Reinforcements finally arrived for the injury-ravaged Knicks, and not just the two expected contributors — Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks — they acquired ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson also was back in the lineup after missing one game with a sprained ankle, but his game-high 39 points were not nearly enough as the Knicks lost for the third time in four games, 125-111, to the Pacers on Saturday night at the Garden.
Tom Thibodeau’s team (33-20) shot 31.3 percent (10-for-32) from 3-point range, including a misfiring 2-for-9 by previously sizzling Donte DiVincenzo, and was outrebounded by a 41-32 margin.
Miles Turner (23 points) and Pascal Siakam (19) took advantage of the inside absences of injured Isaiah Hartenstein and Julius Randle with a combined 17-for-22 shooting, and All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton finished with 22 points and 12 assists for the Pacers (30-24).
Burks netted 22 points in 22 minutes but Bogdanovic was held to 11 on 3-for-10 from the floor in 33 minutes — both off the bench — with Taj Gibson joining Precious Achiuwa in the starting frontcourt for the Knicks, who also played once again without OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.
