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Clinging to playoff hopes, Pacers host Knicks

Mar 17, 2008 - 12:54 PM New York (19-47) at Indiana (25-41) 7:00 pm EDT

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) - The Indiana Pacers are still within striking distance of an Eastern Conference playoff berth. The same can't be said for the New York Knicks.

The two teams meet on Monday in a game far more important to the Pacers than the Knicks.

While New York has seemingly been playing out the string for months, the weak East has enabled the struggling Pacers to remain three games behind New Jersey and Atlanta for eighth place.

Indiana is 1-5 in its last six games and has dropped consecutive road games to Dallas and Orlando.

Monday's game starts a three-game homestand for the Pacers, who 13-18 overall at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Indiana has beaten the Knicks in each of the two previous meetings, both in New York. The teams play each other in the regular-season finale for both teams on April 16.

The Knicks, who are locked into the second-worst record in the East, have won only once in their last nine games and bring a 7-25 road record into the contest.

New York is coming off a 109-98 home loss to Atlanta on Sunday, a game in which the Knicks shot only 54 percent (15-for-28) from the free-throw line.