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The irrepressible Indiana Pacers opened up a 2-0 lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals with a win at Madison Square Garden on Friday. The series now moves to Indianapolis with the Pacers in control after Pascal Siakam led them with a playoff career-high 39 points en route to their 114-109 win over the Knicks.
This is now the second time these playoffs that the Pacers took both of the first games in a series on the road, previously doing so against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Camaroonian Siakam was well-supported, though, with all the Indiana starters making double figures.
The Knicks showed some resiliency, fighting back in the fourth quarter from ten points down to make it a one-point game before the Pacers closed out the contest. Indiana has now won six straight playoff road games since their defeat at Milwaukee in the first round. The score was tied at 81 entering the fourth quarter before the Pacers surged ahead with a 29-19 run, leading 110-100. The Knicks countered with a 9-0 burst, closing to within one point with 15 seconds left.
Aaron Nesmith made two free throws after being fouled on the inbound, and Jalen Brunson missed a game-tying three. Myles Turner secured the rebound and sank two free throws to seal the victory. Turner was crucial down the stretch with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the fourth. Siakam had been relatively subdued with 17 points in Game 1 but he was on fire from the outset. "I just came out aggressive at the end of the day, we're a team, you know, it doesn't matter who scores, that's what I love so much about this team," said Siakam. "I got to go in early, the guys did a good job finding me, and again, another night is going to be somebody else, you know, that's what makes us special," he said.
The Western Conference Finals resume on Saturday when the Minnesota Timberwolves host the Oklahoma City Thunder, trailing 2-0.
