Pacers bring home 2-0 lead against Knicks, keepin' 'em running and keepin' 'em working
The Pacers put on a show in Madison Square Garden, winning the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals in different ways. Pascal Siakam lead the way in Game 2 to keep the Knicks scrambling.
The Pacers relentless pursuit of Ws continued on Friday night as they rallied from behind in far less dramatic fashion than in Game 1, yet still impressive to lock up ECF Game 2 with a 114-109 win at Madison Square Garden.
Pascal Siakam was the star of the show from the opening tip, scoring the Pacers first 11 points to fuel an early 19-9 lead. The Knicks recovered to lead by two after the first quarter and three at the half, 52-49. The game favored the Knicks at this point with the lower score and a killer rebounding advantage for the home team. Adjustments were made and the Pacers had the Knicks chasing them down the stretch before putting the game away late.
Siakam scored 21 of the Pacers first 31 points, finished the half with 23 points and then continued to beast in the second half to deliver a postseason best, 39-point effort which included some critical free throws a nut cuttin’ time down the stretch. The pro’s pro rose up and delivered a dub to put the Pacers in control of this ECF series as it heads back to Indy.
Full stop.
What else?
The Knicks altered their rotation a bit (or a lot if you ask a Knicks’ fan) in the first half, giving Mitchell Robinson more minutes to be a menace on the glass while appearing to give Karl-Anthony Towns more rest, presumptively to keep him fresh for the finish.
However, after the Pacers came out strong after the half, KAT’s minutes remained minimized as he played less than Mitchell overall. No doubt, Mitchell was an absolute problem for the Pacers in the first half, but a lineup adjustment by Rick Carlisle helped mute Mitchell’s impact.
With Myles Turner struggling on the glass and Thomas Bryant not faring much better and also dealing with a jammed finger or two, Tony Bradley was tapped to enter the fray late in the second quarter. Bradley proved active and strong enough to force Mitchell to work on the glass. With more minutes against Mitchell in the second half, Mitchell had just two rebounds and the Pacers and Knicks were even on the glass with 4 ORebs and 18 Rebs overall. This combined with a slight turnover advantage had the Pacers in good shape in the possession game and the rest was up to executing down the stretch.
That they did with the rest of the rotation playing a super support role alongside Siakam. Tyrese Haliburton was not aggressive offensively in the first half, but got going later and finished with 14 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. Andrew Nembhard was there in the second half when needed and added 12 points. Nesmith also had 12 points and 7 rebounds. TJ McConnel was able to get to his spot and the rim enough for 10 points and 4 assists in 15 minutes. All done while letting Siakam lead the way.
Myles Turner needs a bit more attention since he has been in the midst of a rough matchup, trying to keep up with KAT on the perimeter or battling Mitchell around the rim. Turner had 2 points and 0 rebounds at the half. Foul trouble didn’t help but that, too was part of the problem. Turner was in and out during the second half pending the Mitchell/KAT minutes, but made his presence felt in the fourth quarter.
In fact, Turner closed out the win. Pacers up 112-109 in waning seconds, Jalen Brunson bounced a long 3PA leaving the ball up for grabs in the middle of the lane. Turner tapped it once, tapped it twice and then secured the rebound and was fouled while trying to push it the other way. With four seconds left in the game, Turner made both free throws to put the Pacers up five and wipe away, even a desperate Larry Johnson freakish 4-point play opportunity.
Glorious team win.
Keep ‘em running!
Part of the Pacers postseason success has been their ability to suck the life out of opponents late but making them work all 48 minutes, all 94 feet of the floor. The Pacers had a few possessions where they just pushed the ball up the floor for buckets at the rim. In fact, Tyrese had two passes ahead, one after a miss and one after a make, that lead to a layup and put a damper on the MSG crowd’s effort to get hyped.
My favorite example of this effort happened midway through the third quarter. OG Anunoby missed a 3-ball and Obi Toppin corralled the carom under the hoop with Ben Sheppard to his left. Watch what happens next.
After Obi gives the ball to Haliburton, both he and Shep don’t just run the right and left lanes, respectively, the full-out sprint. Shep’s effort force Brunson to run back harder than he was planning. Toppin force Hart and OG to retreat almost to the Knicks baseline. Not gonna get burned by another layup, right?
The Knicks jumbled defense trying to account for the Pacers ‘runners’ out ahead of the ball, ends up giving Nembhard the ball on the wing where KAT can’t contain his dribble. After getting to his midrange sweet spot and simultaneously getting KAT off balance, Nembhard hits his patented fade away.
Light work thanks to hard work.
The Pacers have no room to exhale or enjoy the 2-0 lead. They are a team that relies on working their ass off to make opponents feel them when it matters. They can win in different ways with different players assuming a big role from game to game. But the baseline effort throughout the rotation has to maintain the current level as they continue creeping toward a potential NBA Finals opportunity.
After the Indy 500 on Sunday, the Pacers will host an appreciative and electric crowd at the Fieldhouse. But the Knicks will be there fighting for their lives so once, again, the Pacers have to show up with a singular focus, clock in and go to work.
Game 3: Pacers vs. Knicks
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Sunday, May 25, 2025, 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers -2
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Knicks: Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns
Injuries
Pacers: Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) - out
Knicks: None