INDIANAPOLIS (Sporting Alert) — Kenyon Martin will start at power forward position for the New York Knicks tonight in their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal clash with the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
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Martin joins leading scorer Carmelo Anthony in the starting line-up with Iman Shumpert, who was questionable with a knee problem and Raymond Felton also starting as the Knicks look to even the series at 2-2 with a win.
Tyson Chandler, who recently questioned the way New York runs its offense in the last game is at the center.
J.R. Smith, who was doubtful and Amar’e Stoudemire will come off the bench, so too Pablo Prigioni, who finished without a point in the 82-71 Game 3 defeat.
Chandler wants his teammates to step things up on the court.
“There can’t just be one or two guys out there,” he said. “It has to be an entire time and that’s where we’re falling short right now.”
George Hill, who scored 17 points in the last game and the impressive Paul George, who added 14 points and eight rebounds in that game are amongst the starters again for the Pacers tonight.
“We should approach this game the same way that they’re going to approach it, and that’s a must-win,” George said.
“We’ve got to get this game. We’ve got to get this game under our belt, take care of our home court. That’ll just set us up to take care of business on the road.”
The big match-up on the night though, is expected to come from Knicks’ Chandler and the Pacers’ Roy Hibbert, who finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds to dominate the last match-up.
Another win for the Pacers would see them moving in the driver’s seat, but they have no intentions to relax.
“We don’t want to get relaxed. We don’t want to feel happy or complacent,” George said. “We’ve got to come out and play, again, the same way that they’re going to approach the game, and that’s just with a lot of energy.
“We have to match their energy but still play our style of basketball.”
