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

[RB34]

Welp series is over. Impressive **** from the Pacers. Crazy the Knicks have only improved in health and players since last year where they were up 2-0 almost easily before the injuries and still got it to 7, now a year later where the Pacers roster hasn't changed much at all and they are whipping the Knicks ass

Knicks were built to beat Celtics I guess but not Pacers

Just took Brown with a torn meniscus, KP with SARs and Tatum with a torn achilles.

They were down 3-1 before Tatum went down let's not pretend now. KP sure but he barely played last playoffs either and Brown was playing like his normal self regardless.

No, it was 2-1 when Tatum went down. Brown was clearly not as explosive or as dominant on defence because of the injury. KP is still a 20 ppg regardless of if he played last year or not.

I don’t want to derail this too much. Congrats Pacers!

[Coach Carter]

Concerning that you sit Towns during those critical minutes, not a good sign.

[Marrs-Law]

It ain't over till it's over, but I don't really see a viable path for NY to win the series. I think NY really has to be struggling mentally by this point, and I don't think they can win 4/5 against this Indiana team regardless. Game three is still important I think; the quicker this series ends the better.

Tyrese needs to be better. I think this was an uncharacteristically bad game from him, but these down games are just a part of him at this point in his career. I think we can weather his bad games this series. Hopefully, he'll be good enough for the finals, assuming we get there.

Hats off to Siakam having an absolute monster of a game; he 100% saved this game. You could argue he's the best second option in the league. We'll need this version of him if we get to the finals

Gotta win two more against NY, and stay healthy. I believe in this team

[knicksfan974]

Just took Brown with a torn meniscus, KP with SARs and Tatum with a torn achilles.

They were down 3-1 before Tatum went down let's not pretend now. KP sure but he barely played last playoffs either and Brown was playing like his normal self regardless.

No, it was 2-1 when Tatum went down. Brown was clearly not as explosive or as dominant on defence because of the injury. KP is still a 20 ppg regardless of if he played last year or not.

I don’t want to derail this too much. Congrats Pacers!

G4 was already over when Tatum went down, so in reality it was 3-1 at that point.

[VFX]

KAT wasn’t great tonight despite the numbers.

Hes kinda the worst combination of things you ask for from a Center.

[Teen Girl Squad]

NFL can market national games for a team in god-forsaken places like BUFFALO. Which is 3x smaller than Indy or OKC, NBA should be able to market Indy-OKC Finals.

Nah. As a massive NBA homer, I know the truth. NFL, average people love the game. NBA, average people love the stars.

Crazies like us will still love the OKC/Indy Finals. Should be great, but average joes won’t gaf.

NBA made a mistake going with the star promotion. They gotta market the league more.

Its a bit like pro wrestling. Stars will always be the biggest draw but there's only so much a league can do to 'create' one. They tend to spring up organically (for example, Haliburton right now). Better to promote the league/teams/sport in general to build the base, then capitalize on the stars as they come. Of course this is much easier said than done.

[Enso]

Why did Kat come in so late in the 4th ?

[Mk0]

Concerning that you sit Towns during those critical minutes, not a good sign.

Yeah. Like I get it, his defense was bad, but jfc you have to give him another shot to see if it changes the dynamic.

The Pacers have controlled the tempo and Thibs is falling for Carlisle's traps left and right.

There is a reason why people were saying that Indy looked like one of the only teams with an actual identity when the playoffs started.

[ArksNetsSince99]

The Knicks are kind of screwed. They hitched their wagon on KAT and he was benched in the 4th. It's clear that the Knicks need a 2 WAY big man, and they do not have the assets to get one

They can acquire Giannis for the 5 FRPicks in offseason


Ahhh wait sorry

[RB34]

They were down 3-1 before Tatum went down let's not pretend now. KP sure but he barely played last playoffs either and Brown was playing like his normal self regardless.

No, it was 2-1 when Tatum went down. Brown was clearly not as explosive or as dominant on defence because of the injury. KP is still a 20 ppg regardless of if he played last year or not.

