Game 7.
“The best two words in sports,” Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith said.
For the Pacers and Knicks, they’re the two words that will decide their Eastern Conference semifinal Sunday afternoon at the Garden.
Each team has held serve at home in this series, but the few veterans in Indiana’s locker room have tried to impress upon this young team to expect the unexpected and focus on the work.
“It’s the ultimate game. And it’s a great opportunity,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “This team has been through a lot of new experiences over the last 3 ½ weeks, and this will be another new one. So we’ll do everything possible to get them ready. But in Game 7s, it comes down to compete level and how well you’re tied together.”
Indiana acquired Pascal Siakam in a trade from Toronto for moments like Sunday in the sold-out Garden.
The veteran forward played in a pair of Eastern Conference semifinal Game 7s already, beating Philadelphia en route to the 2019 title and losing to Boston the next year.
“It’s gritty. Both teams are going to play hard. It’s going to be hard,” said Siakam, who could take advantage of an injured Josh Hart (abdomen) on Sunday. “It’s a lot of things that’s going to happen, and as long as you stay focused within the game plan and play with energy, the hardest-playing team usually wins these games.
“It’s going to take everything. A lot of crazy stuff’s going to happen, just got to stay within what we do, and as long as you come into the game with pure energy and playing as hard as you can, stay together. That’s the most important. … We’ve just got to manage it, stay together. That’s the main thing that I’ll be preaching to the guys is just bring your energy and bring everything.”
T.J. McConnell seconded that message.
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The diminutive guard was on the other end of Siakam’s 2019 Game 7 victory, with Philadelphia as he helplessly watched Kawhi Leonard’s iconic shot bounce up and in.
Sometimes the margin can be that razor-thin.
“It’s one of those things where the team that exerts the most energy and plays to exhaustion comes out on top, and it’s win or go home,” McConnell said. “It’s something every player plays for, a Game 7, and excited for the opportunity. But we have to be more dialed in than any of us have ever been before.
“They know that if you’re not playing to absolute exhaustion in this next game, why even go? And that’s got to be the mindset from everyone here.”
Nesmith has drawn the assignment of guarding Jalen Brunson, with help off the bench from McConnell.
After logging a total of two minutes in Boston’s Game 7s two years ago in the conference semis and finals, he’s relishing his first legitimate chance to shine on the big stage.
“Everybody here is excited for it. It’s a lot of people’s first Game 7,” Nesmith said. “It’s my first real one … so it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
