Knicks vs. Pacers: Key talking points as Pacers’ dominance leads them to the NBA Finals

The Indiana Pacers clinched their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000 with a decisive 125–108 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. This win secured the Pacers’ second trip ever to the NBA Finals.

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle’s strategic psychological approach during the Eastern Conference Finals, focusing on consistency, perspective, and emotional control over the course of a grueling playoff series.

Key points from the Victory

Pascal Siakam’s Dominance

Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 31 points, earning the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals MVP. His consistent scoring and leadership were instrumental throughout the series.

Tyrese Haliburton’s Playmaking Excellence Haliburton contributed 21 points and 13 assists in 

Game 6, showcasing his ability to control the game and facilitate the offense. His performance was pivotal in securing the series win.

Team Depth and Efficiency

The Pacers displayed remarkable team depth, with contributions from various players. Their efficient shooting and cohesive play were key factors in their series victory.

Knicks’ Injury Challenges

The Knicks faced significant injury setbacks, including the loss of Jalen Brunson to a broken hand in Game 7. These challenges hindered their ability to compete effectively in the series.

Pascal Siakam’s performance in the Eastern Conference Finals was a defining factor in the Pacers’ victory over the Knicks. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau summed it up, “The versatility. His ability to run the floor, his ability to play in the paint, his ability to get to the basket … makes him a tough cover.”

Meanwhile, Myles Turner’s journey to the NBA Finals is not just a basketball story, it’s a story of patience, perseverance, and redemption. Here’s how his path defines this Pacers resurgence, “When the buzzer was sounding, it was nothing but joy,” Turner said after Game 6. “All the years, all the hate, all the love, all the in-between just made sense at that moment.”

#ChasingHistory: Pacers Power!

All-access with Indiana after they punched their ticket to the Finals for the first time in 25 years #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/dkx4Y6O37x

— NBA (@NBA) June 2, 2025

New York’s playoff run was valiant, but ultimately undone by injuries, inconsistency, and an Indiana team peaking at the right moment. Brunson’s frustration is shared across a Knicks fanbase that believed this might be the year they broke through to the Finals for the first time since 1999.

Jalen Brunson’s blunt assessment — “It sucks. Simple as that.” — captured the raw emotion of a crushing end to a dramatic Knicks playoff run. And in typical New York fashion, it gave the tabloids exactly the kind of headline-ready quote they love. Brunson, who had carried New York much of the postseason, gave perhaps his shortest and most honest postgame quote, a reflection of exhaustion and heartbreak, “It sucks. Simple as that.”

The Pacers couldn’t have scripted it much better, they closed out the Eastern Conference Finals in Game 6, putting together their most complete performance of the series at just the right time and avoiding a perilous Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, one of the NBA’s most unforgiving stages.

The Pacers will need every bit of their Game 6 energy and cohesion as they step into a new kind of cauldron in OKC, one with the highest stakes of all. Indiana’s reward for avoiding a Game 7 in New York? A Finals debut against a team just as confident, just as fast, and just as eager to write its own modern legacy. 

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