I don’t want to derail this too much. Congrats Pacers!

G4 was already over when Tatum went down, so in reality it was 3-1 at that point.

Again no, on the OG steal it was going to be a 9 point game with 3 minutes left. There were periods in that game where the Celtics scored more than 9 points in 3 minutes.

I just watched the Knicks blow a 14 point lead than less than 3..

[___Rand___]

People on this board make fun of casuals for whatever reason but you're not telling your wife/gf/friends I'm staying inside to watch OKC/Indiana if they want to go out.

NFL can market national games for a team in god-forsaken places like BUFFALO. Which is 3x smaller than Indy or OKC, NBA should be able to market Indy-OKC Finals.

IDk why the NBA has issues with this. It's silly to. Me. It's all about marketing.

The NFL doesn't hv this isuee. Hell! Look at all the small markets in that league that draws well and very successful. Kansas City Chiefs Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Pitt Steelers, Cincy, Bengals , New Orleans Saints, Minn Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indy Colts, Jacksonville Jags, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, etc.

The big market NY Jets have been a joke for decades and haven't been in the playoffs for a decade and a half. Last won a Super Bowl in 1969!
Same for the Chicago Bears, they stink and haven't won a SB since 1985.

That's the thing. NBA needs to hire a different marketing agency who will bring them a new marketing campaign. Focus on the game not on individual stars only. Stars will market themselves because people will watch and see their faces when they play. Look at Soccer too. they got stars. but that's not what they market on. People will still watch the game if Leeds was playing for UEFA championship or PL title. Liverpool and Manchester aren't the biggest cities in Europe. Heck they're the equivalent of Buffalo or OKC.

[PhilBlackson]

The Knicks' "others" don't do nearly enough.

Some of that is coaching and some of it is the players ie/ KAT & Bridges. They're just waaaaaay too reliant on Brunson to carry them.

[Mk0]

No, it was 2-1 when Tatum went down. Brown was clearly not as explosive or as dominant on defence because of the injury. KP is still a 20 ppg regardless of if he played last year or not.

I don’t want to derail this too much. Congrats Pacers!

G4 was already over when Tatum went down, so in reality it was 3-1 at that point.

Again no, on the OG steal it was going to be a 9 point game with 3 minutes left. There were periods in that game where the Celtics scored more than 9 points in 3 minutes.

I just watched the Knicks blow a 14 point lead than less than 3..

Guys.. please..

None of us care.

[Maury2423]

Concerning that you sit Towns during those critical minutes, not a good sign.

That was the right decision, he was offering NOTHING on both ends.

Mitch was at least a presence on the boards and setting good screens

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

It ain't over till it's over, but I don't really see a viable path for NY to win the series. I think NY really has to be struggling mentally by this point, and I don't think they can win 4/5 against this Indiana team regardless. Game three is still important I think; the quicker this series ends the better.

Tyrese needs to be better. I think this was an uncharacteristically bad game from him, but these down games are just a part of him at this point in his career. I think we can weather his bad games this series. Hopefully, he'll be good enough for the finals, assuming we get there.

Hats off to Siakam having an absolute monster of a game; he 100% saved this game. You could argue he's the best second option in the league. We'll need this version of him if we get to the finals

Gotta win two more against NY, and stay healthy. I believe in this team

I’m not calling you out or coming at you sideways with this, but it’s just a common misconception people have when it comes to Haliburton.

People need to stop expecting Haliburton to score 25 a game. That isn’t how the Pacers offense works. Haliburton had 11 assists and only one turnover in a playoff conference finals game in Madison Square Garden. Sure, he didn’t shoot the best tonight, but he was getting everyone else involved, which is what the Pacers offense does. We don’t need or want Haliburton to drop 25 a game, because then we become one dimensional. We need him to step up in certain situations and he’s been insanely reliable in that regard. Despite his shot being off tonight, he drilled a big three right in Brunson’s face with the games momentum on the line.

