Eastern Conference Finals Reaction 🍿 Pacers win Game 2 at the Garden vs. Knicks | SC with SVP

Eastern Conference Finals Reaction 🍿 Pacers win Game 2 at the Garden vs. Knicks | SC with SVP

for the Pacers in game one. The onus on the home team. You’ve got to defend your home floor. Early on, it’s Hallebertton. Oh, what a fine. Pascal Seakum. One more look. Ball fake. Patience. You know, Steve, if you make a two, and you make a lot of them, twos are really good. They add up. You should take twos or also threes. Seakum had the first 11 for the Pacers. The longest streak to start a playoff game by a Pacer player in the last quarter century. Kind of the same script as the first game. Redot start for Indiana and then New York battles back at the end of the period. Brunson to OG Anovi. New York leads here off the miss. Mitchell Robinson is a rebounding machine. Knicks lead by two after the first dozen minutes here. Little bit of a 50/50 ball. Seakum with the length to get it. He had 23 in the first half. Brunson down low. Fade away. Cookies. Knicks lead by three at the break. In the third, we’re tied at 57. Hallebertton all alone. That distinctive sort of set shot is good. Pacers leading then a step back. Give me all three of these. Carl Anthony Towns can’t close in time. On the other end, New York. This was a highlevel sequence. It was back and forth. You make, we make. Brunson ties it at 70. We’re tied at 72. the turnover here. Wild scramble and Josh Hart ends up with the ball and you’ll see that uh Brunson ends up in the lap of the our friends from TNT. Knicks by two. Then in transition, Seakum down the lane. Pacers get their nose back out in front. They’re up by one. Last seconds of the third. Brunson float game up. We’re tied at 81 after three in the fourth. New York could not get a stop. Seakum from three. That’s cash. And the lead grows to nine. New York cuts it back to four. Look how quick that release is. Just a flick of the wrist. Hallebertton. 14 and 11 to go with eight boards. Seven-point game. Eight-point game under three. Brunson off the miss. The scramble and the Pacers have got it. Woo! Outlet. That’s Seakkum on the run. He finished with a game high 39. The lead is 10, but New York keeps fighting. Brunson three good. He had 36 and 11. It’s a three-point game. Five-point game. Brunson in the lane. Gets the roll. The lead is three late. Are they going for the three? No. They find Hart. Brunson finds Hart. It’s a one-point game. And after Aaron Nesmith had a great first game making all those threes, they send him to the free throw line and he didn’t hit the rim. Knicks down three. Timeout in their pocket. Let’s play. Quick pull from three from deep from Brunson. No. Indiana missed some free throws, but Turner made these and they win by five. It’s a two nothing series lead Friday night in the Garden. The Knicks had to had it have it. They didn’t get it. Pascal Seakum and the Pacers up two nothing. A playoff careerhigh 39 for you. Tremendous night. How do you describe the kind of confidence that you and your team have right now? Um, no. We just we’re just playing paces basketball. Um we have we have a settlers team, a bunch of guys that just want to, you know, just play for each other. Um and we just continue to play no matter what. Every night is not going to be your night. Um you just got to come in and contribute for the team. So um that’s that’s all we want to do. They couldn’t get stops in the fourth quarter, right? I mean, the building’s trying its best and the Knicks are making buckets, but they just could not stop you. Is that the highest level of Pacer basketball? cuz y’all were shooting about 57% for most of this game. Um yeah, when we move the ball, you know, we we do, you know, we just play it together. Um we know that we hard to stop and and we playing against a tough team, you know, like they they got a great system and um again, it’s going to it’s going to be hard. There’s only two games. Um we just got to keep keep that going and um stay focused. I don’t know if you remember this, but the last time that you and I spoke, you were covered in champagne and you had on ski goggles. You had won a title with Toronto. And that takes us back to being down two nothing. And some dumb guys, that would be me and Stephen A, went on TV and said, “Y’all were finished in that series.” What I’m getting at, Pascal, is being up two nothing doesn’t mean the series is over. What mentality do you all take back with you as you go to Indiana? Yeah, I mean you’re absolutely right. Um at the end of the day, like we we know what we have. Um and we know who we’re playing against. So, it’s going to be it’s going to be hard. It’s a long series. You know, coach has been preaching that to us. Um it’s going to be a long series. So, we just, you know, getting ready for that. Um know they’re going to throw their best punch