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

[Castle Black]

Hali literally did the Druski bit

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[Mk0]

Read on Twitter

Oof. Stay humble, Hali, for real.

If Tim Duncan could do it, so can you.

Had to go back to see what that was about. Yeah I thought so too, that Hali was getting it. Let's hope that don't breed no jealousy between teammates. Pascal didn't give any tribute to Hali either in his speech. Let's hope Hali plays harder in the Finals to earn it.

The vote ended up
Pascal 5
Haliburton 4

so it isn't shocking that he thought he'd win it.

Also I am pretty sure he dgaf, he is going to the Finals

[Enso]

That game 1 will haunt the Knicks forever

[Wolfgang630]

Haliburton is not a superstar. He’s a great star player.

[doogie_hauser]

Good series. I'd say good luck but I don't want the Pacers to win

That's fair.

People are going to knock Knicks players, coaches ect, but you were 2 games from the finals. Some tweaks to the roster and you'll be right back in the mix next year.

You're right and this is the crappy thing about the NBA's "ring or you're a loser" culture. Basically any team now that doesn't win a title is treated like a bum.

Even the last 2 previous champions Denver and Boston have been dissed here for a variety of reasons.

[Wingy]

Careful bud, this is how you end up with an often injured Embiid or something.

This team needs depth in the worst way, and I honestly have had enough Kat and Thibs.

Depth won't matter as long as Thibs is in charge. I love the guy but he is who he is.

Bah.

They need a 1 and 2 better than Brunson and Towns to beat the absolute, very best. There are no magic wands though.

This is about as good as anyone is going to do with this Knicks roster minus a key injury to the opponent.

[ORLMagicGirl15]

Congrats Indiana fans.

[sp6r=underrated]

That's fair.

People are going to knock Knicks players, coaches ect, but you were 2 games from the finals. Some tweaks to the roster and you'll be right back in the mix next year.

You're right and this is the crappy thing about the NBA's "ring or you're a loser" culture. Basically any team now that doesn't win a title is treated like a bum.

Even the last 2 previous champions Denver and Boston have been dissed here for a variety of reasons.

Yup, intellectually I understand how the NBA got here but it is awful. And the NBA can partly blame itself. They encourage this mindset via their media partners. Others sports leagues have much more reasonable attitudes.

[Castle Black]

That game 1 will haunt the Knicks forever

Meh doubt it. They would've been swept by OKC anyways.

[Castle Black]

And so it begins.. Took less than an hour post-game for this to "leak" lol.

Read on Twitter

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

Read on Twitter

Brunson pulling the Starks.

Wild the NBA was cool with him pulling that.

[John Woodson]

Couple of rough days for these two coming up

I was blaming thibs for his incompetence rightfully so. All of the games are close. That means games are coming down to coaching and execution. Thibs lost us games 1, 2, and 4 decisively with his bad coaching in addition to pacers overperforming.

Realistically every game should look like this one if thibs doesn’t wet the bed. This pacers team is NOT the best team in the EC. Gotta be joking if you believe that.

I...Pacers, have a question...to answer...your question . As you, pacers, travel to... game 6 by conventional means, the normals you travel with...experience... malfunctions.... As you realize ALL THAT IS LEFT is total self-destruction, do you, pacers, show self-pity? DO YOU, pacers, try to reason why? Do you, pacers, try and comfort...the normals that have even more fear...than you? Or do you, pacers, kick the doors out? Kick the cockpit door down. Take the two pilots...that have already made the sacrifice, so that you can face the challenge. Dispose of them, pacers. Assume the controls...pacers. SHOVE THAT CONTROL INTO A NOSEDIVE, pacers! Push yourself to total self-destruction. AS YOU REALIZE, pacers, you are about...to enter...a world...close to Parts Unknown. Ah, smell it, Warriors. DO YOU, pacers, look for a place to hide? Or do you, pacers, face the challenge that may be more powerful THAN EVER YOU ARE, PACERS!? You, pacers, must self-destruct so that you will know, pacers, who is...The Chosen One. FOR PACERS, I am not the Chosen One...that you speak of... I am not... I, PACERS, am...The Only One...

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

Don't get me wrong, Siakam was amazing, but:

Read on Twitter

[___Rand___]

And so it begins.. Took less than an hour post-game for this to "leak" lol.

Read on Twitter

KAT shouldn't take all the blame. Brunson's a pretty big gaping hole on defense by himself.

[Enso]

That game 1 will haunt the Knicks forever

Meh doubt it. They would've been swept by OKC anyways.

lol ok bro

[jkvonny]

That's fair.

People are going to knock Knicks players, coaches ect, but you were 2 games from the finals. Some tweaks to the roster and you'll be right back in the mix next year.

You're right and this is the crappy thing about the NBA's "ring or you're a loser" culture. Basically any team now that doesn't win a title is treated like a bum.

Even the last 2 previous champions Denver and Boston have been dissed here for a variety of reasons.

Which is unfair IMO

Nugz and Celtics both earned their championships. Great teams.

[sp6r=underrated]

That game 1 will haunt the Knicks forever

Meh doubt it. They would've been swept by OKC anyways.

The idea you shouldn't care about blowing a winnable game because you were unlikely to win a title is demented and is a product of the ring or you're a just another loser mindset.

[Castle Black]

That game 1 will haunt the Knicks forever

Meh doubt it. They would've been swept by OKC anyways.

The idea you shouldn't care about blowing a winnable game because you were unlikely to win a title is demented and is a product of the ring or you're a just another loser mindset.

Never said they shouldn't care. I said I doubt it'll haunt them forever. Big difference.

[Capn'O]

That's fair.

People are going to knock Knicks players, coaches ect, but you were 2 games from the finals. Some tweaks to the roster and you'll be right back in the mix next year.

You're right and this is the crappy thing about the NBA's "ring or you're a loser" culture. Basically any team now that doesn't win a title is treated like a bum.

Even the last 2 previous champions Denver and Boston have been dissed here for a variety of reasons.

There are some posters here where I really wonder if they actually like basketball because none of the teams or players seem to be any good to them.

[doogie_hauser]

You're right and this is the crappy thing about the NBA's "ring or you're a loser" culture. Basically any team now that doesn't win a title is treated like a bum.

Even the last 2 previous champions Denver and Boston have been dissed here for a variety of reasons.

Which is unfair IMO

Nugz and Celtics both earned their championships. Great teams.

There has never ever been an Undeserved champion in the history of the NBA, not even the Bubble Lakers 2020 chip (the prime AD season)

I think there have been cases of very unlucky finals losers (such as Knicks in 1994) but it is God damn hard to win a chip in a 30 team league that has a hard cap and stringent tax laws which gives teams very limited years/times to compete for a chip.

Repeating/doubling up as champions has never been more difficult.

I have been a Celtics fan for 33 years, only seen 2 chips in my life time and I am still cherishing last year's chip.

There is no shame in finishing 2nd 3rd or 4th in a league that's got more talent and strong teams than ever before.

Their fans probably don't feel this way right now, but the Knicks definitely had a successful season even if they didn't get to where they wanted to go

Not enough praise goes to the winners and way too much criticism goes to the losers of play-offs and finals series imho.