Game 1 was crushing.
Game 2 was depressing.
Both had the same results: home losses to start this Eastern Conference finals that may not last long unless the Knicks turn it around in a hurry.
Wednesday, the Knicks couldn’t close out a 14-point lead in the final 2:39.
Friday night, they were sloppy, defensively soft and simply didn’t play nearly well enough to win.
Their late rally fell short, and now the Knicks find themselves in a 2-0 hole following a 114-109 loss to the Pacers at the Garden.
Jalen Brunson dejected in final seconds of Knicks’ loss to Pacers on May 23, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Afterward, Mikal Bridges called the struggling starting five “a little too soft,” and Josh Hart said defensive anchor Mitchell Robinson needs to play more.
“The regroup starts tomorrow,” Jalen Brunson said. “That’s it.”
The Knicks couldn’t overcome the Pacers in Game 2. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Coach Tom Thibodeau wouldn’t commit to shaking up the starting lineup even as it continues to dig the Knicks holes and has been outscored by 81 points in the playoffs.
“We always look at everything,” he said, and added: “Just keep working at it.”
Brunson’s deep 3-pointer was off with a chance to tie and Myles Turner iced the game at the free throw line. But, really, this was a poor performance from the Knicks in a must-have game.
An ineffective Karl-Anthony Towns was a minus-20 in 28 minutes and was benched for most of the fourth quarter.
The Knicks starters were again shredded at the start of each half, and on a night that Tyrese Haliburton only shot 5 of 16 from the field, it didn’t matter. Pascal Siakam crushed the Knicks to the tune of 39 points to lead six Pacers in double figures.
Pascal Siakam drives to the basket for the Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. AP
New York Knicks guard Miles McBride and New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges check on New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson after Brunson was stepped on in the fourth quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Game 3 is Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Thibodeau tried to rest Brunson at the start of the fourth quarter, and it backfired.
The Pacers quickly built a nine-point lead by scoring on their first five possessions.
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The lead was 10 with 2:45 left. The Knicks got within one on a Hart basket with 14.8 seconds to go, but Game 1 hero Aaron Nesmith sank two free throws on the other end and Brunson misfired.
“Obviously, we can finger point and say this is wrong, that’s wrong, and say it’s this person’s fault, it’s that person’s fault,” Brunson said. “But collectively, we’ve got to get it together. That’s really it.”
The Knicks are now down 2-0 to the Pacers. Jason Szenes / New York Post
Brunson had 36 points and 11 assists to lead the Knicks, Towns and Mikal Bridges added 20 apiece and OG Anunoby had 16.
Mitchell Robinson contributed six points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Haliburton tallied 14 points and 11 assists for the Pacers.
The Knicks now face long odds to reach the NBA Finals. Only six teams in NBA playoff history have lost the first two games at home and rallied to win the series.
Mitchell Robinson and Jalen Brunson both had big nights for the Knicks. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Knicks have been a good road team, winning five of their six contests away from the Garden in the postseason.
They are an underwhelming 3-5 at MSG in the playoffs.
It was yet another slow start for the Knicks starters, mirroring their postseason together.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton reacts at the fans in the crowd during the 4th quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Pacers raced out to a 19-9 lead, forcing Thibodeau to make a change.
Thibodeau inserted Robinson first, and then Miles McBride. The game flipped.
The Knicks closed the first quarter on a 17-5 run.
At halftime, they led by three, but that vanished quickly as Thibodeau stuck with his starters. Again, the Pacers had their way with them, quickly retaking the lead.
They outscored the Knicks 15-7 in the early part of the period.
Jalen Brunson celebrates a basket for the Knicks. Jason Szenes / New York Post
“I think we just have to talk to each other off the jump,” Bridges said. “I think maybe we just play a little too soft in the beginning. I’m not sure.”
The Knicks don’t have much time to figure it out.
They are now two losses away from the offseason.
Their NBA Finals dream is starting to feel more like a fantasy.
