Siakam’s Surprise Surge Pushes Pacers to Shocking 2-0 Lead Over Knicks—What Comes Next?
Pascal Siakam lit up Madison Square Garden with a show-stopping 39 points, steering the Indiana Pacers past the New York Knicks 114-109 and vaulting them to a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. It wasn’t just a stat line—it was a statement. Siakam’s aggressive start, scoring the first 11 points for the Pacers, set the tone as Indiana extended their remarkable streak of road playoff victories to six. As the series shifts to Indianapolis for Game 3, the pressure mounts and the stakes grow ever higher. You can feel the pulse of this clash — a blend of individual brilliance and relentless team grit that makes playoff basketball so intoxicating. Meanwhile, the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson carved out history with 36 points, challenging the Pacers’ momentum, but ultimately, clutch free throws sealed the deal. This is the kind of back-and-forth drama that gets under your skin and makes you a believer in the unpredictable magic of postseason hoops.
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“I just came out aggressive,” said Siakam, who has averaged more than 20 points in six consecutive seasons and won the NBA title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.The three-time All-Star scored the Pacers’ first 11 points at Madison Square Garden as they claimed their sixth consecutive play-off win away from home.Brunson finished with 36 points to set a Knicks post-season record of 19 30-point games, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges both scored 20 points and made seven rebounds.Game three in the best-of-seven series takes place in Indianapolis at 01:00 BST on Monday.Myles Turner scored 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.Bridges said: “I know it is 2-0 but it is still a long series. We just have to find different ways to advance.”
The fourth-seeded Pacers led by 10 points with two minutes 25 seconds left, but two free throws from OG Anunoby, five points from Jalen Brunson and a Josh Hart lay-up with 14 seconds left brought the Knicks to within one point at 110-109.But Aaron Nesmith and Turner scored two free throws apiece for the Pacers to secure victory.The Oklahoma City Thunder lead the Minnesota Timberwolves 2-0 in the Western Conference finals.Getty Images
Elizabeth Hudson
BBC Sport Journalist
1 hour ago
“We’re a team. It doesn’t matter who scores. That’s what I love so much about this team.The winners of each conference finals will meet in the NBA Finals from 5-22 June.”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.”
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