Latest news with #Siakam
Kuwait Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Pascal Siakam, Pacers knock out Knicks in Eastern Conference finals
Indiana face OKC in their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000 INDIANAPOLIS: Pascal Siakam already owns one NBA championship ring and he now has a chance to win another. Siakam was the biggest hero as the Indiana Pacers earned their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000 with a solid 125-108 victory over the visiting New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night at Indianapolis. Siakam recorded 31 points and three blocked shots to finish off a stellar series in which he was named MVP of the series. He was 10-of-18 shooting while notching his third 30-point outing of the series. "So deserving," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said of Siakam. "The guy has been a rock of consistency all year." Indiana will face the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday night at Oklahoma City. Siakam, a nine-year veteran, won a title in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors. Now he'll be the guy fielding questions from his teammates about what to expect. "That year was my third year, I was this young kid. I thought it was going to be easy (to get back)," Siakam said. "I appreciate it even more now because I know how hard it is to get here." Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points, 13 assists and three steals for fourth-seeded Indiana. Obi Toppin added 18 points off the bench and Andrew Nembhard had 14 points and six steals for the Pacers. "It's a special feeling to do it with this group," Haliburton said. "We got to the same spot last year and we fell short. We worked our tails off to get back here." OG Anunoby scored 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 14 rebounds for third-seeded New York. Jalen Brunson had 19 points and seven assists and Mikal Bridges had 15 points for the Knicks. Indiana had a 25-10 edge on fastbreak points to finish the series with a dominating advantage 106-48 in that category. New York committed 18 turnovers in the finale, including five apiece by Brunson and Bridges. "I saw a lot of breakaways on their part," Brunson said. "It was the reason why they would extend the lead throughout the series. It's something I have to be able to control. ... It's terrible on my part." The Pacers shot 54.1 percent from the field, including a solid 17 of 33 from 3-point range (51.5 percent). Myles Turner and reserve Thomas Bryant had 11 points apiece and Aaron Nesmith added 10 for the Pacers. New York made 47.7 percent of its shots and was 9 of 32 (28.1 percent) from behind the arc. Landry Shamet had 12 points on four treys off the bench. It was the first appearance in the Eastern Conference finals for the Knicks since 2000 when they also lost to the Pacers. Thibodeau 'proud' "I'm proud of what these guys did," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "There was a lot that we had to get through and I thought we handled that part well. The playoffs are hard-fought and these games can go either way. There's the disappointment of falling short of the ultimate goal but still proud of what we accomplished." New York trailed by 15 entering the final quarter but a basket by Towns and two in a row by Anunoby pulled the Knicks within 92-83 with 10:15 remaining. Haliburton then took over as he scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the final stanza. The Pacers pushed the lead back to 14 on a basket by Nembhard with 8:26 left. Later, a basket by Haliburton and a 3-pointer by Nembhard made it 113-94 with 4:22 left. Siakam later made two free throws to make it 120-99 with 1:52 left as New York waved the white flag. Indiana led by four at the break but started the third quarter with 3-pointers by Siakam and Nesmith and a three-point play by Siakam to take a 67-54 lead. The Knicks were within 69-61 after Brunson's basket with 8:53 left in the period before Bryant (two) and Nembhard (one) combined for three treys in 86 seconds as the Pacers grabbed a 78-63 advantage with 6:44 remaining in the quarter. Haliburton later ended the third with a dunk as the Pacers had a 34-23 edge over the 12 minutes to expand their lead to 92-77. Siakam scored 16 first-half points to help the Pacers hold a 58-54 lead at the break. Anunoby scored 14 in the half for New York. Though the Knicks saw their season end, Towns is convinced the team will make more deep postseason runs in the near future. "It hurts not to bring an opportunity to the city for a championship," Towns said. "We have a lot of great guys in this locker room. The plan now is to put ourselves in this position again and succeed next time." – Reuters
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
NBA: 'Just unbelievable': Pascal Siakam's brilliance propels Pacers to first NBA finals since 2000
The Indiana Pacers have secured their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000, defeating the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night(May 31). This victory marks only the second time in franchise history that the Pacers will compete for the championship, with the series set to begin on June 5 in Oklahoma City against the Thunder. Pascal Siakam becomes the star of the match Forward Pascal Siakam led Indiana with a game-high 31 points, earning the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals MVP award. Siakam's dominant performance throughout the series, including a standout 39-point game in Game 2, was instrumental in the Pacers' success. Reflecting on the achievement, Siakam described the experience as "just unbelievable," highlighting the team's resilience and unity. Point guard Tyrese Haliburton also played a crucial role, averaging 21.0 points, 10.5 assists, and 6.0 rebounds over the six-game series. In Game 6, Haliburton scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, helping to seal the victory for Indiana. Live Events The Pacers' journey to the Finals has been marked by strategic roster moves. The acquisition of Siakam from the Toronto Raptors addressed key deficiencies in size and defense, transforming Indiana into legitimate contenders. Additionally, the trade for Haliburton in exchange for Domantas Sabonis has proven pivotal, with Haliburton emerging as a franchise cornerstone. Head coach Rick Carlisle , in his second stint with the Pacers, has guided the team through this remarkable postseason run. Carlisle previously led Indiana to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2004 and won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. The upcoming Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder promise an exciting matchup. Both teams have rebuilt through savvy trades, including those involving Paul George, which have shaped their current rosters. The Thunder, led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will have home-court advantage in the series. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for June 5 in Oklahoma City, where the Pacers will seek their first championship in franchise history. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Economic Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Economic Times
