2025 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: #3 New York Knicks vs #4 Indiana Pacers (IND leads 2-0)

[Capn'O]

It's a very good sign for the Pacers that Brunson & Kat, even though they played less than Tyrese/Siakem, and Brunson had what felt like an abnormally long time on the bench, seemed to be too tired to match the Pacers in the last 3 minutes + overtime. The Knicks won't be able to get this done in four or five anymore, and game 1 really seemed to suggest to me that they won't be able to keep up with the Pacers over 6 or 7 games. For getting out-played overall (sans the end), I am feeling really confident about the rest of the series.

I agree. Our paths to a quick series are all but closed. I'm thinking we go the distance now and less confident of the outcome.

[Nuntius]

Can we get an analysis of OG vs Siakam in game 1?

Honestly, I thought if anyone was going to choke down the stretch, it'd be Siakam. He often struggled under pressure with us (although he was put into a first option role then). I thought OG was cooler under pressure but he froze up yesterday. That one buzzer beater he had against the Celtics in the playoffs a few years ago is probably sugarcoaing my memory of him lol.

Siakam went hard after OG all game. He really put in the effort whenever he was guarding him.

He blocked OG's alley oop or whatever the hell that was down the stretch

It wasn't an alley oop. It was a bounce pass that had too much oomph to it (because Brunson was rushed by the double) that OG just bobbled.

Obviously, both Brunson and OG deserve share of the blame here but I will also say this:

Pressuring throughout the entire game just works.

[liquidswords]

Knicks better not tip their caps to Indy

i mean...the pacers did hit tough shot after tough shot down the stretch and into OT. it wasn't like the Knicks just gave it away

[Capn'O]

Honestly, I thought if anyone was going to choke down the stretch, it'd be Siakam. He often struggled under pressure with us (although he was put into a first option role then). I thought OG was cooler under pressure but he froze up yesterday. That one buzzer beater he had against the Celtics in the playoffs a few years ago is probably sugarcoaing my memory of him lol.

Siakam went hard after OG all game. He really put in the effort whenever he was guarding him.

He blocked OG's alley oop or whatever the hell that was down the stretch

It wasn't an alley oop. It was a bounce pass that had too much oomph to it (because Brunson was rushed by the double) that OG just bobbled.

Obviously, both Brunson and OG deserve share of the blame here but I will also say this:

Pressuring throughout the entire game just works.

Yeah, we need to do sumpin about that.

[Nuntius]

Can Nembhard not run point? Its odd some team hasnt thrown an asset or pick to try and get him from the Pacers

He already signed an extension after last year's playoff run. Pacers didn't even let him get to RFA status.

I was 100% convinced we were losing him in RFA.

I thought Pacer fans who thought he’d stay were being homers haha. I’m so glad I was wrong, but man, he left a lot of money on the table.

He did. But his reward was that he gets to play on a team that has made back-to-back ECFs and now has a shot at making the Finals.

And I will say this again, this team is unselfish, both on and off the court.

[Wizop]

Pacers have a world class journalist/podcaster. She's on Patreon as Basketball She Wrote

Watch on YouTube

[GiannisAnte34]

Part of me wants to see Thibs say "f*** it, we can win at this pace, we just need to be able to maintain it"; giving some burn to Wright, and Achiuwa...or maybe even McCullar; this feels like the kind of series that kid could give us good minutes in, feeding off the frenetic energy. Before switching it up in game 3 and really slowing things down with the double bigs.

there's a reason Thibs shortens the rotations. Achiuwa and Wright are not good players

[GiannisAnte34]

You watch those other series with OG guarding Tatum and Cade and you come away thinking "ya, he's overpaid, but damn if he isnt impactful". But then youll go up against a team like Indiana (or OKC) where theyre more guard oriented and dont iso big wings nearly as much and its hard not to look at what OG is providing vs what he's getting paid.

