The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks played Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Playoff series on Friday night. While many were expecting the Knicks to bounce back from their crushing collapse in Game 1, that was not the case.
When the final whistle blew, the Pacers took a 2-0 series lead with a 114-109 victory.
Pascal Siakam led the way for Indiana, putting together a 39-point performance on 15-for-23 from the floor and 3-for-5 from the three-point line. Myles Turner chipped in with 16 points, while Tyrese Haliburton scored 14 points to go along with 11 assists, eight rebounds, and two steals.
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Also, the Pacers saw Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith score 12 points and T.J. McConnell come off the bench for 10 points and four assists.
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On the other side of the court, New York was led by Jalen Brunson, who had a double-double with 36 points and 11 assists. He shot 13-for-27 from the floor and 5-for-12 from three-point range.
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns both scored 20, while OG Anunoby put up a 16-point performance.
Following the huge win by Indiana, the Pacers took to social media to send a four-word message.
“took over The Garden,” the post read.
Now, the two teams will prepare for Game 3 action on Sunday night. It will be a busy day in the city of Indianapolis, with the Indy 500 happening early in the day and Indiana playing the Knicks at 8 p.m. ET.
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After the Game 2 win, Haliburton spoke out about the upcoming matchup at home. He’s excited to take the court in front of the crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I can’t imagine all those people coming to Gainbridge. It’s going to be a rowdy crowd, maybe intoxicated.”
Rick Carlisle, the Pacers’ head coach, also offered a warning for his team. He is not taking much from holding a 2-0 lead in the series.
“There are a lot of traps here. You cannot assume going home here is going to be easier. It never is,” Carlisle said.
Only time will tell, but Indiana was not given a big chance to take both games at Madison Square Garden to start the series. The Pacers still have a lot of work to do, but there are a lot of reasons for optimism in Indiana.
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