Jalen Brunson and the Knicks tasted bitter defeat in their Game 4 loss against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night, falling 130–121 to find themselves on the brink of elimination in the NBA playoffs.
Their defeat came with a healthy helping of sass from Pacers fans, who weren't afraid to get loud for the second game of their playoff homestand. Pat McAfee, for example, went into full WWE mode when he took the mic during his introduction to send a blunt message to the Knicks.
Other Pacers fans made their voices heard during quieter lulls of action, such as when Brunson went to the line to shoot a pair of free throws late in the third.
As Brunson stepped up to the charity stripe, a chorus of not boos but savage one-word chants could be heard ringing across Gainbridge Fieldhouse: "FLOPPER! FLOPPER!"
TNT announcer Kevin Harlan and his boothmates heard the chant loud and clear but noted on the broadcast that they disagreed with the fans' assessment of Brunson.
Brunson would finish with a team-high 31 points, putting together a solid performance that nonetheless paled in comparison to Tyrese Haliburton's big-time triple-double. The Knicks will return to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Thursday night, where they will try to stave off elimination.
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