Pacers' Pascal Siakam Scores 19, Indiana Holds Off Knicks 106-104 In NBA Cup

Pascal Siakam scored 19 points in the Indiana Pacers' 106-104 win over the New York Knicks.

Aaron Nesmith added 18 points for Indiana in the NBA Cup group-play game Friday night.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 16 points for the Pacers in the two-point win over New York. Ivica Zubac contributed 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Indiana in the game.

Jalen Brunson, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, led the Knicks with 33 points.

Karl-Anthony Towns totaled 23 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks in the defeat. Mikal Bridges scored 18 points for New York, which is 6-6 this season. Indiana is 5-8 overall after the win.

Siakam made a 15-foot jumper with 1:49 to play, putting Indiana ahead 106-98.

Brunson drove for a layup with 26 seconds left, trimming the Indiana lead to 106-102. Siakam was fouled with 23 seconds to go and missed both free throws. Bridges scored with 10 seconds left, bringing the Knicks within 106-104.

The Pacers turned the ball over with 2.8 seconds left in the game.

Towns missed a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer that would have tied the score. Nesmith played after the Pacers declared him available earlier Friday. He had been held to 21 minutes in Wednesday's win over Washington because of right knee soreness.

The Knicks outscored the Pacers 27-26 in the first quarter. Indiana won the second quarter 32-22 to take a 58-49 lead at halftime. The Pacers led 85-74 in the third quarter before the Knicks scored 10 straight points.

That run cut the Indiana lead to 85-84 going into the fourth quarter. Indiana outscored New York 21-20 in the final period to hold on. Each team shot 43% from the field in the game. The Pacers finished with a 50-43 advantage in rebounds.

Indiana made 18 of 25 free throws, and New York went 10 of 13 from the line.

Siakam, an All-Star in each of the past two seasons, played in 11 of Indiana's games this season. In those games he averaged 22.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 51.1% from the field.

Brunson averaged 26 points, 5.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds over his first 11 games this season.

He shot 43% from the field and 36.7% from 3-point range in those 11 games. The Knicks play at Toronto on Sunday. The Pacers visit Philadelphia on Sunday.

Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has played in just four games this season after missing all of last season. Indiana is 2-2 with Hali in the lineup. 

Haliburton is averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game this season. The two-time All-Star is shooting 51.6% from the field, 37.0% from beyond the arc and 86.7% from the free-throw line. 

Haliburton signed a five-year, $244 million extension with the Pacers in July 2023. Indiana acquired him from the Sacramento Kings in 2022.