INDIANAPOLIS -- The NBA Cup. Friday the 13th. And the last two Eastern Conference Champions squaring off. The stage was set for another chapter of the Pacers and Knicks storied rivalry. The Indianapolis crowd was ready, and the product on the court didn't disappoint. In the end, it came down to the final possession, and the Pacers defeated the Knicks by a final score of 106-104.

Here are the main takeaways from Friday night's game.

Game of runs- Pacers survive.

The Pacers saw a 14-point lead disappear as the Knicks tied things up early in the 4th quarter. The Pacers then went on another big run to lead by 12 points. New York responded with a run cutting the lead down to two once again in the closing seconds. After a late Pacers turnover, the Knicks had a chance to win tie or win it in the final possession, but Karl Anthony-Towns missed a fade-away jumper, and the Pacers held on for the victory.

Aaron Nesmith finds his shot.

It has been a struggle for Nesmith to start this season. He came into Friday night shooting just 37% from the field. He was due for a good shooting night, and he delivered. Nesmith had 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting against New York, while also connecting on 2-of-3 from 3-point range. The Pacers badly need to improve from deep as a team, and getting Nesmith going will be one of the keys in doing just that.

Defense continues to improve.

After the win over Washington on Wednesday, Rick Carlisle praised his team for giving up 27 or less points in all four quarters of that game. "That's a hard thing to do in today's NBA," he said. On Friday night, the Pacers nearly did it again. The Knicks eclipsed 27 points in a quarter just once, which came in the third. In the final quarter, the Pacers held New York to 20 points. They also caused two 8-second violations, and a big shot clock violation late in the game. Holding this Knicks team to 104 points in a game is something to be proud of.

The Pacers were led in scoring by Pascal Siakam with 19 points, as five players scored in double-figures. Ivica Zubac recorded his second straight double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 16 points. Things have started to come together a little bit for the Pacers this week, and a win over their rivals will only help things as they move forward.