The Minnesota Timberwolves were backed into a corner. Down 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. Yet all they did was come out in Game 3 and get a resounding 143-101 victory. The Knicks are in a similar corner, down 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers.
It seems like the Knicks will be getting a starting lineup change, which should provide a much-needed spark. The Knicks have looked much better with Mitchell Robinson on the floor, he brings a contagious energy, which the Knicks will need to pull off the improbable.
Knicks want to make history
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The difference between what the Timberwolves did and what the Knicks will have to do is that the Timberwolves' Game 3 victory came on their home floor; the Knicks will have to handle business on the road. No team has ever come back from down 0-2 in the Conference Finals after losing the first two games at home, and the Knicks are ready for it.
Karl-Anthony Towns has [said on multiple occasions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JnEuSFAniI) that the Knicks are not here to repeat history; they're here to make history. While that sounds great, the Knicks will now have to show that they actually do intend to make history.
Outside of the hope that the Timberwolves may have instilled in Knicks fans, there is also the recent trend of teams performing well on the road. Over the last five seasons, teams have only won at home slightly more than half of the time, [according to an analysis from Marc Stein](https://marcstein.substack.com/p/what-has-happened-to-homecourt-advantage). So much for home court advantage.
The Pacers know this better than any team in the league; they have won an incredible six straight games on the road in these playoffs.
Need to slow the Pacers down
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One of the major adjustments the Knicks will need to make to get themselves back in this series is trying to find a way to slow the Pacers down on offense. Putting Robinson into the starting lineup should help. The Knicks have had a 104.5 defensive rating when Robinson has been on the floor in the playoffs, compared to 115.4 when he is off.
But Robinson can't do all of it. The Knicks as a team need to do a better job of getting back in transition. The Pacers ran wild against the Knicks in Game 2, generating 1.46 points per direct in transition. It will be essential for the Knicks to give a complete effort on that side of the ball and get their defense set.