Pacers Reach NBA Finals: Knicks Eliminated in Game 6
- The Indiana Pacers are heading to the NBA finals for the first time in over two decades.
- Pascal Siakam's outstanding play earned him the series MVP award.
- Indiana will now face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, with the series opener scheduled for Thursday.
Pacers reach NBA Finals behind Siakam’s MVP performance
Updated June 01, 2025
The Indiana Pacers are heading to the NBA finals for the first time in over two decades. They secured their spot Saturday with a 125-108 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Pascal Siakam’s outstanding play earned him the series MVP award. He scored 31 points and blocked three shots in the decisive game in Indianapolis. Siakam’s consistent scoring, including three 30-plus point performances in the Pacers’ four wins, proved crucial in the 4-2 series victory.
Indiana will now face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, with the series opener scheduled for Thursday. Tyrese Haliburton also contributed substantially with 21 points, 13 assists, and three steals. Obi Toppin added 18 points off the bench.
the knicks were led by OG Anunoby with 24 points, and Karl-anthony Towns added 22. However, New York’s 18 turnovers hampered their efforts.
The Pacers took control in the third quarter, opening with a 9-0 run that effectively ended the Knicks’ resistance.
“After a bad game five,we wanted to bounce back and I have 100% belief in my team-mates.Whenever we’re down, we find a way, and we did that tonight,” Siakam said.
Siakam, reflecting on his previous championship win with the Toronto raptors, acknowledged the difficulty of reaching the Finals. “That year was my third year, I was this young kid. I thoght it was going to be easy [to get back],” he said. “I appreciate it even more now as I know how hard it is indeed to get here.”
“So deserving. The guy has been a rock of consistency all year,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said about Siakam.
“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.”
What’s next
The Indiana Pacers now prepare to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in what promises to be a thrilling NBA Finals series. The Pacers look to capitalize on their Eastern Conference championship and Siakam’s leadership as they pursue their first NBA title since 1973.