next game. Um but we at home. Can’t wait to go back to our home fans. Um you know, I know they’re waiting for us. Uh we just got to go back there, you know, play pace of basketball like we always do. All right, last quick one. You were spectacular tonight and you’ve been down this road. you know what it is and what’s the what’s the message that you share with your guys about what it will take from here to get not just not to win a title but to win the next two. What’s the message to the group? Yeah, I mean that’s that’s why you know they brought me in here you know Chad KP um all those guys just did an amazing job and um from the minute I got to to here like to to the Pacers that’s that’s that was the goal. Um, you know, I just keep telling the guys, you know, stay poorest, uh, leverheaded, and, um, we haven’t done anything. We have so much work to do, and we haven’t even played our best. So, um, we just got to keep keep going, um, and trusting each other. Your place is going to be a mad house when you go home. Congratulations on an incredible game tonight. I appreciate you taking a minute tonight. Yep. Thank you, man. Thanks, K. Again, because I think he understands, right, they were down to to Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference Finals. Didn’t blink, and they ended up winning a title. legs. They shot so well throughout this game, well over 50%. And you’ve got the touchcreen out. What can you show us during the really critical times about what the Pacers did to get and make the the buckets that were the difference? Well, think about this, Scott. The Indiana Pacers made over 20% of the threes made in the game in the last nine minutes of the game. It’s the way they executed offensively when they had to in the half court. And take a look, as I always like to point out, six-point game, nine and a half minutes to go. Now, take a look at what happens on the weak side of this action. Early on, Knicks are in pretty good shape. This is the matchup they want. They got Mitchell Robinson on Seakum, Cameron Payne out here on Ben Shepard, and you’re going to run some token action here. A little twoman game. Not really trying to get much out of it, but they’re trying to create a reaction on the weak side, which is exactly what they get. Here’s where the breakdown comes. Take a look at Ben Shepard. He’s just going to make this random cut and that creates confusion for Cameron Payne and Mitchell Robinson and I’ll show you how Mitchell Robinson kind of understands what to do. It’s right here. Cameron Payne for some reason decides to chuck Pascal Seakum even though he’s not cutting. You know who’s looking right at that? Mitchell Robinson that is telling Mitchell Robinson when Shephard cuts Mitchell Robinson saying okay I guess we’re switching this because Cameron Payne is up in the chest of Seakum. The problem is Cameron Payne goes down here too and that leaves Passowski Skiakum right here floating to the top of the key and this is an easy one. Pitch and catch Mitchell Robinson and Pain are in the lane and this a wide open three. Seakum drains this. You go back up nine big big shot in the game. And then this one is a little bit more simple but it’s the same thing playing with poise and attacking what’s there in front of you and making the right read and right decision. This is the one that hurt wants any chance he gets. Scott, he wants Jaylen Brunson. He’s got a better chance to beat him off the dribble with his foot speed. And you see the Knicks, they’re lined up around the perimeter. They got guys where they want to be. They’re they’re in touch with the shooters. So, this comes down to beating your man off the dribble and seeing what the reaction is on the back end. And you know what? Here’s what happens. Hellurn down the lane. Mitchell Robinson, it’s like catnip for a cat. He cannot resist this. He’s a shot blocker. He is going to come pinch off of that because he wants to protect the rim for his teammates. And that’s going to leave Miles Turner wide open. This is a big one. Three-point game. 429 to go. They take it to six. And look how casual and calm they shoot the basketball under pressure. They expect to make shots in this situation. I just thought their execution and their big- time shot making was the difference in the game. Yeah, we talked so much about about SGA and how he’s never in a rush, but Hallebertton looks like the maestro in total control of what he and what that Pacer offense are doing. You know the drill. Hold tight for just a moment. We’re going to get some perspective from the Knicks side. Same thing. Just get ready for the next one. You got to be ready to for the next challenge. We got to study the film, make our corrections, get ready to play again. What would you say was the biggest deciding factors in tonight’s game? And again, it comes down to a couple things uh going into