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Pascal Siakam exploded for 39 points like the Indiana Pacers beat New York Knicks 114-109 Friday evening to open an advance of 2-0 in the final of the Eastern Conference.
The total of the total career points in the All-Star star career was added by Myles Turner, who collected 16 points, and Tyrese Haliburton, who collected 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
The sixth consecutive victory of the Pacers on the road leaves them in a dominant position before their return to Indiana for match 3, requiring only two victories to reach what would only be their second final of the NBA. They lost in six games against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.
Siakam insisted, however, that he and his teammates are not distracted by the prospect of writing their names in the history of the franchise.
“We focus on ourselves, guy,” said Cameroono, who was the NBA champion in 2019 with the Raptors of Toronto.
“We have had a long way to go, and it will only become more difficult for us. We just have to stick to the plan. We worry about a game, we don’t really think in advance. We focus on game 3 at home.”
One night when no other stimulator had more than five baskets, Indiana had to count on the 31 -year -old, especially at the start when he scored every 11 points of the team.
“Special game. In the first half, it was the guy who made us move forward and made us pass difficult stretches,” said head coach Rick Carlisle.
“It is difficult to score this number of points in a game like this, where you still have a defensively physical match, and there is a guy who crashes and flies in the basket. But he did a phenomenal job.”
The match could not have been tighter at the end of the third quarter, the teams tied on 81. A race of 13-4 for the Pacers to start the fourth put them in control, and they kept the knicks at the length of the arm for a large part of the rest of the game.
But, after Siakam reached 110-100 with 2:45 to play, New York – powered by Jalen Brunson who collected 36 points and 11 assists in the night – suddenly made a 9-0 race to come in a point with 14 seconds to do.
For a while, it seemed that the Knicks could return the script after the Pacers set up an incredible return to match 1 Wednesday evening.
But two free throws from each of Aaron Nesmith and Turner, on each side of a failed attempt by three points by Brunson, sealed the victory of Indiana.
The Knicks now have everything to do – no team in the history of the conference final has never lost the first two games at home and won the series, by AP.
A dramatic day of sports in Indiana will see match 3 take place on Sunday evening, just hours after Indy 500.