GREENBURGH, N.Y. — When the Knicks-Pacers series shifts to Indiana for Game 3 on Saturday, Tyson Chandler hopes to make a bigger impact.
Through the first two games of the series, the 7-foot-1 Chandler is averaging just 6.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 block.
His counterpart, Pacers center Roy Hibbert, is averaging 10 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 blocks in the series.
Chandler missed 16 of the final 20 regular-season games with a bulging disk in his neck, and also said he lost 10 pounds due to flu-like symptoms.
“It’s been difficult for me because I’m trying to get my conditioning right,” he said Thursday after practice.
“I thought I was there in the Boston series, but then I realized I’m not in the condition that I thought I was. And also, the timing. I feel better, though, every game and these three days are great for me because it gives me an opportunity to work on my strengths as well as my timing and conditioning and everything that you need to be on the basketball court.”
By the time Game 4 tips off at 8 p.m. Saturday night, the Knicks will have had almost four full days rest since winning Game 2 in a rout Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
That should help not only Chandler, but the other injured and banged-up Knicks — Carmelo Anthony (shoulder), Raymond Felton (ankle), Steve Novak (back) and Amar’e Stoudemire (knee).
“It’s been great for some of the guys to get in rhythm,” said Chandler, who is averaging 5.4 points and 7.4 rebounds in the playoffs. “It’s been great for me because it’s a good opportunity to get some more conditioning, some practice time, get my timing better.”
Chandler said he watched the tape of Game 2 “1,000 times” and understands that he must do more to counteract Hibbert down low.
“There’s definitely some things that I’ve seen — some things that I’ve had succes with; some things that he’s had success with that I’ve got to slow down,” Chandler said. “But that’s a series. You make adjustments. You’re going to learn a lot game to game.”
Also, because Hibbert is spending so much time in the paint on the defensive end, Chandler wants the Knicks guards to take advantage by penetrating and pulling up for the mid-range jumper.
“He’s daring our guards to take that shot, and we’ve got to make it, because he’s laying down in the paint,” he said. “We’ve got to take advantage of that, him just standing under the basket. We’ve got that free throw line dotted pull-up jump shot all game. We can get that any time we want to. We’ve got to exploit while he’s out there.”
On the offensive side, Chandler generally only scores on lob dunks off a pass from a guard or on a putback. He never takes — or even fakes — the elbow jumper even though he shot 69 percent from the foul line during the regular season.
Asked if ever thinks about taking that shot, Chandler said: “Yeah, absolutely — when I get the ball.”
