Pascal Siakam propels Indiana Pacers to 2-0 lead over New York Knicks in Eastern Conference finals - CNN

Pascal Siakam exploded for 39 points as the Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 114-109 on Friday night to open up a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Pascal Siakam delivered a playoff career-high 39 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 114-109 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night, giving Indiana a commanding 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Siakam was unstoppable from the opening minutes, scoring the Pacers' first 11 points and finishing the game shooting an efficient 15-for-23 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-5 from three-point range. His dominant performance came at the perfect time for Indiana, as star guard Tyrese Haliburton struggled to find his offensive rhythm early in the game.

"Whatever was out there, I just took it," Siakam said after the game. "I think what makes us special as a team is just that we have different weapons and we're not consumed with who's going to do what. You just go into the game, and however the game presents itself, that's how we go and take it and do it our way. And it doesn't matter who scores."

Despite his slow start, Haliburton still managed to contribute 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Center Myles Turner added 16 points and three rebounds, including a crucial defensive rebound in the final minutes that helped seal the victory.

"That's why we brought him here. It's what he's here to do," Haliburton said of Siakam's performance. "He can get a bucket in so many different ways. He started the game high, and we just kept feeding him. I thought he did a great job of making big shot after big shot after big shot, killing momentum."

Team Effort on Display

The Pacers' depth was on full display once again, with six players scoring in double figures. Indiana shot 51.8% from the field and committed just 10 turnovers while recording 25 assists, marking their seventh consecutive playoff game with at least 100 points and 25 assists.

For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson led the way with 36 points and 11 assists in a valiant effort, but it wasn't enough to overcome Siakam and the balanced Pacers attack. New York now faces a daunting challenge as the series shifts to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4, with history against them—no team in conference finals history has ever lost the first two games at home and gone on to win the series.