Knicks must keep defensive heat on Tyrese Haliburton to escape Game 6

INDIANAPOLIS — Can they do it again? Can the Knicks build off their best defensive performance of the postseason with a similar effort? That’s the question for Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as Tom Thibodeau’s team looks to extend the Eastern Conference finals to a Game 7 back at the Garden on Monday. For the first time in this hard-fought series, they shut down the Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton, leading wire-to-wire in the one-sided Game 5 victory at MSG.Haliburton, coming off a 32-point, 15-assist, 12-rebound triple-double, was out of sorts.

Mikal Bridges was all over him.There were no opportunities for him to taunt the Garden faithful, as he did in Game 1 with the Reggie Miller choke sign. Haliburton attempted just seven shots and was held to eight points and six assists — series lows for him.

There were large stretches that he wasn’t really involved in the Pacers offense.The result was Indiana’s lowest point total since Feb.

4. That figures to change Saturday night.Expect a more aggressive and forceful player. “I got to be better and I’ll be better in Game 6,” said Haliburton, who is averaging 21 points and 10 assists in the series while shooting 44 percent from the field.

“They just did a good job applying pressure.Just did a better job defensively than they did last game switching things up.

We saw some blitzes, [Jalen] Brunson’s shows [on screens] were a little harder, they switched more down the line.They mixed things up as the game went on.” Thibodeau and the Knicks deserve credit.

They were active, connected and pressured Haliburton more in the backcourt.He had fewer opportunities off the pick-and-roll.

The Knicks talked to each other more, something they said was missing in Game 4.Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series.They never let Haliburton find an offensive rhythm. “Just picking him up, trying to be ph...