5 1st round picks (Bridges) and a near max contract and the Pacers best player isnt feeling that defense. If the Pacers win against the Knicks, it will be reminiscent of the Wolves last year...build a team to beat the current best in your conference (Nuggets) but then lose in the next round to the completely opposite squad. Cant say im not rooting for that.

yep Knicks went all in on countering Boston, very good point

[Dupp]

Just saw the game winner was a double dribble. Along with the goaltend pacers get a way with a lot in the last two minutes.


Edit- on second look he got fouled and then double dribbled. No call is weird

Read on Twitter

[GiannisAnte34]

It's a very good sign for the Pacers that Brunson & Kat, even though they played less than Tyrese/Siakem, and Brunson had what felt like an abnormally long time on the bench, seemed to be too tired to match the Pacers in the last 3 minutes + overtime. The Knicks won't be able to get this done in four or five anymore, and game 1 really seemed to suggest to me that they won't be able to keep up with the Pacers over 6 or 7 games. For getting out-played overall (sans the end), I am feeling really confident about the rest of the series.

Turner is 29, Siakam is 31, I suspect TJ only has one more year in him as a decently solid role player, Obi probably doesn't get paid, I suspect they'll try to trade Mathurin. I think the Pacers have a good system and should hopefully have a championship-caliber backcourt for the next 5-10 years, so I think they can remain competitive fringe contenders for a while. What with the potential of teams like OKC, the idea of a healthy Cleveland, the top-end potentials of teams like San Antonio, and a likely better 5-8 in the East next year, I don't think things get any easier next year, even if we get any significant player development jumps.

Point is, to me, if this core wants to win a championship, this moment, right now, up 1-0 in the ECF with NYK and what will probably be an elite but inconsistent OKC team standing in the way, may be the best opportunity that this core may ever get.

True the Pacers are in a perfect spot with their cap right now, but tough decisions are looming. Was discussing this in hypothetical Giannis to Indy trade theories, and my opinion was the Bucks would not want to allow Indy to flip assets that they'd otherwise lose. For example if there was a package with guys like Siakam, Mathurin, Sheppard, with some picks it would be an absolute steal for the Pacers because they might lose a good chunk of those guys to FA eventually anyways.

[GiannisAnte34]

Just saw the game winner was a double dribble. Along with the goaltend pacers get a way with a lot in the last two minutes.

Brunson was getting a lot of touch fouls with the patented head snap. There was a play where he grabbed a Pacers arm and hit himself with it to get a foul call.

Knicks FT 40 - Pacers 28

[xBulletproof]

He blocked OG's alley oop or whatever the hell that was down the stretch

It wasn't an alley oop. It was a bounce pass that had too much oomph to it (because Brunson was rushed by the double) that OG just bobbled.

Obviously, both Brunson and OG deserve share of the blame here but I will also say this:

Pressuring throughout the entire game just works.

Yeah, we need to do sumpin about that.

It's interesting, I doubt you read Myles Turner thing he wrote in the Players Tribune. He didn't imply, he flat out said in 23-24 season, that star players would sit out against them and tell them .... basically **** that, I'm not running with you guys tonight. So they would sit out against the Pacers, to avoid all the running. I can only imagine that really makes you believe you're onto something. When the opponent is like screw that, I don't want to play them, that's a good sign for you.

Separately somewhere I remember a player saying when the front office kept them all together in the offseason, they all had a pact to come back in the best shape possible, so they could run teams like that all year.

[xBulletproof]

It wasn't an alley oop. It was a bounce pass that had too much oomph to it (because Brunson was rushed by the double) that OG just bobbled.

Obviously, both Brunson and OG deserve share of the blame here but I will also say this:

Pressuring throughout the entire game just works.

Yeah, we need to do sumpin about that.

