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New York Knicks has fallen into a place that no team in the NBA story has ever overcome.
After a historic collapse in play 1 in the eastern conference final to Indiana Pacers, Knicks Game 2 let through the fingers of a 114-109 loss.
No NBA team has ever lost the first two matches at home and will come back to win a series in the conference final.
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Indiana Pacers Guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots against New York Knicks -Guard Jalen Brunson (11) in the fourth quarter of match two of the eastern conference final for 2025 NBA playing games in Madison Square Garden. (Wendell Cruz-IMAGN images)
Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career hill 39 points, and Pacers beat New York Knick’s 114-109 Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the eastern conference final.
“We have a long way to go and it only gets harder for us,” Siakam said.
Myles Turner added 16 points, and Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for Pacers, losing to Lakers in 2000 in their only NBA final look.
Siakam ended 15 for 23 from the field on one evening, no one else on the highly scored pacers had more than five baskets.
“Especially games,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “In the first half he was the guy who made us go and got us through some difficult stretches.”
Jalen Brunson had 36 points and 11 assists for Knicks who need a quick turn or their first performance in the 25 -year conference will be short. They defended much better after their crushing collapse in EN 138-135 Overtime Loss In game 1, but couldn’t find enough score to get back after a bad start to the fourth quarter.
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May 21, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks Guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers Frem Obi Toppin (1) in the fourth quarter of match one of the eastern conference final for 2025 NBA playing games in Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: (Brad Penner-Preferred Pictures)
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each had 20 points and seven rebounds for Knicks, but the cities played only 28 minutes when coach Tom Thibodeau went further with backup Mitchell Robinson, a much better defender who grabbed nine rebounds.
“When we enter the fourth quarter, it’s a draw Ballgame. We just have to make better acting, more winning plays,” Thibodeau said.
It was tied to 81 after three before Pacers opened the fourth with a 13-4 race to move on 94-85 on Siakam’s 3-Pointer with 9:17 back. They would quickly push the margin back to around there every time Knicks got any momentum, and it was 110-100 after another basket of Siakam with 2:45 to play.
Knicks scored nine directly to make it 110-109 on Josh Hart’s basket with 14 seconds to go. Aaron Nesmith made two free kicks for Pacers, Brunson was well out on a 3-point attempt, and Turner finished it with two free kicks.
New York Knicks Guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers for Aaron Nesmith (23) in the fourth quarter of match two of the eastern conference final for 2025 NBA playing games in Madison Square Garden. (Wendell Cruz-IMAGN images)
The 50th playoff meeting between Rivierne-Pacers leads 28-22, all since 1993-equalized more their defensive battles in the 1990s than the shootout of two nights earlier.
Indiana drove to a 19-9 lead, but Knicks caught them quickly when Robinson and Deuce McBride came in and the game remained within a single-digit margin almost the rest of the night.
