After a brutal road trip that spanned two weeks, and included a West Coast swing, the Knicks return home for the first time since a loss to Milwaukee on Christmas Day. The dreaded first-game-home angle looms for New York. After a long road trip, a team is usually in a play-against spot, but this meeting with Indiana is a unique one.
The Pacers, coming off a brutal, 27-point loss to the Celtics, are in their own play-against spot. Not only has Indiana failed to cover in five straight, but the team will be on the final game of its own week-long road trip.