“Knicks-Pacers: 5 takeaways as Pascal Siakam powers Indiana to 2-0 series lead”
Pascal Siakam scores a playoff career-high 39 factors on 15- for 23 taking pictures within the Pacers’ sixth consecutive playoff street victory.
NEW YORK — The conventional video games are simply as necessary because the loopy ones, and typically you need to win with minimal drama.
No comeback from a 17-point deficit within the fourth quarter or from 9 down within the closing minute. No ridiculous scorching streak from Aaron Nesmith. No miraculous buzzer-beater from Tyrese Haliburton.
The Indiana Pacers merely out-executed the New York Knicks in Recreation 2 of the Japanese Convention Finals, a 114-109 victory on Friday that put the Pacers up 2-0.
Pascal Siakam led six Pacers in double-figures with 39 factors on 15-for-23 taking pictures, and the Knicks simply couldn’t cease what’s the finest offense remaining within the postseason. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 36 factors and 11 assists, however, as he did in Recreation 1, missed a protracted 3-pointer that might have tied the sport within the closing seconds.
Indiana has now gained six straight street video games in these playoffs, whereas the Knicks are actually 3-5 at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Listed here are some notes, quotes, numbers and movie because the collection strikes to Indiana for Recreation 3 on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, TNT) …
1. Pacers’ offense retains on shifting
The Knicks had the higher-ranked offense within the common season and have two elite skills on that finish of the ground. However the Pacers’ offense has hit a brand new degree within the playoffs and has confirmed to be the tougher offense to protect.
Tyrese Haliburton is the ground basic, however the Pacers’ offense is extra about tempo, ball motion and participant motion than any particular person. By means of the primary two rounds of the playoffs, Indiana led the postseason in each passes and miles traveled per 24 minutes of possession.
The Knicks simply haven’t been in a position to sustain. By means of two video games, the Pacers have scored 126.6 factors per 100 possessions, which might be the second-best mark for any staff within the convention finals or Finals within the 29 years we have now play-by-play information.
The Indiana offense has been at its finest when its finest has been wanted. When the Pacers got here again from 17 factors down in Recreation 1, they scored an unbelievable 31 factors on their closing 13 possessions of regulation. And with Recreation 2 fairly tight all through, they scored 42 on their closing 27 (1.56 per).
A few of that was nice shot-making and playmaking. And a few of it was simply operating a number of actions and preserving the ball shifting till the Knicks misplaced any individual …
The Pacers are relentless.
2. Pacers dominating the transition recreation
Their relentlessness begins in transition.
Each groups have scored effectively of their half-court offense, so transition alternatives aren’t as important as they’ve been in different collection in these playoffs.
However over two video games which have been determined by a complete of eight factors, the Pacers have had an enormous benefit in transition. In line with Synergy monitoring, transition factors over the 2 video games are 51-26 in favor of Indiana.
And the distinction is much less concerning the variety of transition possessions every staff has had and extra about how effectively they’ve scored in transition …
Transition offense, Japanese Convention Finals
| Staff | Poss. | PTS | PTS/POSS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacers | 33 | 51 | 1.55 |
| Knicks | 34 | 26 | 0.76 |
by way of Synergy monitoring
These 42 factors on the Pacers’ closing 27 possessions started with three straight transition layups. And two of these — an Obi Toppin layup and a T.J. McConnell drive — got here after made buckets on the opposite finish of the ground. Then McConnell grabbed a Mikal Bridges miss, acquired his staff on the transfer, and located a trailing Siakam for a dunk.
The Knicks had transition points past permitting layups after made baskets, like leaving a man below the basket to protect any individual else (who doesn’t have the ball) on the perimeter …
In the event that they’re going to come back again on this collection, the Knicks will clearly have to defend higher. And that begins in transition.
3. Siakam has a particular recreation
There are solely two rotation gamers left within the playoffs who’ve beforehand performed a big position on a title run: Alex Caruso (2020 Lakers) and Siakam (2019 Raptors).
