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The New York Knicks have fallen to a place their team has never overcome in NBA history.
After a historic collapse in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks slipped Game 2 with a 114-109 loss.
The NBA team has never returned to win a series in the conference finals, losing their first two games at home.
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Indiana Pacers guard guard Ty Halliburton (0) will face New York Knicks guard Jaren Branson (11) in the fourth quarter of the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn image)
Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 39 points, with Pacer defeating the New York Knicks 114-109 on Friday night to lead 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“We have a long way to go and it's just going to be tougher for us,” Siakam said.
Miles Turner added 16 points, while Tyreese Halliburton had 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds to the Pacers, losing to the Lakers in his only NBA Finals appearance in 2000.
Siakam finished 15 at 23 from the field on a night when no one else in the high-scoring pacer had more than five baskets.
“It's a special game,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “In the first half he was the guy who moved us and took us through difficult stretches.”
Jalen Brunson scored 36 points and 11 assists for the Knicks. He needs a simple turnaround or their first appearance in the first meeting final in 25 years. They defended much better after a devastating collapse with a 138-135 overtime loss in Game 1, but were unable to find enough scores to come back after a bad start to the fourth quarter.
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May 21st, 2025. New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Branson (11) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers forward forward Obitoppin (1) in the fourth quarter of the fourth quarter of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Required Credits: (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
Mikal Bridges and Karl Anthonytowns each had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Knicks, but town played in just 28 minutes. Manager Tom Thibodeau was long with Mitchell Robinson, a much better defender who grabbed nine rebounds.
“When we enter the fourth quarter, it's a tie ball game. We just have to make better plays, more winning plays,” Thibodeau said.
The Pacers opened their fourth with a 13-4 run and tied at 81 at 3am before Shiakam's three-pointer moved forward for the remaining 94-85 with 9:17. Every time the Knicks gained momentum, they quickly pushed the margins back all over, 110-100 after another basket of Siakam at 2:45.
The Knicks scored nine straights to get 110-109 in 14 seconds with Josh Hart's basketball. Aaron Nesmith made two free throws for the Pacers, with Branson leaving enough on a three-point attempt, and Turner finished it with two free throws.
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New York Knicks guard Jalen Branson (11) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) in the fourth quarter of the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn image)
50th Playoff Meeting between Rivals – The Pacers have led 28-22 since 1993, but were more similar to the defensive battles of the 1990s than the two-night shootout of the 1990s.
Indiana took a 19-9 lead, but when Robinson and Deuce McBride came in, the Knicks quickly caught them and the game stayed within single-digit margins for almost the entire night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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