Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks on May 23, 2025, at Madison Square Garden brings heightened stakes and renewed pressure for the Knicks after the Pacers delivered a statement win in Game 1, dominating from start to finish in a shocking 119–81 blowout. Indiana’s performance was a blueprint of their postseason evolution—smart, fast, and ruthless, driven by Tyrese Haliburton’s playmaking brilliance and a bench that overwhelmed New York’s second unit with pace and efficiency. Haliburton carved up the Knicks’ defense, dishing out assists, knocking down deep threes, and dictating tempo while big man Myles Turner protected the paint and ran the floor to punish defensive lapses. What made Indiana’s Game 1 win especially jarring was how thoroughly they dismantled New York’s strengths, from rebounding to physical perimeter defense, exposing the Knicks’ inability to adjust to Indiana’s spread-out attack. The Knicks shot poorly across the board and struggled to contain the Pacers in transition, areas where they’ve typically thrived, and their frustration became visible early in the third quarter as the deficit ballooned. Jalen Brunson, who had been heroic in prior series, looked out of sync under heavy defensive pressure and will need to regroup quickly to avoid letting this series slip away.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau will be forced to make adjustments—possibly rotating in different defenders or shifting matchups—to slow down Haliburton and re-establish control of the glass. Statistically, both teams enter Game 2 with recent betting trends that reflect the competitiveness of the postseason, as the Knicks are 9–6 ATS in their last 15 games, while the Pacers are 6–4 over their last 10, though momentum clearly favors Indiana. Oddsmakers have installed the Knicks as 5.5-point favorites despite their Game 1 collapse, expecting a bounce-back on their home floor where they’ve been difficult to beat all season. The total is set at 227, reflecting the pace Indiana prefers but also acknowledging that New York, if allowed to dictate tempo, can grind games into half-court slugfests. The clash of styles—Indiana’s fluid ball movement and pace against New York’s isolation-heavy, defensive-minded grit—will define Game 2, and the outcome may hinge on whether the Knicks can reassert their physicality and slow Indiana’s shooters. For the Pacers, the goal is to replicate their formula: protect the ball, push the pace, hit perimeter shots, and swarm the Knicks’ top scorers to create fast-break opportunities. A win would put Indiana up 2–0 heading home, a potentially insurmountable edge, while a Knicks win would reset the series and remind everyone why they were considered one of the toughest outs in the East. Either way, Game 2 promises to be a high-intensity battle that could shift the trajectory of the entire series.