On Friday, Siakam (10) had nearly as many transition factors because the Knicks (11). However he additionally did a ton of injury within the half-court … and in opposition to a number of Knicks.
OG Anunoby is a protracted defender, however he wasn’t a lot of a deterrent for Siakam, who hit a number of turnaround jumpers from 14-18 ft in Recreation 2 …
“Special game,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned of Siakam’s efficiency. “It’s hard to score that number of points in a game like this where you always have a physical matchup.”
In Recreation 1, it was Nesmith who tied his profession excessive with 30 factors. Siakam’s 39 in Recreation 2 had been his most in 148 video games with the Pacers and his playoff profession excessive (82 video games). Recreation 3 may very well be any individual else.
“What makes us special as a team is just we have different weapons,” he mentioned. “We’re not consumed with who’s gonna do what. However the game presents itself, that’s how we go and take it. It doesn’t matter who scores.”
There are 40 gamers with no less than 100 area aim makes an attempt in these playoffs. Three of the highest 4 in efficient area aim proportion are Pacers: Nesmith (69.3%), Andrew Nembhard (62.2%) and Siakam (60.1%).
4. Pacers get huge buckets by attacking Brunson
The Knicks had Mitchell Robinson on the ground for many of the fourth quarter, and there have been a few occasions the place the Pacers introduced him into their pick-and-roll, solely to have him swallow up a Haliburton isolation.
Over the 2 video games, the Pacers (who’ve been ridiculously environment friendly in any other case) have scored simply 0.80 factors per likelihood when Robinson has defended a ball display.
Unsurprisingly, Indiana had extra success on Friday once they saved Robinson away from the ball and ran actions at Brunson. And some of these actions resulted into some attractiveness from past the arc.
Up three with lower than 5 minutes left, they acquired Brunson switched onto Haliburton. He attacked, drew assist from Robinson, and located Myles Turner for a wide-open 3 from the left nook …
On the very subsequent possession, Haliburton acquired one other Brunson change and drained a pull-up 3 over him.
One other ball-screen aimed toward Brunson produced one other drive for Haliburton and open 3 for Turner that was off the mark with just a little greater than a minute left. However it was a very good course of (a lot better than concentrating on Robinson) and a very good shot.
Brunson has been the screener’s defender for 46 ball-screens on this collection, third most behind solely the 2 beginning facilities. And we will count on much more of that going ahead.
5. Pacers shuffle rotation when bench continues to battle
The Pacers play their reserves greater than the Knicks do, however that doesn’t imply that their bench is best. New York had the higher-ranked bench within the common season and thru the primary two rounds of the playoffs.
And each of those video games have been shut, though the Knicks’ beginning lineup has been outscored by 29 factors in its 43 minutes. (It’s now a minus-50 in 308 whole playoff minutes.) The Pacers have performed nicely firstly of all 4 halves, however when reserves have come on the ground, the Knicks have been in a position to play catch-up.
Two Indiana reserves that haven’t been in a position to make a constructive impression are Bennedict Mathurin and Thomas Bryant, and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was fast to excise each from the rotation in Recreation 2.
Mathurin was changed by Ben Sheppard early within the second quarter and didn’t see the ground once more. He scored 38 factors within the Pacers’ one regular-season victory over New York, however they’ve now been outscored by 39 in his 43 minutes over their final three video games.
Bryant additionally sat all the second half, with Carlisle utilizing Tony Bradley (who’d performed lower than 16 playoff minutes previous to Friday) because the backup middle.
And within the second half, bench minutes had been a lot better, with Indiana happening a game-changing 20-8 run spanning the third and fourth quarter.
Whether or not the bench minutes are good or dangerous, the Pacers nonetheless want contributions from greater than 5 guys.
“We’re a team that needs everybody,” Carlisle mentioned. “That’s how we gotta play.”
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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You’ll be able to e-mail him right here, discover his archive right here and follow him on X.
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