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The Indiana Pacers are playing with house money on Friday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals after stealing Game 1 with an incredible 138-135 comeback win in overtime. That gave Indiana the opportunity to take Game 2 and go back home up 2-0 in the series.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, they have been unable to carry the team-wide momentum into Game 2. Aaron Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton have been much quieter in Game 2 than they were in Game 1, but Pascal Siakam has picked up the slack.
Siakam scored 16 points in the first quarter and 23 points in the first half to keep the Pacers in the game, as they trailed an inspired Knicks squad 52-49 at the break. New York is clearly desperate to avoid going in an 0-2 hole, but Siakam is keeping Indiana in it and giving it a chance to come back and get a win.
The former Toronto Raptors star got the Pacers started in the second half as well, knocking down a 3-pointer to open the scoring and tie the game at 52. That triple kickstarted a Pacers run that put them in front 64-61 with just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Of course, it's no surprise that Siakam was there to pick up the slack for Indiana while the rest of the team struggled. He is one of two NBA Champions, along with reserve big man Thomas Bryant, on the Pacers roster, so he has the necessary experience in these big games and knows what needs to be done to get wins.
Even in a very high-scoring Game 1, Siakam was pretty quiet for the Pacers. He finished that game with 17 points on just 7-for-16 shooting to go with five rebounds and six assists. He has already surpassed that total here in Game 2, however, so it appears that he is back to his usual self as the Pacers chase a commanding series lead against their rival.