Yea, he could have shot better, but Haliburton still had a good game. I think people underestimate how difficult having 11 assists to only one turnover actually is, especially on the road in the playoffs.

[RB34]

Concerning that you sit Towns during those critical minutes, not a good sign.

That was the right decision, he was offering NOTHING on both ends.

Mitch was at least a presence on the boards and setting good screens

That decision has the chance to go really sour with a player like Towns.

[Mk0]

Concerning that you sit Towns during those critical minutes, not a good sign.

That was the right decision, he was offering NOTHING on both ends.

Mitch was at least a presence on the boards and setting good screens

I think you have to try him again at some point. Dude sat for like 18 straight minutes. He may have been able to give you something earlier. If not you just yank him again.

[jkvonny]

NFL can market national games for a team in god-forsaken places like BUFFALO. Which is 3x smaller than Indy or OKC, NBA should be able to market Indy-OKC Finals.

IDk why the NBA has issues with this. It's silly to. Me. It's all about marketing.

The NFL doesn't hv this isuee. Hell! Look at all the small markets in that league that draws well and very successful. Kansas City Chiefs Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Pitt Steelers, Cincy, Bengals , New Orleans Saints, Minn Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indy Colts, Jacksonville Jags, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, etc.

The big market NY Jets have been a joke for decades and haven't been in the playoffs for a decade and a half. Last won a Super Bowl in 1969!
Same for the Chicago Bears, they stink and haven't won a SB since 1985.

That's the thing. NBA needs to hire a different marketing agency who will bring them a new marketing campaign. Focus on the game not on individual stars only. Stars will market themselves because people will watch and see their faces when they play. Look at Soccer too. they got stars. but that's not what they market on. People will still watch the game if Leeds was playing for UEFA championship or PL title. Liverpool and Manchester aren't the biggest cities in Europe. Heck they're the equivalent of Buffalo or OKC.

Very good post and true!

[durden_tyler]

NFL can market national games for a team in god-forsaken places like BUFFALO. Which is 3x smaller than Indy or OKC, NBA should be able to market Indy-OKC Finals.

IDk why the NBA has issues with this. It's silly to. Me. It's all about marketing.

The NFL doesn't hv this isuee. Hell! Look at all the small markets in that league that draws well and very successful. Kansas City Chiefs Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Pitt Steelers, Cincy, Bengals , New Orleans Saints, Minn Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indy Colts, Jacksonville Jags, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, etc.

The big market NY Jets have been a joke for decades and haven't been in the playoffs for a decade and a half. Last won a Super Bowl in 1969!
Same for the Chicago Bears, they stink and haven't won a SB since 1985.

That's the thing. NBA needs to hire a different marketing agency who will bring them a new marketing campaign. Focus on the game not on individual stars only. Stars will market themselves because people will watch and see their faces when they play. Look at Soccer too. they got stars. but that's not what they market on. People will still watch the game if Leeds was playing for UEFA championship or PL title. Liverpool and Manchester aren't the biggest cities in Europe. Heck they're the equivalent of Buffalo or OKC.

The NBA already rules social media or the new gen media. Maybe the struggle is locally (USA) but internationally, they are already doing a good job.


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[___Rand___]

This is why I wanted the Warriors to acquire Siakam.

(semi - proof: viewtopic.php?t=1845324&start=220#p75737832 )

It's also a fit thing. Warriors would have slotted Pascal into the role that KD had. On both ends. Warriors should've given up more to get him. Everyone trying to talk down Raptors' talent and wanting to get them for cheap like we're some dumb hicks lost in the city. You still can't find a PF/SF who fits that role. There ain't that many. All the good ones I've seen coming out of college they've all gone in the top 3 picks.

Kings are another team that absolutely should’ve acquired Pascal. Keegan Flippin Murray. Give me a break, good grief, for cripes sake.

IKR!??? They didn't want to give up Murray for Pascal.