Pacers Take Commanding 2-0 Lead Over Knicks in Eastern Conference Finals

Pascal Siakam lit up the scoreboard with a playoff career-high of 39 points, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 114-109 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night. This win gives the Pacers a commanding 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Myles Turner contributed significantly with 16 points, while Tyrese Haliburton rounded out the effort with 14 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds. The Pacers are now halfway to their second NBA Finals appearance, having previously lost to the Lakers in 2000.

Game 3 is set for Sunday in Indiana, where the Pacers have thrived, winning six consecutive road games since their only loss in the playoffs against Milwaukee in the first round.

Siakam's shooting was remarkable, finishing 15 for 23 from the field. Notably, no other player on the high-scoring Pacers managed more than five baskets, underscoring Siakam's pivotal role. "Special game," remarked Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. "In the first half he was the guy that got us going and got us through some difficult stretches."

On the other side, Jalen Brunson shone for the Knicks with 36 points and 11 assists. The Knicks face a pressing need for a turnaround; otherwise, their first conference finals appearance in 25 years could end prematurely. They improved defensively after a heartbreaking 138-135 overtime loss in Game 1 but struggled to find consistent scoring after a sluggish start to the fourth quarter.

Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 20 points and seven rebounds for New York. However, Towns played only 28 minutes as coach Tom Thibodeau opted for backup Mitchell Robinson, who provided solid defense and grabbed nine rebounds.

Historically, no team has recovered from losing the first two games at home to win a series in the conference finals. "Going into the fourth quarter it's a tie ballgame. We've just got to make better plays, more winning plays," Thibodeau stated.

The game was tied at 81 after three quarters, but the Pacers surged ahead with a 13-4 run to start the fourth, capped by Siakam's three-pointer that made it 94-85 with 9:17 left. Each time the Knicks attempted to gain momentum, Indiana quickly restored their lead, reaching a 110-100 advantage after another basket from Siakam with just 2:45 remaining.

New York rallied with nine consecutive points, narrowing the gap to 110-109 following Josh Hart's basket with 14 seconds left. However, Aaron Nesmith sealed the game for Indiana with two free throws. Brunson's last-ditch three-point attempt fell short, and Turner added two more free throws to finalize the score.

This matchup marked the 50th playoff meeting between these rivals, with Indiana leading 28-22 since their first encounter in 1993. Unlike their previous high-scoring affair, this game resembled the defensive battles of the 1990s. Indiana jumped out to a quick 19-9 lead before New York fought back when Robinson and Deuce McBride entered, keeping the game within single digits for most of the night.

The CBS New York Team continues to provide comprehensive coverage of this thrilling playoff series on cbsnews.com.