Knicks drop Game 2 as Siakam shines and Pacers take 2-0 lead back to Indiana

If Game 1 was about heartbreak, Game 2 was about helplessness. The Knicks, despite solid performances from their stars, couldn’t find a way to contain Pascal Siakam and the steady Pacers attack.

Indiana walked out of Madison Square Garden with a 114-109 win, taking a commanding 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals and leaving the Knicks searching for answers as the series shifts to Indiana for Games 3 and 4.

Siakam was sensational, finishing with 39 points and setting the tone for Indiana all night. The Knicks threw bodies at him—none of it worked. He scored at every level, from deep, mid-range, and the paint, keeping New York’s defense off balance and the Garden crowd quiet when it mattered most.

Jalen Brunson dropped 36 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 20, and Mikal Bridges also chipped in 20, but the Knicks just couldn’t get the stops they needed down the stretch.

After trailing 110-100 with 2:45 to go, they ripped off a 9-0 run behind a surge of defensive energy ended with a Josh Hart layup that made it 110-109 with 14 seconds left. The Pacers had been shaky from the free-throw line—just 11-of-17 until that point—so when Aaron Nesmith stepped up, there was hope. But Nesmith calmly drained both.

Needing a three to tie, the Knicks turned to Brunson, who pulled up from 29 feet with a hand in his face. The shot missed. Myles Turner grabbed the rebound, was immediately fouled, and hit both of his free throws to seal it. With five points to make up and only four seconds left, it was over.

“Obviously, we can finger point and say this is wrong, that’s wrong, and say it’s this person’s fault, it’s that person’s fault. But collectively, we’ve got to get it together. That’s really it.”

– Jalen Brunson

It was a game of constant momentum swings: 17 lead changes, 17 ties, and a fight that lasted until the final minute. Indiana had the biggest lead early at 19-9, but the Knicks responded with 10 straight to tie it. From there, it was a back-and-forth war until the Pacers pulled away midway through the fourth.

With the score tied at 81 heading into the final quarter, Indiana used a 13-4 run to build a 94-85 lead. Every time New York made a push, the Pacers countered—cold-blooded threes, timely cuts, and free throws that finally started falling.

All five Indiana starters scored in double figures, and T.J. McConnell added 10 off the bench. Rick Carlisle played six reserves, getting 21 total bench points and keeping legs fresh as the game wore on. Tom Thibodeau leaned heavily on his starters again, using only Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson for extended minutes off the bench. Together, they scored just 11 points despite Robinson’s huge defensive efforts.

The Knicks now face a daunting task: trying to win two on the road in Indiana to keep the series alive and avoid falling into a 3-0 hole that’s all but impossible to escape. Game 3 is set for Sunday night, and if New York wants to flip this script, it has to start with defense—and finally closing a game that doesn’t slip away in the final minutes.