the fourth quarter is that’s tie ball game and um you know, you just got to make better plays, more winning plays. Tom, uh as you know, Cat sat most of the fourth quarter tonight. You went with Mitchell for most of that. Um what went into that decision? just we we got in a hole and then the group that was in there gave us a chance. So, we just right right in that we’re just searching for a way to win. Tom, on the second last possession, you had a chance to um if you shot it earlier in the shot clock, get the uh two for one with terms of possessions. Um what’s your phil philosophy with that? Yeah, just you like ju just looking for the best look before the defense can get set. So, that’s what we’re trying to do. Coach, 14.1 seconds to go. You have a timeout left. Jaylen brings it up the court quick. What were you looking for with on that position? Yeah, open floor. Open floor. I thought he got the space. You know, I’m going to trust him in that situation versus dead ball where you can lock into and deny him the ball. I felt like we can get him the ball into space in that that scenario. I’ve always liked that better. You’re shaking your head. You don’t you didn’t like that. What did you want there? I didn’t like that, Scott, because I like it a lot more in a live ball situation. If the ball comes off the rim on a missed shot and now Indiana is running back and they’ve got stuff to communicate in the open floor, I don’t mind a guy like Jaylen Brunson with his IQ for the game. The problem in this situation, by the time the whistle blew on Nith to the time he shoots his second free throw, I don’t know, at least 60 seconds has elapsed. That’s an awful lot of communication coming from the bench. Players communicating to each other on the floor so they can make sure they’re aligned properly as Brunson comes up the floor. Jaylen Brunson needs to get a switch right there so we can operate against Nemhart or Hallebertton. Nesmith is the one guy that’s going to contest him better than anybody else. Look, it’s Jaylen Brunson. He’s a great player. It’s obviously capable of making that. I just don’t like walking home with that timeout in my pocket when I had an opportunity to guarantee how I wanted the beginning of that set to look and potentially what switch I could get. Yeah, you make the good point in a broken situation. In other words, live ball. I’m with you because it’s a mad scramble. But off a free throw, they would have Indiana would have been as set as they’re going to get. Still, I mean, we’re talking about Brunson getting a clean look, albeit about 30 feet. If he if he makes it, we’re tied and the whole thing could be different. But it’s not. And so now New York has to look at the tape. You didn’t have Cat on the floor for much of the fourth. Robinson was really good rebounding the ball, but you got to win games and you got to win immediately or this fun series or season I should say is going to come to an end in an abrupt fashion. What has to change from what you’ve seen, Tim? Well, listen, the bottom line is this. The Knicks haven’t proven that they can guard this team effectively for long enough stretches. Indiana just has an answer. And this isn’t just against the Knicks. This is what they’ve been doing for the last several months. They had a slow start to the year, but since basically December, this is what they look like pretty much every night offensively. The Knicks haven’t solved that. And Indiana has a lot of shooters on the floor. They’ve got great decision makers at the point. We know about the relentless tempo, but I think the Knicks did a pretty good job controlling the tempo in this game. They’re losing the halfcourt matchups. They’re not containing the ball when they need to and they are very confused on their weak side rotations. That’s allowing some open looks for Indiana. So the big question is now you got two film sessions to look at. What do you come up with to be able to guard this team because Indiana is in a incredible comfort zone and now they go home up 20. I’m not a guy that talks in absolutes and I learned a lesson with Stephen A couple of years ago when Milwaukee was up two nothing. But Indiana Tim up to shooting this well this kind of confidence and going home. I’m giving you an on-ramp to say do you believe that this series is finished? I don’t think the Knicks are coming back to beat this team four times, winning four out of five potentially. Look, if you can get it somehow to win game seven back in the garden, yeah, you’ve got a great chance. We know what road teams do typically on a game seven in the playoffs. I don’t know that they get to a game seven and it’s not just about well, you know, they they won a couple of games New York can easily go into. I just said they haven’t solved the Indiana Pacers riddle of what they’re doing to you offensively. I if I had better faith in