NEW YORK – The final buzzer of Game 2 in the Eastern Conference finals left a heavy silence hanging over Madison Square Garden, a stark reminder of the uphill battle now facing the New York Knicks. After a tough 114-109 loss on Friday night, the Knicks find themselves trailing 0-2 in their best-of-seven series against the Indiana Pacers. The daunting reality? They must claw back and win four of the next five games to stay alive.
The mood was grim, the frustration palpable. Just a week ago, the streets outside MSG buzzed with hope and excitement. Now, disappointment settles over the team, the coaching staff, and their passionate fans. This marked the first time in franchise history the Knicks dropped the opening two home games of a playoff series. The pressure is immense. Ironically, the last team to mount a comeback from such a hole was the very Pacers they now face — just last season.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle offered a grounded perspective, emphasizing the challenges ahead. “You cannot assume going home is gonna be easier. It never is,” he said, reminding everyone this series still has plenty of life left. “We are going to have to keep concentrating on our process, making it hard on them.” His star player, Pascal Siakam, echoed that sentiment. “We haven’t done anything yet. There’s so much work to do, and we haven’t even played our best,” Siakam admitted.
On the Knicks’ side, coach Tom Thibodeau wore a look of determination mixed with searching for answers. In his usual coach-speak, he summed it up simply: “We just didn’t find a way to win. We have to make better plays — more winning plays.” The urgency is clear. To keep their championship hopes alive, the Knicks must flip the script starting in Game 3 on Sunday.
Defensively, the Knicks showed some improvement from their Game 1 overtime loss — but curbing Siakam was a battle they lost. He exploded early with 11 points in the first quarter and finished with a dominant 39 points. Siakam led five Pacers starters scoring in double digits and helped Indiana clinch their sixth consecutive road playoff victory. “Special game,” Carlisle said of his star. “In the first half, he was the guy who got us going and pulled us through tough moments.”
The contest was tight until the fourth quarter, tied at 81 points each. But the Pacers took control late. Siakam’s clutch 3-pointer with nine minutes left pushed the lead to nine points. The Knicks fought back, narrowing the margin to 110-109 with just 14 seconds on the clock, but the final plays slipped away.
Notably, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges each scored 20 points, yet Towns’ limited minutes in the fourth raised questions. When asked why Towns didn’t play more down the stretch, Thibodeau responded, “We got in a hole, and the group that was in there gave us a chance. We were searching for a way to win.” That group included Mitchell Robinson, who chipped in six points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench. The Pacers immediately targeted Robinson with fouls, aware of his struggles at the free-throw line.
Bridges and leading scorer Jalen Brunson both struggled to pinpoint why the Knicks are behind in the series. Bridges, who played a game-high 45 minutes, suggested defensive intensity as a key area for improvement. “Maybe a defensive thing? We’ve got to watch the tape, talk more, be physical right from the jump. I think maybe we’re playing a little too soft at the start of halves. We just gotta finish games,” he said.
Brunson, with an impressive 36 points and 11 assists, remains optimistic. “Collectively, we have to get it together,” he said. “We’ve been counted out before and found a way to win. We’re in the conference finals. Nothing else matters right now.”
The road ahead is steep, the stakes immense, but the Knicks still have time to rewrite this story — starting Sunday night in Indianapolis.
This game was a tough one for the Knicks, and it’s hard not to feel the weight of the loss. The energy at Madison Square Garden must have been so different compared to just a week ago. It’s surprising to see the Knicks in this position, especially with their history. Do you think the team can turn things around in Game 3? The Pacers seem to have found their rhythm, especially with Siakam’s performance. What adjustments do you think Thibodeau needs to make to counter that? It’s frustrating to see the Knicks struggle defensively, but there’s still hope if they can tighten up. Do you believe the pressure is getting to the players, or is it just a matter of execution? Let’s see if they can rise to the challenge.