One game after squandering a historic play-off lead, the New York Knicks found themselves with the chance to redeem themselves on Friday night.
Down by 10 points with less than three minutes to play against the Indiana Pacers, Jalen Brunson and company mounted a fierce comeback, trimming the deficit to just one point in the final 20 seconds.
But this time, there wasn’t enough magic. Brunson misfired badly on a potential game-tying three with eight seconds left, sealing a 114-109 defeat at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks now trail 2-0 as the series shifts to Indiana for Game 3 on Sunday night.
Even with the comeback, the lack of defense was the primary cause for concern for the Knicks in their postgame interviews.
“Obviously they do a really good job of moving the ball and forcing you into mistakes, and we have to be more sound defensively to guard the first action, second action, but also the third action,” Knicks wing Josh Hart said.
“We’re down 0-2, and now we’re going to a tough place to play – Indiana – so we’ve got to go and fix it. We can’t have blown coverages, no matter how late it is in the shot clock.”
Those defensive lapses proved costly, especially late in the game when the Knicks were clawing back into contention.
final pic.twitter.com/AkR1Nt1RNn
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 24, 2025
“In the playoffs, a lot of games are determined by a possession or two,” Hart continued. “Two games in a row, we [made those mistakes]. We’ve got to figure it out.”
The Knicks had no answer for Pascal Siakam, who had 39 points on just 23 shots. Indiana’s hot shooting continued, as they drained 13 of 30 three-point attempts.
Seemingly every time the Knicks sent a second defender at Tyrese Haliburton or TJ McConnell, the Pacers made them pay by finding the open man – often for a three-pointer.
It was particularly glaring at the start of the fourth quarter, when Indiana opened the last period with a run to build a nine-point lead after the game was tied entering the period.
“The rotations weren’t there [defensively], and we need to be doing more to help each other out,” said Brunson, who finished with 36 points.
The Knicks’ starting five, meanwhile, continued to struggle, getting outscored by 13 points after a similar performance in Game 1.
Across the postseason, the Knicks’ starters have been outscored by a staggering 50 points, a worrying stat for a team that remains just four wins from the NBA Finals.
took over The Garden. pic.twitter.com/nGrobhX8vL
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 24, 2025
Asked whether he might change his starting lineup to spark a turnaround, coach Tom Thibodeau said he’ll explore every possibility to find a Game 3 win.
As the Knicks stare down the daunting prospect of a 3-0 series deficit, they know they have to switch on defensively and bring everything to Indiana on Sunday.
When asked about defending the Pacers and whether it requires more mental sharpness, Brunson didn’t mince his words.
“I guess, yeah. But we’re in the conference finals,” he said. “Nothing else matters right now. We have a game every other day. We’re playing in a high-stakes moment. The mental focus – everything – has to be there. There’s no question about it at this point.”
