Knicks falter in Game 6 as Pacers clinch historic Eastern Conference title to head to NBA Finals
Indianapolis, Indiana - The Indiana Pacers ended the New York Knicks' dream of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 with 125-108 on Saturday.
The Pacers used a big third quarter to break open a close game and kept the pressure on in the fourth period to win the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals 4-2, sealing a finals spot for just the second time in franchise history – and the first since 2000.
They will be chasing a maiden title against Oklahoma City.
Tyrese Haliburton, who scored a 21-point double-double, said the series triumph was especially sweet after the Pacers were swept in the conference finals last season by eventual champions Boston.
"You know, we got to the same spot last year, fell short and we just worked our tails off as a group to get back here," he said. "It's been a bumpy road with our start and (I'm) just really proud of the resilience of this group."
He was already looking ahead to the formidable challenge of the Thunder, who led the league with 68 regular season wins and saw star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named Most Valuable Player.
"It's an exciting time, but we understand that there's a long road ahead, a lot more work to do," Haliburton said. "We've got four more to go."
Knicks struggle to keep up with Pacers in second half
New York had fended off elimination with a dominant defensive display in Game 5, but couldn't send the series to a decider.
Pascal Siakam, who won a title with Toronto in 2019, was named MVP of the series, bouncing back with 31 points after a disappointing outing in Game 5, when the Knicks used a dominating defensive effort to extend the series.
OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 24 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson scored 19 points and handed out seven assists.
But Indiana emerged from a fast-paced first quarter that featured five lead changes with a one-point lead and never trailed again, harrying New York into 18 turnovers that led to 34 Pacers points.
Haliburton, scoreless in the first quarter, warmed up with eight points in the second, including a thunderous dunk after teammate Andrew Nembhard's steal – one of 10 of New York's first-half turnovers.
Nembhard came up with another steal from Brunson and fed Siakam for a layup to push Indiana's lead to six points before Anunoby drilled a basket in the final second of the first half to cut the Knicks' deficit to 58-54 at the break.
The Pacers opened the third quarter on a 9-0 run and pushed their lead to 15 points, 78-63, on back-to-back three-pointers from Nembhard and Bryant, sending the crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse into a frenzy.
New York quickly trimmed the deficit to seven only for the Pacers to pull away and take a 92-77 lead into the fourth quarter, with Haliburton plundering 11 points.
Cover photo: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect