Watch: Pacers wear out the Knicks to win the East, reaching the NBA Finals – Basketball Insider
The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 to win the Eastern Conference Finals and reach the NBA Finals.
Indiana will play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the finals starting Thursday, June 5.
Pascal Siakam led with 31 points, 5 assists, 3 assists and 3 blocks on his way to the Eastern Conference MVP. Tyrese Haliburton led with him with 21 points, 13 assists, 3 steals and a block.
Andrew Nembhard was arguably his best game in the series, ending with 14 points, 8 assists and 6 (!) steals. He was responsible for becoming Jalen Brunson’s main defender and limited the Knicks superstar’s 19 points with 18 shots and 5 turnovers. Nembhard also did a very good job of pulling him off the free throw line, which puts Brunson behind only two free throws.
Obi Toppin was also a strong contributor on the bench with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Indiana decided its pace early on and destroyed New York in transition. The Pacers won the quick breakpoint battle with a score of 25-10 and beat the Knicks 34-13. They also won two-thirds of the battle, surpassing the Knicks by 24 points.
OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 24 points on 10 of 18 shots. He also has five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
Karl-Anthony Towns worked hard to make an impact in this goal, scoring 22 points in 19 shots and 6-for-10 at the free throw line. Siakam won the game easily is decisive.
What’s next for the Knicks?
It can be said that the biggest difference in this series is the relative lack of depth in the Knicks. Haliburton said at the start of the series that the Pacers felt their pace and unremitting pressure because they could go to how many bodies the Knicks could wear. That’s exactly what happened.
New York will need to think strongly about whether they are a way to build better depth on this lineup. Head coach Tom Thibodeau actually learned creativity, much deeper than he thought, as Landry Shamet and Delon Wright provided good time when asked.
Josh Hart’s offensive incompetence was revealed in this series, as did Brunson and Towns’ defensive underdefensiveness.
There is a lot to be evaluated as the Knicks try to figure out the path to the next level.