that, maybe I think the Knicks go get game three extended. We see what happens. I think Indiana right now has maybe had the cleanest sheet outside of Oklahoma City in the entire postseason. This team’s 10-2 in the playoffs. New York has won five road games already. They’re going to have to win some more if they want to get this thing back at home and have a chance to uh to extend it and get it to that seventh game. Tim, as always, appreciate the time, my friend. We’ll talk soon. you get in an environment like this where there’s so much noise and and and and so much going on and so many distractions if you allow yourself to be distracted. You know, we we uh we always talk about, you know, you you know, let let the noise and all this other stuff um be something to help trigger a narrowed focus on your teammates, on your on your your job within the team. Um, and so, you know, we had some success doing it in in the first couple games. Um, you know, go going home is uh is going to be a different kind of challenge. Yeah, maybe. But you’re up two nothing. And after New York went to Boston and took the first two games of the last series, they now lose on their home floor twice. Indiana’s the first visiting team to do that to New York in the Garden. It was the magic of N Smith from three and the Tyrese Hallebertton bucket late that forced overtime where they win and now it’s a 39point explosion from Seakka in game two. Meanwhile, New York knows that they are backed up against the wall. Carl Anthony Towns who sat in the fourth with some thoughts on where the Knicks now are. Just playing ourselves in a deficit. Told you how we can’t keep doing that. It’s not going to uh every time we’re going to be able to uh fight back and find ourselves with a win. So, um, you know, just got to execute, be more disciplined. Well, I guess what’s not happening there defensively that’s allowing things to get after you um, you know, we’re just not executing enough and I told you, you know, execute, it comes down to execution and we’re just not doing enough of that. That team obviously pays plays fast and some of the talking points coming in is the physical fatigue that it comes with playing with them. But is there a mental fatigue too in terms of the sharpness you have to be for 48 minutes going against a group that seems to kind of be pretty steady throughout the whole game? Um I mean I think that’s for everybody. You know when you’re in the playoffs you’re one of the last four teams you expect everyone to be great especially if you make the playoffs. So um we’re just we’re just not executing enough. What’s the What’s the mindset when you’re down 02? And obviously history says 93% of teams that are up two. Don’t worry about that. I told you about that with the word history. I’m not here to repeat it. We’re here to make it. So, um, if I’ve learned anything, especially last year, as quick as you win two games is as quick as you can lose two games. So, um, you know, just bank on my experience and, um, you know, just we just got to execute at a higher level. Are they jumping on you at in the early in the fourth with that double big lineup? It seems like they’re maybe the spacing that they’re able to get to when they bring you guys down low is maybe giving you a little bit of a hard time. Are you seeing a different kind of look when they’re spacing their bigs down low? I got to watch the tape. I got to watch the tape so I can have a a good answer for that. But as of right now, um, you know, when I watch the tape, I have a better idea. You think you and Mitch together give you guys a a good shot at at slowing them down and then combating what it is that they do out there? We just got to do whatever it takes to win. Simple. We see a 39point explosion from Pascal. The outcome. He joined me earlier. That man was calm, cool, collected, all business. He was unimpressed. What did he do that impressed you this evening, Monica? I think his poise, Scott, like he just comes into the basketball game so confident. There was so much ease about him. I didn’t think that he played poorly in game one, but coming into this one, he was my X-factor because he’s capable of the night like he had tonight. He’s the guy that can score at all three levels. He can be aggressive and disruptive on the defensive end. He has versatility. And Rick Carlo has been ausive about him in terms of him being a guy that you give him a few practices with any team and he has such a cerebral game that he’s going to be able to fit in and make a positive impact. And I think you saw that here tonight. Jaylen Brunson had big numbers again, but it comes down, as Carl Anthony Towns was just alluding to, to execution down the stretch. And, you know, make miss league. Yeah. Always has been, always will be, but it feels like Indiana is just better at executing in the in the clutch moments than