It's interesting, I doubt you read Myles Turner thing he wrote in the Players Tribune. He didn't imply, he flat out said in 23-24 season, that star players would sit out against them and tell them .... basically **** that, I'm not running with you guys tonight. So they would sit out against the Pacers, to avoid all the running. I can only imagine that really makes you believe you're onto something. When the opponent is like screw that, I don't want to play them, that's a good sign for you.

Separately somewhere I remember a player saying when the front office kept them all together in the offseason, they all had a pact to come back in the best shape possible, so they could run teams like that all year.

Figured I'd drop the article. It's a seriously good read.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/myles-turner-nba-basketball-indiana-pacers-playoffs

[Petergrifindor]

Just saw the game winner was a double dribble. Along with the goaltend pacers get a way with a lot in the last two minutes.


Edit- on second look he got fouled and then double dribbled. No call is weird

Read on Twitter

On a third look you will see the defender actually hit the ball and take it from his hands.

[Marrs-Law]

It's a very good sign for the Pacers that Brunson & Kat, even though they played less than Tyrese/Siakem, and Brunson had what felt like an abnormally long time on the bench, seemed to be too tired to match the Pacers in the last 3 minutes + overtime. The Knicks won't be able to get this done in four or five anymore, and game 1 really seemed to suggest to me that they won't be able to keep up with the Pacers over 6 or 7 games. For getting out-played overall (sans the end), I am feeling really confident about the rest of the series.

Turner is 29, Siakam is 31, I suspect TJ only has one more year in him as a decently solid role player, Obi probably doesn't get paid, I suspect they'll try to trade Mathurin. I think the Pacers have a good system and should hopefully have a championship-caliber backcourt for the next 5-10 years, so I think they can remain competitive fringe contenders for a while. What with the potential of teams like OKC, the idea of a healthy Cleveland, the top-end potentials of teams like San Antonio, and a likely better 5-8 in the East next year, I don't think things get any easier next year, even if we get any significant player development jumps.

Point is, to me, if this core wants to win a championship, this moment, right now, up 1-0 in the ECF with NYK and what will probably be an elite but inconsistent OKC team standing in the way, may be the best opportunity that this core may ever get.

True the Pacers are in a perfect spot with their cap right now, but tough decisions are looming. Was discussing this in hypothetical Giannis to Indy trade theories, and my opinion was the Bucks would not want to allow Indy to flip assets that they'd otherwise lose. For example if there was a package with guys like Siakam, Mathurin, Sheppard, with some picks it would be an absolute steal for the Pacers because they might lose a good chunk of those guys to FA eventually anyways.

It's a very interesting trade proposal. Like you said, if Indy could trade Mathurin, Obi, Sheppard, and picks for Giannis I think they'd love to. But assuming the Bucks don't hire Nico Harrison as GM I feel they'd require more core players (a la Nembhard or whoever) and I don't think it's worth it at that point. Giannis is a good gamble if you can give up the right pieces, but I don't think the Pacers want to lock themselves into a 2-3 year window when Tyrese/nembhard/neismith are only 25.

I wonder what Mathurin's value is. If I could get a good player with Mathurin/Obi & picks I'd definitely pick up the phone

[Romeiro Celtic]

I still cant comprehend why Dallas let go of Carslile

[Capn'O]

I still cant comprehend why Dallas let go of Carslile

They've had their fair share of questionable choices.

[RookieStar]

I still cant comprehend why Dallas let go of Carslile

They've had their fair share of questionable choices.

Understatement of the Century

[TinmanZBoy]

Pacers have a world class journalist/podcaster. She's on Patreon as Basketball She Wrote

Watch on YouTube

Don't forget you guys have another Caitlin who brought the excitement to Indiana..

[FlatearthZorro]

Pacers are my favorite team to win it all.
I love watching this brand of basketball. It's beautiful and I just cannot get myself to root for NYK( I know you smashed us, it's just I enjoy the game).
This would be one of the most amazing stories in league history and I believe IND can do it.
And I'm not having the Hali vs Fox discussion until I see Fox do something special. Hali is the ****.