The Indiana Pacers have taken a commanding 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks with a 114-109 win at Madison Square Garden on Friday. The Pacers had snatched home-court advantage in Game 1 and are now in the driver’s seat in this series after winning both games in New York.
Pascal Siakam was immense for the Pacers with 39 points (15-23 FG), five rebounds, three assists, and one steal. His co-star Tyrese Haliburton struggled with his shot but still had a solid showing with 14 points (5-16 FG), eight rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals. Six Pacers players would end up scoring in double digits on the night, and it was a great team effort.
The Knicks were the favorites coming into this series, but the Pacers are now firmly in control. NBA fans had some interesting reactions following this game.
“Rick Carlisle coached circles around Tom Thibodeau in Game 1. Pascal Siakam carried the Pacers to victory in game 2. Championship experience matters,” one fan believes championship experience has defined this series.
“Knicks won’t recover from that game one choke RIP,” another thinks that Game 1 loss doomed the Knicks.
“And the media really tried to downplay Siakam like he’s a s*** player,” a fan called out the media for not giving Siakam the respect he deserves.
“The Knicks look like a shell of the team that played the Celtics. Much credit to the Pacers who, at this point, look like they deserve to go to the finals,” one fan thinks the Knicks aren’t playing anywhere near as well as they did against the Boston Celtics.
“Brunson’s trying everything, but he can’t do it alone. Knicks in trouble,” a fan felt for Jalen Brunson, who gave it his all on the night.
Brunson was exceptional, yet again, for the Knicks. After scoring 43 points in Game 1, he had 36 points (13-27 FG), three rebounds, 11 assists, and one steal in this loss. He hit big shots time and time again in the fourth quarter to keep the Knicks within striking distance.
Brunson had 10 points in the fourth, but he did miss a three-pointer that would have tied the game at 112 with less than 10 seconds left. You can’t be too hard on the two-time All-Star for that miss, though, as he has been by far the Knicks’ best offensive player in the series.
Milkal Bridges did offer support to Brunson in that fourth quarter with 10 points of his own, but it wasn’t enough. Bridges finished with 20 points (9-18 FG), seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals against the Pacers.
As for Karl-Anthony Towns, he would end up spending a lot more time on the bench than you’d have imagined. Towns wasn’t in foul trouble but still played only 28 minutes in Game 2. He put up 20 points (6-14 FG) and seven rebounds in the loss.
Josh Hart, who won the minutes leader award this season, played just 29 minutes, too. Keeping both Towns and Hart on the bench for about 20 minutes each was a big call by Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. The decision didn’t work out, considering they failed to get the win.
The Knicks are now very much in must-win territory, as no team has ever overturned a 3-0 deficit. If they lose Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday at 8 PM ET, this series is all but over.
