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As weak as the Eastern Conference is at the moment, the Indiana Pacers are very mindful of the fact that they need to put a winning streak together as soon as possible.? Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks could be the beginning of such a streak; they put up a strong defensive effort late in the fourth quarter, enabling the Pacers to escape from Madison Square Garden with a 103-100 win over the Knicks.

Part of the Knicks’ problem tonight was the lack of bench scoring as they accounted for only 19 points, while the Pacers’ bench provided 43.? Indiana’s Danny Granger hit all 4 of his shots in the first quarter, helping the Pacer stake an early 29-26 lead; the game was tied at 55 at halftime, courtesy of 15 first-half points by New York’s Zach Randolph and 14 by Eddy Curry.? Randolph’s 3-pointer? with 24 seconds left in the third quarter gave the Knicks a slim 77-75 lead going into the final period.

The Knicks led 86-79 after a tipin by Renaldo Balkman; Indiana would respond with a pair of treys made by Marquis Daniels and a 3-pointer and a jumper by Kareem Rush, which capped a 15-6 run.??A pair of free throws by Daniels gave the Pacers a 94-92 lead with 3 1/2 minutes to go; Randolph’s 3-point play put New York ahead, but Indiana’s Jeff Foster dunked and Rush made 2 baskets, giving the Pacers a 100-95 lead with 1:26 left.? New York’s Randolph?drained a trey then Balkman blocked a shot, giving the Knicks a final shot; however, Jamal Crawford missed a desperation shot just before the final buzzer.

Indiana had 6 players in double-digits, led by Rush from off the bench with 24 points, 7 rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot – including 3 treys; Mike Dunleavy scored 17 with 7 rebounds and 9 assists, while Granger added 16.? Troy Murphy chipped in 15 with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and a pair of steals.? New York was led by Randolph with 26 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists – including 3 treys, while Crawford scored 21 – including 3 treys?- with 2 rebounds and 7 assists.? Curry added 20 with 8 rebounds and a pair of assists in a losing effort.? Indiana (20-30) returns home to host the Portland Trail Blazers Saturday, while New York (14-35) continues their homestand by hosting the San Antonio Spurs Friday.