Indiana Pacers eliminate New York Knicks to advance to first NBA Finals in 25 years
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers celebrates during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals. -The Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks 125-108 to win the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals in six games and advance to the franchise's first NBA Finals since 2000.
It was another hard fought battle between two teams with a storied past that was a tight game until the Pacers pulled away in the final quarter. Just like most of the playoffs, the duo of Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton led the way for Indiana, finishing with 31 points and 21 points respectively.
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It was Siakam's third game this series with at least 25 points which garnered him the Larry Bird Trophy – awarded to the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals.
'It's been such an amazing experience for me so far,' Siakam told the TNT Sports broadcast about his time in Indy. 'From the first day I landed here like the love has been amazing. … First class organization. I'm just so happy to be here. I mean tonight, after a bad Game 5, we wanted to bounce back, I have like 100% belief in my teammates. Whenever we are down, we always find a way.'
The game also marked a historic moment for the broadcast; the Pacers victory was the last game in the long-standing relationship between the NBA and TNT. While 'Inside the NBA' will continue on ESPN, the NBA on TNT ended at the culmination of the Eastern Conference finals.
Both teams kept it close in the first half, trading baskets despite the Knicks' turnover issues that plagued them the whole game.
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It was a quick 9-0 run from three consecutive 3-pointers to open the third quarter that made the difference for a fast-paced Pacers squad.
From there, the crowd on hand at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which featured WNBA star Caitlin Clark, roared the Pacers to the very end.
Lexie Hull and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever attend Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. -Haliburton said he was 'really proud' of the way his team played.
'We had a tough showing last game as a group so we wanted to respond. We did a great job at that,' Haliburton told the TNT Sports broadcast.
'I don't even have words. It's really exciting. We will enjoy this one for now and theres a lot more work to do against a really tough team. Just really proud of this group.'
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It was a tough night for the Knicks All-Star duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Brunson added 19 points.
New York struggled with the pestering Indiana defense, leading to 17 turnovers as a team. Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard had a game-high six steals.
Despite the Knicks appearing to inch their way back into the game multiple times, Indiana proved to be too much to handle as New York's attempt to become the 14th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit fell painfully short.
Indiana Pacers center Thomas Bryant celebrates after making a 3-pointer during the second half of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. - Michael Conroy/AP
The Knicks, who haven't won a title since 1973, let alone advance to the Finals since 1999, again were eliminated by a team they consider one of their greatest rivals.
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The two teams met in the playoffs eight times in their histories including six in eight years between 1993-2000. Last year, Indiana defeated New York in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, setting an NBA record for the best field goal percentage ever in an NBA game, converting 67.1% of their shots.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau pointed to all the adversity the team faced this season with injuries and late additions to the rotation when asked how they can take the next step and get to a Finals.
'I'm proud of what these guys did,' Thibodeau told reporters. 'There was a lot that we had to get through and I thought we handled that part well. … A lot of moving parts but they kept fighting and moving forward. And I've got great respect for that.'
The 28-year-old Brunson didn't mince his words about another loss to the Pacers, saying it 'sucked' but expressed the confidence in how the team will rebound in the future.
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'The most confidence. Overconfident. Seriously. There's not an ounce of any type of doubt that I'm not confident with this group,' Brunson said.
Towns added that the moves the Knicks have made were to 'win.'
'It hurts not to bring an opportunity to the city for a championship,' Towns said. 'We got a bunch of great guys in that locker room and we hope to – the plan now is to put ourselves in this position again and succeed next time.'
The Pacers face a tall task next, playing the NBA's best regular season team – the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing in their second-ever Finals appearance – which starts on Thursday at the Paycom Center.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
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