Knicks use huge run to even series

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Carmelo Anthony scored 32 points — 16 during a 30-2 New York onslaught in the second half — as the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 105-79 on Tuesday night to even the Eastern Conference semifinals at one game.

Iman Shumpert added 15 points, including a sensational follow dunk in the first half, and Raymond Felton scored 14 as the Knicks turned a close game into a blowout over the final 15 minutes.

Paul George scored 20 points for the Pacers, who had a two-point lead and momentum when coach Frank Vogel called timeout with a little more than 3 minutes left in the third quarter.

By the time the Pacers got on the board in the final period, the Knicks had opened a 26-point advantage.

Game 3 is Saturday at Indianapolis.

David West scored 13 points for the Pacers, who committed 21 turnovers that led to 32 points, negating their height advantage that loomed so large in their Game 1 victory.

Indiana had trailed most of the night before taking a 64-62 lead on George Hill’s 3-pointer with 3:28 left in the third quarter that capped a 10-4 run, the Pacers seeming to have all the momentum.

Vogel then called timeout with a little more than 3 minutes left and subbed out center Roy Hibbert. Anthony came back with a drive and then a dunk while drawing a foul that knocked over Hibbert’s replacement, Jeff Pendergraph, and the game was never the same.

New York closed the period on a 10-2 run, Pablo Prigioni opened the fourth with a 3-pointer and a jumper in the lane, drawing chants of “Pablo! Pablo!” and then Anthony put it away.

He hit a jumper and a 3-pointer, and after Tyson Chandler’s follow dunk, the NBA’s scoring leader converted a three-point play and drilled another 3-pointer before another basket by Chandler made it 92-66, extending the run to 30-2.

Tyler Hansbrough got the Pacers on the board with two free throws with 4:48 left, and the Pacers made a field goal when reserve Orlando Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 3:07 to go.

Prigioni and Kenyon Martin finished with 10 points apiece as the Knicks endured another dreadful game from Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith, who was 3 of 15 for eight points.

Anthony had shot 35 for 110 over his previous four games but broke out of his slump Tuesday, going 13 of 26 and adding nine rebounds as the Knicks, pummeled on the boards in Indiana’s 102-95 victory in Game 1, finished with a 37-35 advantage.

Indiana had a 44-30 advantage on the boards in its victory. The Game 1 winner has won all of the previous six series between these teams.