The Indiana Pacers have taken full control of the Eastern Conference finals with a dramatic 114-109 win over the New York Knicks in Game 2 on Friday. The Pacers now have a 2-0 lead, and will return to Indianapolis with a chance to potentially end the series at home. Teams that go up 2-0 in the conference finals are 76-6 all-time.
The Pacers jumped in front early, and briefly built a double-digit lead, but the Knicks quickly responded to get back in the game, and from there it was a back-and-forth affair that featured 17 ties and 17 lead changes. While this game was never going to match the theatrics of Game 1, it certainly did not disappoint.
Pascal Siakam led the way for the Pacers with 39 points on 15 of 23 from the field, which set a new playoff career-high. He also added five rebounds and three assists in a clutch effort. He had plenty of help, as six different Pacers scored in double figures, including Tyrese Haliburton, who did not shoot the ball well, but finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists.
Jalen Brunson had 36 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges each had 20, but that was not enough to keep up with the Pacers' electric offense.
Game 3 of this series is set for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET in Indianapolis.
Here are some key takeaways from Game 2:
Siakam steps up
Ahead of the trade deadline last season, the Pacers decided to go all-in, trading Bruce Brown, Kira Lewis Jr., Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks to the Toronto Raptors for Pascal Siakam. While many raised their eyebrows at the price, the move has more than paid off for the Pacers, who have gone to back-to-back conference finals.
Now, thanks to a monster effort by Siakam in Game 2 on Friday, they're two wins away from their first trip to the Finals since 2000.
Siakam got off to a red-hot start, scoring the Pacers' first 11 points, and never let up. He had 23 points in the first half when no one else on the Pacers had much going on, and continued to make key plays down the stretch. He finished with a playoff career-high 39 points, five rebounds and three assists.
"I just came out aggressive. At the end of the day, like, we're a team. It doesn't matter who scores. That's what I love so much about this team is like, we don't care about who scores. We just want to win the game. So, I got it going early and the guys did a good job finding me. And again, another night it's going to be somebody else, you know? And that's what makes us special."
History on Pacers' side
The Pacers stole homecourt -- literally -- with their thrilling Game 1 win, and now they've completely taken control of this matchup. They're up 2-0 heading home to Indianapolis, and have a chance to end the series without returning to New York.
Even after the first two games, it's hard to imagine the Pacers actually pulling off a sweep. History says they are going to advance, though, regardless of how many games it takes.
Teams that go up 2-0 in the conference finals are 76-6 all-time. Here are the six teams that were able to pull off such a comeback:
- 1971 Washington Bullets
- 1993 Chicago Bulls
- 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder
- 2018 Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2019 Toronto Raptors
It's important to note, though, that all six of those teams were the lower seed and lost the first two games on the road. No team has ever lost the first two games of the conference finals at home and come back to win, which is what the Knicks would have to do.
Pacers' offense just too much
The Pacers put up 113 points, shot 51.8% from the field, assisted on 26 of their 43 baskets and turned the ball over just 10 times. This was the seventh consecutive playoff game in which they scored at least 100 points and dished out at least 25 assists. Since 1987, only two other teams have had such a streak during the postseason.
For the playoffs, the Pacers now have a 118.9 offensive rating, which is the best mark of any remaining team by a wide margin. They also lead all remaining playoff teams in assist percentage (66.5%), are second in turnover percentage (12.1%) and second in pace (98.38).
It's not just that the Pacers run their five-out style to perfection, it's that they've mastered the rare ability to play fast while remaining under control. And with their depth, they don't run out of gas playing that way. The Knicks are the latest team to find out that it's nearly impossible to slow the Pacers down.
