Pacers fend off Knicks, go home up 2-0 in East finals

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‘That's what I love so much about this team is we don't care who scores. We just want to win the game,’ says Pascal Siakam as the No. 4 Pacers pull off an upset anew on the Knicks home court

Pascal Siakam is a three-time All-Star who has carried an underrated label throughout most of his nine-year NBA career. Rest assured that Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle doesn’t view him that way.

The team-first Siakam’s scoring is what was coveted Friday night and he didn’t disappoint as the Pacers took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.

Siakam scored a playoff career-best 39 points and Indiana picked up its second straight road triumph in the series by outclassing the New York Knicks, 114-109, on Friday night, May 23 (Saturday, May 24, Manila time)

Game 3 is Sunday night, May 25, at Indianapolis.

Siakam made 15 of 23 field-goal attempts to set the tone for Indiana’s sixth consecutive playoff road victory. 

Myles Turner had 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 14 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Pacers.

“I just came out aggressive,” Siakam said. “At the end of the day, we’re a team. It doesn’t matter who scores. That’s what I love so much about this team is we don’t care who scores. We just want to win the game.

“I got it going early and the guys did a good job of finding me. Another night, it will be somebody else. That’s what makes us special.”

Siakam has averaged more than 20 points in six straight seasons, the last 1 1/2 campaigns coming with the Pacers. He won an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and Carlisle views him as a vital cog in Indiana’s attempt to win one of its own.

“He’s a veteran who has been in these situations multiple times,” Carlisle said. “He understands the importance of patience and being disciplined and understanding the NBA playoffs are a process.

“He never forces it. When we get in a bind late in the shot clock, he can get a shot up to the rim and most of the time it goes in.”

Jalen Brunson scored 36 points to set a Knicks postseason record of 19 30-point outings. He made five three-pointers and added 11 assists.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges each had 20 points and seven rebounds for third-seeded New York.

The Knicks trailed by 10 before ripping off nine straight late points. Anunoby made two free throws and Brunson added five straight points to cut Indiana’s lead to 110-107 with 1:06 remaining. 

Josh Hart scored on a layup with 14.7 seconds left to bring New York within one.

Aaron Nesmith was fouled without any time coming off the clock and made both free throws to put the Pacers ahead by three. 

Brunson missed a long three-pointer with just over eight seconds left before Turner made both free throws to give Indiana the final five-point margin with 4.2 seconds to go.

“We had a chance to tie the ballgame,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It was a hard-fought game. Both games came down to the last play.”

Indiana rallied from a 14-point deficit with under three minutes remaining in regulation in Game 1 and eventually won 138-135 in overtime.

Though the Knicks now face two games at Indianapolis, New York forward Mikal Bridges knows it takes four victories for a team to win the series.

“Just take it one game at a time,” Bridges said. “I know it is 2-0 but it is still a long series. We just have to find different ways to advance.”

Ben Sheppard and Siakam knocked down consecutive three-pointers to cap an 11-2 run as Indiana broke a tie and took a 94-85 advantage with 9:17 remaining in the game.

New York was within 103-99 before Haliburton drained a trey and Siakam made two free throws to give the Pacers a nine-point lead with 3:23 to play.

A short time later, Haliburton threaded a pass to a wide-open Siakam for a layup to make it 110-100 with 2:45 left. That hoop allowed Siakam to pass his previous playoff career high of 37 points.

The Pacers shot 51.8% from the field, including 13-of-30 from three-point range. Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard had 12 points apiece and T.J. McConnell scored 10.

OG Anunoby added 16 points for New York, which made 47.6% of its shots and was 11-of-32 from behind the arc.

Siakam scored Indiana’s first 11 points and had 16 in the opening quarter but New York put together a 17-5 quarter-ending push to take a 26-24 edge.

New York led 52-49 at the break behind Brunson’s 17 points. Siakam had 23 in the half for the Pacers.

Siakam’s basket with 28.7 seconds left in the third quarter put Indiana ahead by two before Brunson tied the score at 81 on a short basket with 2.5 seconds remaining. – Rappler.com