Pascal Siakam, Pacers Doom Knicks to 0-2 Deficit

New York Knicks fans waited a quarter-century for a return to the Eastern Conference Finals. They'll have to be a little more patient to witness a home win in the round.

Doomed by dominance from Pascal Siakam, the Knicks dropped a 114-109 decision to the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of national semifinal round on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. New York thus trails 2-0 in the best-of-seven set as it shifts to Indianapolis.

Siakam scored 39 points on a wayward shooting for Tyrese Haliburton, who nonetheless posted a 14-point, 11-assists double-double. The Pacers improved to 6-1 in road games this season while the Knicks fell to 3-5 under Madison Square Garden's iconic roof.

Knicks captain and point guard Jalen Brunson had a double-double of his own with 36 points and 11 assists but his attempt to lead New York back from a late deficit fell short at the top of the key.

The most attention on the Knicks ledgers will no doubt turn to Karl-Anthony Towns' inactivity, as the All-Star center played a minute less than Mitchell Robinson while putting up 20 points and seven rebounds. Towns, however, was a team-worst minus-20 amidst his strong conventional tallies while Robinson posted nine boards, three blocks, and a plus-six in 29 minutes of relief.

Though hardly keeping up with the pace set up in the opening quarter of Game 1, Indiana took another early lead, one primarily formed by the efforts of Siakam. The former Toronto Raptor put up 16 of the Pacers' 24 opening period points and 6-of-9 from the field while the rest of the team was 3-of-11.

Despite the struggles, the Pacers jumped out to an early 10-point lead but the Knicks had it back by the end of the opening dozen thanks to a late push from Robinson and Miles McBride off the bench. A dozen points from Towns in the second quarter helped keep the lead in tact and boosted the advantage to as high as seven before the halftime horn sounded and the score stood at 52-49 midway through.

Siakam, however, got a perfect third started with a three-pointer, setting the stage for a narrow affair the rest of the way. Things were knotted up at 81 by the end of the third before a flurry of Indiana threes, primarily a trio sunk by Siakam, Myles Turner, and Ben Sheppard early in the final frame placed momentum in their favor. Towns was removed from the game after Siakam's triple created a nine-point lead and did not return until there was 2:25 left.

After infamously losing a late lead of their own in Wednesday's opener, the Knicks staged one last push after Indiana went up 10 with 2:45 to go. OG Anunoby sank two from the foul line before a three and a two from Brunson cut the lead to one possession.

Brunson's feed to Josh Hart sliced the deficit to one before intentionally fouling Aaron Nesmith, who sank two from the line. A would-be equalizer from the Clutch Player of the Year, however, feel short, dooming the Knicks to a dangerous hole. From there, Myles Turner capped off a 13-point fourth with freebies to create the final margin. New York had a timeout to work with going into the possession that led to Brunson's miss but did not use it.

May 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) in the fourth quarter during game two of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

History is not on the Knicks' side in their attempt to make a comeback: only six teams have risen from an 0-2 hole to win a conference finals series and none of those entrants dropped the first two games at home.

The Knicks will look to get on the board over the holiday weekend, as Game 3 will be staged on Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (8 p.m. ET, TNT).

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