Pacers 102, Knicks 86: "Is the game still happening?"

The Knicks lost. They started the game losing, then they continued to lose until they had lost.

- It amazes me sometimes how little Andrea Bargnani does to help. He'll pretend to help, but he does not help. He rarely makes actual contact with his screens and he serially "rotates" without actually jumping or impeding the offensive player. He knows what he should be doing to help, but he won't. I love the guy, yet I would never ever want to play on his team. Well, I would, just for the novelty, like to say I did. But just once. After that, no.

- I did see Bargnani hit a three off the catch, so that's good.

- The Knicks did an admirable job of passing the keys to the tank along. First Shane Larkin fouled George Hill on two made runners within minutes of each other, then Cole Aldrich tipped in a Pacers miss, then Lou Amundson somehow tipped OUT a Langston Galloway layup that I swear was going in. Somewhere in there, I saw Quincy Acy jab-step and attempt a contested three.

- Clyde says he can't spin a basketball on his finger. Like, not at all? Not even for a second? I bet he can spin a ball on his finger for minutes at a time, but just hasn't ever tried because he's been too busy buying furs and kissing ladies and whatever.

- Quincy Acy used a Pacer to foul a Pacer, which is a high-level fouling move:

The next fouling techniques Quincy must master to move up a level:

1. Pick a guy up by his ankles and swing him into his teammate

2. Tie a guy's leg in a knot

3. Set a guy on fire

- Ricky Ledo takes wild swings between looking like he cannot dribble a basketball at all and dribbling his way into pretty good looks for himself or teammates. He showed off a gorgeous inside-out dribble to shake his guy, draw help, and create an open strong-side three for Jason Smith. And then another time he dribbled into Rodney Stuckey's neck.

- Don't think I've ever seen this sequence of events before:

- Rarely in an NBA game does a straight-up footrace occur, but Shane Larkin had the opportunity in the first half to outrun a couple Pacers for a ball tipped downcourt and good GOD did he outrun them. I doubt his top speed is much greater than other guys, but he accelerates so rapidly, which is really what's important. I just wish that ability could get him clean looks at the rim sometimes.

- Both Larkin and Galloway rush their floaters in a way that suggests they hadn't considered the possibility before it emerged. It's not so much a shot as it is a necessary way to get rid of the ball. Doesn't have to be that way with practice and planning! That can be a really useful shot!

- Five Knicks scored in double figures!?

And uhhh, yeah, like fracon's quote in the headline, I kinda zoned out in the fourth quarter because we were debating whether or not Carmelo Anthony would be a pretty girl. Four more games.