Indiana’s impressive role players started the final period on a 13-4 run to leap ahead of New York, and Pascal Siakam channeled his 2019 Finals form to help the Pacers take a 2-0 series lead in Friday’s 114-109 win. Despite New York putting intense pressure on the Pacers throughout the fourth, Indiana would not allow the Knicks to get closer than one in securing its second straight road victory. Other than Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson’s fireworks, Karl-Anthony Towns was played off the floor for much of the critical crunch time minutes, while defensive stalwart Mitchell Robinson was hampered by ankle pain (earned while contesting and blocking a shot) and his poor free throw shooting in the last half of the fourth. Brunson missed a contested three which would have tied the game with seven seconds left.
Every bit of Siakam’s (39 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) output tonight was needed to offset a quiet (opening) half for Tyrese Haliburton (14 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds). Six Pacers scored in double figures, including TJ McConnell (10 points). Myles Turner (16 points and 2 blocks) and Andrew Nembhard (12 points) were the latest Pacers to come up big with timely shots. .
New York received strong frontcourt efforts from Towns (20 points and 7 rebounds) and Mitchell Robinson (6 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks - much of it built over 16 straight first-half minutes) that complemented Jalen Brunson’s (36 points and 11 assists) sublime scoring and OG Anunoby (16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) playmaking. Bridges (20 points and 7 rebounds) stepped up in the second half, as well, but all of this proved not enough again in defeat.
Indiana’s opportunistic defense forced several unforced turnovers in the opening stanza. Siakam came alive - hiting the first 11 points for the visitors. Brunson and Anunoby were the only scorers of consequence over the first half of the frame. Once Deuce McBride entered the game, he became Robin to Brunson’s Batman and Gotham tied the game late in the first. Once Robinson entered, as well, he became like Bane mucking up things for the Pacers’ bigs. New York left the first up 26-24 as no other Pacer stepped up to bolster Siakam.
Towns seemed content to ride shotgun until he willed home a flurry of points to start the second period. Siakam continued to take roughly half of Indiana’s shots and still have _most_ of their points as his team held a slim lead. The teams combined to commit 15 turnovers in the opening half, and there were back-to-back possessions that saw dribbling violations. Robinson and Towns wreaked havoc on the smaller Pacers to help stake New York to a five point lead. The Knicks went to halftime up 52-49.
Siakam spearheaded a Pacer run to grab a firm hold of the lead during a frenzied third period. Fittingly Siakam thought he ended the quarter with a bucket, but it was answered by Brunson. The teams went to the fourth quarter square at 81.
**Observations**
* Both of these teams will be far more worthy opponents for OKC than Minnesota is turning out to be, but it might be a short finals.
* Cam Payne cannot be the first point guard off the bench for a contending team. With time running down during Indiana’s fourth quarter run, he chucked a stepback three off the shotclock.
* On the other hand, considering how many times Turner’s name has come up in trade talks the last half decade, it would be redeeming for him to become a first-time champion.
* Robinson’s free throw shooting in the playoffs: 19-for-52????
* **Sequence of the Game #1**: Haliburton, after thieving Indiana’s second steal of the opening minutes, rifled a no-look pass to Siakam for a lay-up.
* **Sequence of the Game #2**: Anunoby intercepted an errant Pacer pass, and patiently waited for Siakam to stay glued to the ground before throwing down a two-hand dunk in the last 90 seconds of the first quarter.
* **“NBA... It’s Fantastic!” Sequence**: Late in the third quarter, Kevin Harlan screamed “I’m wet! I’m dirty!” after a sequence where Brunson saved a loose ball - while colliding with the NBA on TNT broadcast team - to Josh Hart who coasted in for a New York layup. Seven seconds later (or less), Obi Toppin laid home a basket at the other end.
**Game Rundown**
Siakam scored the Pacers’ first 11 points on a variety of impressive ways - fadeaways, baseline cuts, and confident looks, and more importantly, muted the vaunted Garden crowd from the get-go. Game 1 hero Aaron Nesmith’s pull-up three put Indiana up eight. After the Pacers’ lead inched up to ten, Brunson and Deuce McBride erased it in three minutes. Siakam again nudged Indiana ahead with free throws. Anunoby’s steal and transition dunk followed by Brunson’s lob to him was punctuated by a Robinson putback to put New York in front 26-24.
The Knicks’ challenged an out-of-bounds call during the first possession of the second period and won it. Another steal-and-layup sequence from Siakam put Indiana back in the lead for seconds before the unofficial arrival of Towns came in the form of two buckets in succession. Siakam’s and-1 tied the game at 31. Robinson threw down a well-fed lob, and Towns continued his hot streak for the rest of the frame. Nembhard’s stepback three ended a 9-0 New York run. Ben Sheppard’s three ended a 8-0 Indiana run in response. The high-wire half ended appropriately with hard-earned free throws and New York still ahead by three.
Siakam resumed his scoring spree with a three to start the third period. The teams continued to trade mighty blows through the first part of the quarter. Haliburton’s five-point spurt put Indiana back up. Mikal Bridge’s baseline turnaround ended a Pacers 7-0 run. The smaller Brunson posted up his defender, and found the much taller Anunoby at the basket with a nice feed. Haliburton and Towns traded threes. The teams remained within one possession of each other through the rest of the stanza. Siakam passed the 30-point mark in the final 90 seconds of the quarter. Brunson’s floater deep in the lane put New York up one. Fittingly, Siakam went Tim Duncan over Robinson on a bankshot, which was, of course, answered immediately by Brunson with a whirling finish in the lane. New York 81 Indiana 81.