INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers wasted one chance to wrap up the Eastern Conference finals.
They don’t intend to let it happen again.
On Saturday, two nights after an uncharacteristically poor performance on the road, the Pacers will get their second shot to clinch the franchise’s second NBA Finals appearance, at home against the New York Knicks.
“They played better than us, and I just think we’ve been an amazing team all year at bouncing back,” Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said after Thursday’s 111-94 loss. “Our strength has been being together, fighting hard together, staying together no matter what. Nobody had us being here — right now we’re up 3-2 in the conference finals.”
They’ve certainly exceeded expectations.
Indiana finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, despite starting 10-15, and then eliminated Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee in the first round for the second straight season before sweeping three road games to eliminate top-seeded Cleveland in five games.
No NBA team has been more proficient in bounce-back games lately than the Pacers. They haven’t lost consecutive contests since March 10 and of the eight teams to make the conference semifinals, three share the distinction of fewest losses with four — Indiana, Western Conference champion Oklahoma City and the Cavaliers.
How good has Indiana been at overcoming challenges? They erased deficits of eight or more points in the final 50 seconds of regulation or overtime in two victories, something that happened only one other time since 1997-98.
Now the Pacers have a chance to replicate a feat Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson and their teammates achieved 25 years ago — beating the Knicks in six games to reach The Finals. There’s just one difference: Those Pacers clinched at Madison Square Garden.
But there are also questions about what the Pacers must fix after producing their lowest scoring total of the postseason, the litany of bad passes that resulted in 20 turnovers and failing to close out a series on their first chance, something they succeeded at in their last four series wins. Two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton knows what to expect.
“They’re going to come out and play hard, increase the pressure, do whatever they’ve got to do to win,” he said. “They did a great job of that (Thursday). Now it’s on us to respond in Game 6. When you get here, to this point, there’s no such thing as surprises; you’ve got to be prepared for everything.”
It likely means seeing more of the same from New York, which plugged Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup, expanded its rotation and saw Karl-Anthony Towns drive to the basket more often in each of the past three games.
The combination delivered the Knicks’ first two wins despite Towns playing with a sore left knee. Their only loss during that stretch came courtesy of Haliburton’s historic Game 4 stat line of 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds and four steals with no turnovers.
New York’s defense responded by limiting Haliburton to eight points and six assists in Game 5, and while Towns realizes duplicating such a performance in front of a hostile crowd eager to celebrate will be tough, he also understands the Knicks don’t have a choice.
“We have to,” he said. “We have no more room for error. Our backs are against the wall and every game is do or die so if we don’t bring that energy, we don’t bring that execution, our season will be over.”
The good news for New York is it has been equally resilient throughout the season and playoffs, demonstrating it again by rallying from losing the first two games of this series at home just to force Game 6.
But both teams face pressure.
New York heads home Saturday night win or lose — either for a second straight Game 7 against the Pacers at Madison Square Garden or the start of a long offseason.
“Very proud of what we did, and we just have to replicate it in the first quarter of the next game and then continue to build on that,” All-Star guard Jalen Brunson said.
Indiana, meanwhile, would rather earn perhaps the biggest win in the franchise’s NBA history on its home court than give the Knicks a third chance.
“We understand what the stakes are,” Haliburton said. “We understand the conversation that will be around our group. But we’re fine. There’s no need to panic. It’s a tough loss. But I think the great, great part of this group and our staff is everybody’s addicted to film study and (seeing) where we can get better. The proof will be in Game 6.”
