Indiana Pacers on cusp of first NBA Finals since 2000, host NY Knicks for Game 3

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers stand just two victories away from their first National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals appearance since 2000 behind a pick-your-hero approach.

Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith were the stars of Game 1, and Pascal Siakam engineered an old-fashioned takeover in Game 2.

Now, the Pacers look to put the New York Knicks on life support when the NBA Eastern Conference Finals series resumes in Indianapolis on May 25 (May 26, Singapore time).

Indiana hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series after notching two victories in New York. They recorded a 138-135 overtime win in Game 1 before following up with a 114-109 victory in Game 2.

Jalen Brunson has been carrying the Knicks with outputs of 43 and 36 points. Conversely, the Pacers never know who might step up.

Haliburton had 31 points and 11 assists, and Nesmith had 30 points and hit eight-of-nine three-pointers in the series opener, before Siakam carried the load in Game 2 with 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting.

“I think what makes us special as a team is just that we have different weapons and we’re not consumed with who’s going to do what,” Siakam said after achieving his career-best play-off points total.

“You just go into the game, and however the game presents itself, that’s how we go and take it and do it our way. And it doesn’t matter who scores. It’s going to take all of us to get where we want to get to.”

If the Pacers win on May 25, they will have the chance to finish the series at home on May 27.

But Indiana coach Rick Carlisle wants no part of that subject.

“You cannot assume going home is going to be easier. It never is,” he said.

“Each game as you ascend in a play-off series becomes harder. New York, they’ve got an amazing fighting spirit.”

The Knicks are now focused on digging out of a very large hole.

“For me, what I want to say to them is obviously we’ve got to continue to fight,” Brunson said of his message to his teammates.

“It’s going to take one day at a time, one game at a time. We can’t look ahead, we can’t think about anything other than Game 3 at this point.”

The environment in Indianapolis will be at a fever pitch with the game following the famed Indianapolis 500.

“I’ve been to the 500. It’s crazy, so I can’t imagine all those people then coming over to Gainbridge (Fieldhouse),” Haliburton said.

“You know, going to be a rowdy crowd, going to be a little intoxicated. Who knows? It’s going to be a special time. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards scored 30 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves overwhelmed the Oklahoma City Thunder 143-101 in the Western Conference Finals series on May 24.

Edwards added nine rebounds and six assists while shooting 12 of 17 from the floor and five of eight from three-point range as the hosts pulled a game back to be 2-1 behind.

“I was super happy about the physicality and energy we brought,” Edwards said.

“Being down 2-0, it’s all about bringing energy and we brought high energy.”

Julius Randle added 24 points for Minnesota, while the recently crowned NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City managed only 14 points. REUTERS, AFP