David West got his legs tangled, tumbled awkwardly to the floor and immediately reached for his knee.
That early April night in New York, he remembered the feeling from the year before, when the same kind of fall ended his season, led to major surgery and altered the course of his career.
Only this time, the feeling was different. It wasn't weakness. It was strength.
The Pacers have felt it ever since.
Since regaining the confidence that he was, indeed, back to his old self, West has been the Pacers' best player. In the last 10 games, including the final six of the regular season and four in the first-round series against Orlando, he has averaged 18.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and shot 49.7 percent.
"I had a nasty spill against the Knicks, and it was a similar play to how I tore my knee up," West said. "And I just remember that it made it through, it didn't buckle, and that was really the first time it really got tested. I think I got a little more confidence in terms of what I could do and how I was feeling and I've been feeling better about things since that point.
"And obviously seeing the end of the road with the playoffs approaching, I just felt like it was time to get into a groove, be in attack mode. That's kind of been my thought process coming into these playoffs."
In leading Indiana to a 101-99 victory in Game 4 Saturday in Orlando for a 3-1 series lead, West racked up 26 points and 12 rebounds, a monster game from the Pacers' quiet, but passionate, veteran leader.
After the Magic wiped out a 19-point fourth-quarter lead to force overtime, he scored the first two buckets of overtime, not only rebuilding the Pacers' confidence but putting the Magic back in catch-up mode.
"He's been like that all series," said George Hill, who scored the final six points of overtime, including the decisive free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining. "We've been riding his backbone all series. He's a leader, one of the main leaders on this team.
"When you have an All-Star power forward down there who can get the ball, can score, can pass, can command double-teams and can facilitate the whole time it makes everybody's game easier. You've got to tip your hat to him, we rode his coattail all game long."
West has averaged 16.8 points and 10.0 rebounds in the series. In his 158 minutes on the floor, the Pacers have outscored the Magic by 55 points, by far the best plus-minus figure on the team.
Orlando built its gameplan around stopping West in Game 3, with constant double-teams limiting him to nine shots and four points, it opened things up for the rest of the Pacers in a 97-74 blowout.
With only one physical low-post defender available in Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy has to decide whether to assign the 6-9, 290-pounder to defend West or 7-2 center Roy Hibbert.
Whoever isn't defended by Davis draws Ryan Anderson, and that's the matchup the Pacers have been attacking. Both of the Pacers' big men are averaging double-doubles in the series.
"He’s a matchup nightmare," Orlando's Jason Richardson said of West. "We had four guys on him and he goes around them, we had different guys on him, he shoots right over them. It’s just that he’s tough."
When it came time to make the decision about his future last fall, West's decision came down to the Celtics, an aging team loaded with veterans hoping to make one last championship push, or the Pacers, a talented but young team in desperate need of sage leadership.
He liked the Pacers' talent, chemistry and future.
"The talent is definitely in there," he said. "That was one of the things that drew me to this team. My role on this team is just to be steady and win, lose or draw make sure we don't get too high or get too low off wins or losses.
"We've matured in the fact we can accept criticism from the coaches and to a man we go out and try to improve and we've been consistently able to do that over the last month."
So many times in the past few weeks, the Pacers have jumped on West's back. With his legs now as strong as his spirit, he has carried them.
