Pacers’ Rick Carlisle: Going Home With 2-0 Lead Doesn’t Mean Easy

So, yes, Indiana is headed home with a 2-0 lead in the East finals, and life in your own building is generally nicer than, you know, enemy territory.

But funny thing is, the Pacers have played every bit as well (if not better) in road playoff games as those at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. If you’re looking for stats, consider that they’ve won five straight on the road in the postseason.

They split their two home games against the Cavaliers in the East semis — taking a 2-0 lead after two games in Cleveland. Then the Pacers lost Game 3 at home.

Coach Rick Carlisle is aware of all this and cautioned that now is no time for his team to play it cool and chill.

“There are a lot of traps here,” Carlisle told reporters. “You cannot assume going home is going to be easier — it never is. Each game, as you ascend in a playoff series, becomes harder.

“New York — they have an amazing fighting spirit, so we’re going to have to keep concentrating on our process, making it hard on them and trying to keep tempo in the game.”

Meanwhile, the Knicks are aiming to become just the sixth team to overcome a 2-0 deficit after losing the first two on their own floor.

“Same thing — just get ready for the next one,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after the Game 2 loss. “You’ve got to be ready for the next challenge. We’ve got to study the film, make our corrections and get ready to play again.”