Pacers take 2-0 lead home for celebration

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Indy 500 also runs Sunday, followed by Game 3 of series

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Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) dunks the ball against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during the third quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday in New York. ADAM HUNGER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Brian Mahoney

The Associated Press

NEW YORK >> Tyrese Haliburton smiled widely as he envisioned the scene Sunday when the Pacers host Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals to cap a day-long sports celebration in Indiana.

Yet along with the Pacers’ excitement after winning the first two games against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden came a word of caution. A 2-0 lead guarantees nothing and things can change quickly.

Look no further than last year in a series between these same teams.

“You cannot assume going home is going to be easier. It never is,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Each game as you ascend in a playoff series becomes harder. New York, they’ve got an amazing fighting spirit.”

The Knicks will have to call upon it after digging themselves a big hole in New York. They blew Game 1 with a bad finish to the fourth quarter, then couldn’t overcome a poor start to the period in Game 2.

Now they will need to become the first team to lose the first two games at home in the conference finals and come back to win the series.

“We know it’s 2-0 but it’s still a long series,” Knicks guard Mikal Bridges said.

Bridges wasn’t on the Knicks team that took a 2-0 lead over the Pacers last year in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Indiana evened it up when the series changed sites and eventually won it with a Game 7 romp back at Madison Square Garden.

The Pacers may not need to go back to New York this time. A win Sunday and another Tuesday in Game 4 would send them to the NBA Finals for the second time as they chase the franchise’s first title since their ABA days.

An NBA Finals wouldn’t be any bigger than what the Pacers should have Sunday. The Indianapolis 500 is being run that afternoon, with Game 3 tipping off at night. It’s the first time since 2013 the Pacers have a home game the day of the race.

“I’ve been to the 500. It’s crazy, so I can’t imagine all those people then coming over to Gainbridge (Fieldhouse). You know, going to be a rowdy crowd, going to be a little intoxicated. Who knows?” Haliburton said.

“It’s going to be a special time. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

On the other side, Jalen Brunson was telling the Knicks’ fans to hang in there.