The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks in game two picked up where they left off in Game 1, with the Pacers taking Game 2 by a score of 114-109.
The Pacers were bolstered in the first half, primarily, by their forward Pascal Siakam. Siakam would finish the half with 23 points, hitting nine out of his fourteen shots, and end with 39. The next highest player on the team was Myles Turner with 18 points.
The Knicks continued to get production from their two primary scorers, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The rest of the starters would only have fourteen points combined in the first half. They also would be looking to get more out of their starters to try and tie up this series.
The third quarter started with the pacers on a 15-7 run, led again by the aggressiveness of Siakam. He would consistently get to his mid-range game, where he has made a career. The Pacers also found success running the pick-and-roll and forcing Towns to guard Tyrese Haliburton for the mismatch. However, the Knicks would climb back into the game, tying it up with just four minutes left in the quarter.
A key matchup in this game was Aaron Nesmith guarding Jalen Brunson. Nesmith was the hero in game one with his late-game shooting. This game, he was making life difficult for Brunson, and causing him to exert a lot of effort on the offensive end of the floor.
A big Achilles heel for the Pacers in this game would prove to be the free-throw line, where they would shoot a measly 71 percent. They would prove their ability to attack the basket, but could not capitalize from the charity stripe.
Turnovers to start the fourth quarter by the Knicks helped the Pacers to jump out to a six point early advantage. TJ McConnell came off of the bench, and ran the offense to perfection with his constant energy and driving to the rim.
Mikal Bridges really stepped it up for the Knicks, becoming more assertive and driving to the basket. The Pacers would continue to struggle from the free throw line in the fourth, letting New York slowly begin to climb back into the game. For the second game in a row, the Pacers would get hot from deep, and slowly begin to pull away. Ultimately, the Pacers would close out the game, taking it by a score of 114-109.