Pascal Siakam scores playoff career-high 39 points as the Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks for a 2-0 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference finals.
Published On 24 May 2025
The Indiana Pacers are halfway to a chance to play for an elusive NBA title as they head home in their Eastern Conference finals, but they might prefer to stay right where they are.
Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 39 points on Friday night, as the Pacers beat the New York Knicks 114-109.
The result means the Pacers lead 2-0 in the playoffs after the first two games of the series at the Knicks’ Madison Square Garden home arena.
Game 3 is on Sunday night in Indiana, which will be rocking all day long with the Indianapolis 500 being run that afternoon. The Pacers can only hope to be as good there as they have been on the road, where they have won six straight games since falling at Milwaukee in Game 3 of the first round.
“We have a long way to go, and it’s only going to get tougher for us,” Siakam said.
Myles Turner added 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who lost to the Lakers in 2000 in their only NBA Finals appearance.
Siakam finished 15 for 23 from the field on a night nobody else on the high-scoring Pacers had more than five baskets.
“Special game,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “In the first half, he was the guy that got us going and got us through some difficult stretches.”
Jalen Brunson had 36 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, who need a quick turnaround or their first appearance in the conference finals in 25 years will be a brief one. They defended much better afte