It’s official: Rick Carlisle is climbing the playoff coaching mountain like it’s the Rocky Steps in Philly — minus the sweat and 80s music montage. After guiding the Indiana Pacers to a gritty 114-109 win over the Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Carlisle now sits 10th all-time in NBA playoff coaching wins with 81, inching closer to Steve Kerr’s 6th place spot at 104.

And yes, while Kerr is still sipping wine in the 100+ club with legends like Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich, Carlisle is creeping up like he’s got the League Pass subscription to history. The Pacers are two wins away from the NBA Finals, and Carlisle’s doing it with a roster that doesn’t even have a certified “Top 10 guy”.

Let’s not forget, Carlisle’s last deep playoff run was when “TikTok” still referred to a Kesha song. And now? He’s back in the spotlight with a team that’s playing basketball like it’s a Red Bull-fueled open gym run. Indiana is now a ridiculous 7-0 in clutch games this postseason. That’s not basketball, that’s wizardry.

Carlisle’s offense is smoother than Tim Duncan in the low post — calculated, calm, and no wasted motion. He’s coaxed this Pacers team into elite execution when it matters most. And while he may still trail Steve Kerr by 23 playoff wins, Carlisle is now breathing down the neck of Jerry Sloan  (98 wins) like a double-team on the baseline.

We came into this series wondering if Tyrese Haliburton would be the one to torch the Knicks. Nah. Aaron Nesmith? Nembhard? Cute. This was Pascal Siakam’s night. He dropped 39 points like he had a cheat code, going 15-of-23 from the field, 3-of-5 from deep, and straight-up vaporizing OG Anunoby’s defensive resume.

It was the kind of playoff performance that says, “Hey, remember me? 2019 champion, still got the juice.” Siakam wasn’t just scoring — he was leaking out like prime Shawn Marion in transition, putting the Knicks’ defense on roller skates. By the time the fourth quarter came around, he slowed down a bit — but not before grabbing a huge offensive rebound with under three minutes left that basically shut the lights off on MSG.

The Rick Carlisle Slow-Cook Method

Tyrese Haliburton didn’t light up the scoreboard early, but don’t let the 14 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds line fool you — this was classic “point god” patience. Like a LeBron James outlet pass or a Gregg Popovich post-timeout play, Haliburton just waited until the exact moment to cook. He spent the first half lurking like a Grant Hill Gatorade ad, then turned it up in the second with timely assists, a few heat-check threes, and floor general vibes that made it look like he had the Knicks playbook on his iPad.

Here’s the part that hurts if you’re a Knicks fan: New York just became the second team in two straight years to lose the first two games of a playoff series at home. Guess who the last team to do that was? Yup, the Pacers, who did the same thing last year and then eliminated the Knicks in seven. It’s deja vu, and not the good kind.

Jalen Brunson did everything short of selling popcorn at halftime — 36 points and 11 assists — but it wasn’t enough. The Knicks’ bench gave them less energy than a flat soda, and Josh Hart was MIA after getting into foul trouble faster than James Harden changes teams. OG Anunoby looked overmatched against Siakam, and Mitchell Robinson’s 9 rebounds barely made a dent in the Pacers’ paint dominance. And let’s be honest — when you give up 14 fast-break points and spend more time chasing guys than guarding them, that’s a defensive horror show worthy of an “Inside the NBA” roast segment.

All five Pacers starters scored in double figures. Myles Turner dropped 16. Nesmith, Nembhard, and Haliburton added 12, 12, and 14, respectively. Even TJ McConnell came off the bench and hit midrange jumpers like it was 2003.

The Knicks’ rotations were so confused that they looked like they were trying to defend Steph Curry on a broken treadmill. And Indiana just kept hammering them in the paint, getting whatever they wanted. Carlisle has this squad humming like the 2011 Mavericks — no stars, just surgical basketball.

It’s now Pacers 2, Knicks 0. And Game 3 is back in Indy, where the crowd will be louder than Spike Lee on courtside espresso shots. If Carlisle and Co. keep this up, he might just pass Doc Rivers (102) before we even reach the Finals.

And if the Knicks don’t get their act together, this might go down faster than a Ben Simmons jump shot.

So, congrats Coach Carlisle — from coaching Dirk in Dallas to cooking defenses with Pascal and Haliburton, you’re proving again why your name belongs in NBA playoff history books. Now go grab a few more wins and give Steve Kerr something to sweat about.