Haliburton's double-double leads Indiana Pacers into NBA Finals for first time since 2000
The Indiana Pacers, fuelled by 31 points from Pascal Siakam and a 21-point double-double from Tyrese Haliburton, beat the New York Knicks 125-108 on Saturday to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000.
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.
They reached the championship series for the second time in franchise history, and will be chasing their first title when the finals open in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Haliburton 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 just really proud of the resilience of this group.'
Tyrese Haliburton shoots against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (left) in Indianapolis. Photo: AP
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 MVP.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Why Cambodian-American chefs want to share their cuisine and stop talking about the past
Chef Phila Lorn was not necessarily aiming for authentic Cambodian food when he opened Mawn in Philadelphia, the US city where he was born, two years ago. So when he approached some Cambodian teen patrons he braced himself for questioning. Advertisement 'Someone's going to say something like, 'That's not how my mom makes her oxtail soup',' Lorn says. 'So I walk up to the table. I'm like, 'How is everything?' And the kid looks up at me and he goes, 'It doesn't even matter, dude. So glad you're here'.' It was at that moment that Lorn realised Mawn – the phonetic spelling of the Khmer word for 'chicken' – was more than a noodle shop. It meant representation. In June, he will be representing his dual cultures – Cambodian and Philly – at his first James Beard Awards as a nominee for best emerging chef. In the food world, it is akin to getting nominated for the Academy Awards. Phila Lorn and Rachel Lorn opened Mawn restaurant in Philadelphia two years ago. Photo: AP Cambodian restaurants are not as common in the United States as Chinese takeaways or sushi spots. Cambodian food is often lazily lumped in with its Southeast Asian neighbours, despite distinct differences. But in recent years, enterprising Cambodian American chefs have come into their own, introducing traditional dishes or putting their own twist on them. Advertisement Many of them were raised in families who fled the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror, which began 50 years ago and killed about 1.7 million people. Since then, the Cambodian community in the US has grown and put down roots.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
11 injured in stabbing attack at Oregon homeless shelter, suspect arrested
A dozen people were injured in a stabbing attack at an Oregon homeless shelter on Sunday night. A suspect has been arrested, police said. Advertisement A man with a knife walked into the lobby of the Union Gospel Mission in Salem at around 7.15pm local time, the Salem Police Department said on Monday. The man had been talking to people in the lobby when he allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed several people, according to police. Other people in the vicinity were hurt when they tried to intervene, police said. The man then left the building and stabbed others who were nearby, sitting outside. Police arrested a suspect identified as Tony Williams, 42, across the street from the shelter. Eleven victims, including two shelter staff members, were taken to a hospital for treatment and a 12th victim was identified as officers interviewed witnesses. Police said the victims suffered 'varying types of injuries'. All of the injured were men between the ages of 26 and 57, police said. Advertisement Five people remained hospitalised on Monday with serious injuries. Police have not specified a motive for the stabbings, but said it did not seem targeted at people who are homeless.
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
US Indo-Pacific commander calls PLA operations in Taiwan Strait ‘rehearsals', not just exercises
The top US commander in the Pacific said on Monday that Beijing was on a 'dangerous course' and its operations around Taiwan were not mere exercises, but 'rehearsals'. Advertisement 'We face a profoundly consequential time in the Indo-Pacific. China is on a dangerous course,' said Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, in a special address to an AI expo hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project think tank. 'Their aggressive manoeuvres around Taiwan are not just exercises. They are rehearsals,' he continued, without explicitly referencing a potential takeover of Taiwan. Beijing regards the self-ruled island as part of China, to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take it by force and is committed to arming it. In recent years, the US has grown increasingly anxious about a mainland takeover, with officials and lawmakers eyeing 2027 as a possible window, and pointing to more frequent People's Liberation Army sorties that cross the Taiwan Strait's median line as signs of growing aggression. Advertisement Tensions between Taiwan and mainland China have also grown in the year since Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has called a 'destroyer of peace', took office. Without naming specific countries, Paparo said on Monday that China's aggression was compounded by 'a growing transactional symbiosis among an axis of autocracies,' evidenced by 'technology transfers and coordinated military activities'.
