure on the offensive glass, allowing the Knicks to turn their missed shots into putbacks.
The teams' offensive rebound count for the quarter was 2–8.
That gap was the main reason the Pacers couldn't make up ground late in the First Quarter.
However, once the game entered the Second Quarter and Chen Xi went to rest, their opportunity came.
The Knicks opened the second quarter with Rose, Hart, Grant, Ethan, and Drummond on the floor.
Three starters leading the Transition Period~~