Indiana’s relentless tempo and team-first identity have overwhelmed New York in the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals. As the series shifts to Indianapolis, the Pacers look locked in — while the Knicks scramble for answers.
A high-speed puzzle New York can’t solve
The Eastern Conference finals have opened at a breakneck pace — quite literally. For two straight games at Madison Square Garden, the Indiana Pacers have pushed the tempo, moved the ball with surgical precision, and pressured the Knicks into one misstep after another. The result: a 2-0 lead for Indiana, and a stunned New York team searching for ways to slow them down.
Indiana’s 114–109 Game 2 win wasn’t nearly as dramatic as their opener, but it showcased something deeper: confidence, composure, and a firm sense of identity. While the Knicks wavered in their rotations and defensive assignments, the Pacers kept executing. They don’t just run fast — they think fast. With every possession, they pose a new problem, and so far, the Knicks haven’t had a solution.
Rick Carlisle’s anti-system system
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has never liked being labeled a “system coach,” and he made that clear ahead of Friday’s win. “Not every player we have on our team is a perfect fit with exactly what we do,” he said. “But coaching is about taking some parts that aren’t necessarily identical and finding a way to bring out the strengths of those players.”
That’s what makes this Indiana team so unique. They operate less like a machine and more like a jazz band — improvisation, fluid, and hard to predict. They don’t run many traditional sets, and many possessions feel chaotic by design. Screens are slipped, ghosted, rejected. Every player seems to be a screener, a cutter, and a secondary ball handler. But somehow, it all flows.
Credit for that cohesion begins with Tyrese Haliburton, the team’s cerebral centerpiece. His feel for the game allows Indiana to play free without turning the ball over. During the regular season, the Pacers posted a turnover rate of just 13% — third-best in the league. That number has dropped even lower in the postseason, including an astounding 8.5% through two games against New York. In each game, they’ve committed just one turnover in the fourth quarter.
Depth, rhythm, and relentless pace
If Carlisle’s offense is beautiful chaos, it’s backed by depth that ensures the pace never drops. T.J. McConnell’s fourth-quarter energy in Game 2 was emblematic of this: driving relentlessly, creating mismatches, and forcing New York to rotate under pressure. And when a player like Bennedict Mathurin falters — as he did in the first half — the Pacers pivot quickly. He didn’t play a minute in the second half, and the team didn’t miss a beat.
Indiana doesn’t just survive substitutions — it thrives on them. Whether it’s Tony Bradley crashing the boards after a rough stint from Thomas Bryant or rookie Ben Sheppard providing pace and pressure, every player contributes to the collective. As Sheppard put it, “It’s so important, our speed and the way we play, just wear teams down.”
The Knicks, by contrast, are laboring under a shortened rotation and inconsistent performances from key players. Their starters are conceding a whopping 155.1 points per 100 possessions this series — a number that would be eye-popping even in a regular-season blowout. Yet coach Tom Thibodeau has been hesitant to shake things up, even as calls mount for Miles McBride or Mitchell Robinson to join the starting five.
When defense becomes offense
What makes Indiana so difficult to defend isn’t just their tempo — it’s how quickly they transition from one action to the next. Against Boston in the previous round, the Knicks were able to disrupt rhythm, force isolation plays, and create turnovers. But Indiana doesn’t let you rest after one stop. As soon as the initial screen is defended, another comes, then a dribble handoff, then a cut from the weak side.
“They’re not going to stop,” New York wing Mikal Bridges said after Game 2. It wasn’t resignation, but realism. Bridges also admitted the Knicks might be “playing a bit too soft at the beginning of halves,” an issue they’ve failed to correct since Game 1. The lack of defensive cohesion has been a theme, with communication breakdowns allowing Indiana clean looks — or worse, transition layups.
One such moment came late in Game 2 when Haliburton secured a defensive rebound and, instead of slowing the pace, fired a pinpoint outlet pass to Pascal Siakam for a fast-break score. In that moment, the Pacers showed exactly who they are: opportunistic, unafraid, and unwilling to ease off the accelerator.
Calm amid the Garden chaos
Playing in Madison Square Garden used to mean intimidation. But for this Pacers team — many of whom were here last year — the stage no longer feels overwhelming. “Us being here last year, playing at MSG doesn’t feel as big as it did last year,” guard Andrew Nembhard said. “I think we’re a little more comfortable at the moment.”
That comfort showed in Game 2. Even as the crowd surged and New York made a few late runs, Indiana never lost control. “We always talk about, ‘Let the noise and all this other stuff be something to help trigger a narrowed focus,’” Carlisle said after the game. “On your teammates, on your job within the team.”
That team-wide focus is what allowed Indiana to hunt mismatches — particularly Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns — without disrupting their offensive rhythm. Rather than leaning heavily into isolation, they maintained spacing, moved the ball, and generated quality shots possession after possession. In the second half alone, the Pacers scored 138.3 points per 100 possessions — a number that ballooned to 153.8 when Robinson was on the floor.
What’s next for the Knicks?
It would be premature to declare the series over. The Knicks, after all, are 5–1 on the road in these playoffs and have shown resilience before. But the margin for error has vanished. Every missed rotation, every failed box-out, every moment of hesitation will be amplified in Game 3. New York’s identity — built on toughness, defense, and grit — must reassert itself quickly.
For the Pacers, the task is simpler: stay the course. “We’re just trying to play our game,” Carlisle said. That game has already carried them to the doorstep of the NBA Finals. If the Knicks can’t adapt to the tempo — and match the poise — Indiana has shown so far, they may soon find themselves outmatched and out of time.