New York has been thus far. You’re shaking your head. You seeing the same things? Yeah. Yeah, I am seeing that, SCP. And it’s interesting because coming off the Boston series where so many games were decided by clutch, you look at the Knicks, they’re six and three. or coming into tonight at least they were six and three in clutch time performances. Yes, the headline was the big shots, but you also had clutch defensive performances late and they have not been able to push that button when it matters in terms of the defense that allowed them to close the games in the previous series versus the Boston Celtics. And listen, credit the um the Indiana Pacers. They have the perfect set of guys around Tyrese Hallebertton who makes excellent decisions. Collapse the defense, spray to your shooters. Your shooters are knocking down shots. It’s Friday night in the Garden. You got the stars. Like I don’t know how long it took on the jumbotron to show all the people that are in the building. There might have been some stars that didn’t make the cut and left there upset. But this is a city that doesn’t blink. It’s not easily shook. But I’m asking Monica as folks are leaving there down to after just losing the first these two first time that’s ever happened. General mood of the building. All right. So just quick story and perhaps this is just my experience but I’ll share it. I have to come down the stairs from my radio position to get down court to do postgame stuff. And so I always have to come downstairs. Excuse me guys, can I get you the postgame show? Can I get the postgame show? Fans are great. They’re like, Monica, let her through. Nixon 6 champ broke out. And I don’t know if that is optimism, delusion, confidence, but I do still believe there’s a strong sect of this fan base as you heard from Carl Anthony Towns that believes look, people didn’t think they were going to get past Boston, so you just got to go out there and play the games in Indie coming up this weekend. Well, and they’ve been excellent on the road uh throughout in Detroit and in Boston. And so, look, they’re going to they got no choice now. They’ve got to be coming up this weekend going to Indiana. Monica, I appreciate your time. It’s great to visit. Be well until I talk to you again. Okay. Yeah. A little research to tell us what we’ve seen. The sixth consecutive road win for the Pacers breaks a tie with the 2014 squad for the longest in franchise history. They’ve become the second team in the last five seasons with such a streak in the playoffs, joining the Celtics on their title run last year. As for New York, another loss on the home floor. Fifth time they’ve fallen in the garden in front of their home fans this year. The most home losses in any postseason run in New York’s franchise history. Now three and five at home in the playoffs. I mentioned a moment ago the five road playoff wins. They’ve needed them. It marks the second time this season the Pacers won each of the first two games of a series on the road after also doing so against the number one seated Cleveland Cavaliers. Prior to this season, they had only done it once before. That was way back in 94. Josh Hard in New York situation they find themselves in now. Wish I could tell you. I don’t know. Um, you know, we’re, you know, like I said, we’re down 02. Um, you know, we got to, um, you know, figure it out. Um, we have to find, um, things that spark us. Um, we got to look at everything. Um, you know, it’s always it’s it’s tough when you keep putting yourselves into a hole. So, um, we got to figure that out and, um, you know, fix it. You guys, you guys hadn’t been behind in a series until this just to now face a two hole going. Does the challenge you? Nah. Um the moves always go win the next game and that doesn’t that doesn’t change if you’re up two or if you’re down two. Um you know, we’ve had our backs against the wall in multiple um circumstances this year and and we always, you know, kept fighting and got out of it. So um nothing changes. know we got to go out there and execute and focus on winning the next game. Last round you Pacers up two nothing on the road. They’re now significant favorites to win according to ESPN Bet Sports book. I find that interesting that number for game three. That seems kind of short, doesn’t it? New York apparently opened up uh it’s actually already crept up to two and a half. H. There you

On SportsCenter, Scott Van Pelt reacts to the Indiana Pacers’ Game 2 win over the New York Knicks in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

0:00 Pacers vs. Knicks
3:20 Pascal Siakam joins SVP
6:14 Tim Legler touchscreen
9:24 Tom Thibodeau news conference
10:44 More Legler reaction
14:35 Rick Carlisle news conference
15:48 KAT locker room sound
17:49 Monica McNutt reaction
21:30 Josh Hart locker room sound

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