NBA: 'Just unbelievable': Pascal Siakam's brilliance propels Pacers to first NBA finals since 2000
NBA Finals: The Indiana Pacers are heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, after defeating the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Pascal Siakam's outstanding performance earned him the series MVP award. They are set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in a highly anticipated championship series. Pascal Siakam celebrates Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors after leading the Indiana Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pascal Siakam becomes the star of the match Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Indiana Pacers have secured their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000, defeating the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night(May 31).This victory marks only the second time in franchise history that the Pacers will compete for the championship, with the series set to begin on June 5 in Oklahoma City against the Pascal Siakam led Indiana with a game-high 31 points, earning the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals MVP award. Siakam's dominant performance throughout the series, including a standout 39-point game in Game 2, was instrumental in the Pacers' success. Reflecting on the achievement, Siakam described the experience as "just unbelievable," highlighting the team's resilience and guard Tyrese Haliburton also played a crucial role, averaging 21.0 points, 10.5 assists, and 6.0 rebounds over the six-game series. In Game 6, Haliburton scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, helping to seal the victory for Pacers' journey to the Finals has been marked by strategic roster moves. The acquisition of Siakam from the Toronto Raptors addressed key deficiencies in size and defense, transforming Indiana into legitimate the trade for Haliburton in exchange for Domantas Sabonis has proven pivotal, with Haliburton emerging as a franchise coach Rick Carlisle , in his second stint with the Pacers, has guided the team through this remarkable postseason run. Carlisle previously led Indiana to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2004 and won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks in upcoming Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder promise an exciting matchup. Both teams have rebuilt through savvy trades, including those involving Paul George, which have shaped their current rosters. The Thunder, led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will have home-court advantage in the 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for June 5 in Oklahoma City, where the Pacers will seek their first championship in franchise history.
USA Today
14 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Pacers fans shared fitting 1-word chant for Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam
Pacers fans shared fitting 1-word chant for Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam Suffice it to say, the Indiana Pacers would not be in the 2025 NBA Finals without Tyrese Haliburton's uncanny creativity and Eastern Conference Finals MVP Pascal Siakam's versatile scoring skillset. Well, the Pacers can also actually thank Paul George for his help, but that's a different conversation. Haliburton and Siakam have been so incredible while working in concert for the Pacers over the last six weeks that it should now be easy to call them one of the NBA's current best duos. A classic floor general with so much flair, Haliburton has been unflappable while tearing down the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the New York Knicks in successive series. Siakam's contribution to this group project has been to play like a physical, wiry, and explosive three-level scorer that no one has had an answer for during these NBA playoffs so far. And it's been a heck of a lot of fun to see Haliburton and Siakam mesh their unique talents together in perfect harmony. Haliburton's and Siakam's success has not come without reservations. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the Pacers' point guard was famously labelled "overrated" in an anonymous pre-playoff poll by other NBA players. By this same token, others overlooked how important Siakam could be to an Indiana squad that needed a second star when they traded for the forward last season. Never mind how exceptional Siakam was for the Toronto Raptors when they won the 2019 NBA championship. In response to some of these discussions concerning their team's top two players, Indiana fans came ready after the Pacers celebrated their 2025 Eastern Conference title. When the Inside the NBA crew interviewed Haliburton and Siakam simultaneously, a fitting "underrated" chant broke out at the Pacers' arena: Talk about a much more accurate label we should bestow upon these two Pacers. At this point, everyone who follows the NBA should really respect what Haliburton and Siakam bring to the table and then some.
Observer
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Observer
Pacers defeat Knicks to reach first NBA Finals
LOS ANGELES, United States: 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 (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." New York had fended off elimination with a dominant defensive display in game five, but couldn't send the series to a decisive game seven. Instead the Knicks, who earned their two NBA titles in 1970 and 1973, remain in search of their first trip to the Finals since 1999. Siakam, who won a title with Toronto in 2019, was named MVP of the series, bouncing back after a disappointing outing in game five, when the Knicks used a dominating defensive effort to extend the series. "After a bad game five, we wanted to bounce back," said Siakam, who added five rebounds and three blocked shots on Saturday. "And I have 100 per cent belief in my teammates. Whenever we're down, we always find a way — and we did that tonight." Haliburton shook off early shooting struggles to finish with 21, adding 13 assists to key an offensive effort that saw seven Pacers players score in double figures. PACERS RESPOND That included 18 off the bench from Obi Toppin and 11 from backup Thomas Bryant as the Pacers reserves outscored the Knicks reserves 38-20. "I'm really proud of this group," Haliburton said. "We had a tough showing last game as a group. We wanted to respond. "We did a great job of that," he added. "I'm just so proud of this group and I don't even have words right now." OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 24 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 14 rebounds and 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. The Knicks quickly trimmed the deficit to seven only for the Pacers to pull away and take a 92-77 lead into the fourth quarter. Haliburton, who had just 10 points through the first three quarters, added 11 in the final frame as the Pacers romped home. — AFP
