The Atlanta Hawks are not in the playoffs, but veteran forward Georges Niang is moonlighting as an analyst with FanDuel TV during them.
Following the Indiana Pacers’ stunning come-from-behind victory over the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Niang says the latter is in dire straits heading into their next contest.
Still, he expects Madison Square Garden to be rocking for Game 2.
“New York's backs are definitely up against the wall. The Garden is going to be electric on Game 2 just for the simple fact that … the Pacers came in and did their job. They got one game [on the road]. So, I hope there’s no relax effect, but New York is going to have to have their antennas up. Because you go down 0-2 going to Indiana, that’s a real uphill battle you do not want to be a part of,” Niang said on “Run It Back” on May 22.
“You saw that when they were up 2-0, going back to New York against the Celtics. So, I think they realize what’s at stake, and I don't expect the energy in The Garden to be any lower than it was.”
The Knicks held a 17-point fourth-quarter lead before the Pacers mounted a comeback to steal home-court advantage in the series.
Hawks legend echoes Georges Niang
Niang got a fitting co-sign from show host and former Hawks star Lou Williams, who noted that the Knicks did not do themselves many favors.
“I agree with George; the Garden is going to be electric. But like he also said, Indiana has done their job. Now, you got a team that’s playing with house money. They’re going to be out there free, they’re going to be relaxed, they feel confident going in. Can you imagine the confidence level going into Game 2? So, New York is going to have some work to do. And listen, Indiana won this game, but New York tried to give this game away a few opportunities,” Williams said.
“There's a lot of things that they got to sure up to give them a chance to win Game 2 to even go into Indiana tied up. If not, they’re looking at a completely different series moving forward.”
Game 2 is on Friday, May 23, and the stage is set for an explosive matchup between the Nos. 3 (Knicks) and 4 (Pacers) seeds in the Eastern Conference. For as little as it means now, the Hawks were 2-1 against the Pacers in the regular season, but they were 2-3 versus the Knicks.