The Indiana Pacers failed to capitalize on a chance to finish their series against the New York Knicks, falling 111-94 in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. This defeat means the Eastern Conference finals will return to Indiana. Following the game, Pascal Siakam had a tense exchange with a reporter after acknowledging that the Pacers didn`t match the intensity that had previously helped them establish a 3-1 series lead.
When pressed for further details, Siakam was unwilling to elaborate.
“They played harder than us … we played hard, but they played harder,” Siakam stated. “What`s your point? I don`t get it. That happens in a game, that`s basketball.”
The uncomfortable back-and-forth continued with Siakam saying:
“You good, bro? You`re looking for something, but I told you … what else do you want me to tell you? … Who`s this guy, what`s your name, bro?”
This interaction mirrored the frustration apparent throughout Game 5, marked by a noticeable lack of energy from Indiana. The Knicks built an 11-point advantage by halftime and maintained control thereafter by stepping up their defensive pressure. A pivotal 12-0 run by New York in the third quarter, after the Pacers had started to narrow the gap, was a key moment.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle also commented on the team`s lack of composure after the loss.
“We obviously didn`t play with the level of force that we needed to,” Carlisle commented. “We lost the rebound battle. We lost the turnover battle. We didn`t shoot well. They had a lot to do with it. So, give them a lot of credit, and we`re going to have to play better.”
Siakam finished with 15 points, his lowest scoring output of the series. Disrupting Indiana`s strong shooting was clearly part of the Knicks` strategy, as they limited Tyrese Haliburton to just eight points and forced the Pacers into committing 20 turnovers.
“We`re a resilient group,” Haliburton said post-game. “We always want to respond when things don`t go well after a game like that. We understand what the stakes are. … We`re fine. There`s no need to panic or anything.”
Siakam and the Pacers have not lost consecutive games in the past two months and now have another chance to reach the NBA Finals with one more victory in the series.
“You`re going to have bad games,” Siakam acknowledged. “This is the NBA, and there`s going to be times where a team is going to play hard. In fact, they`re going to beat you. It is just all about us, man. It`s always been us against the world, and I don`t expect it to change. We are 3-2 in a series, and we have an opportunity to go back home and show what we`re made of.”
Jasper Hawthorne