The Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. The Pacers will play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals with Game 1 set for Thursday.
Pascal Siakam, who had 31 points in Game 6, was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP by a margin of 5-4 over teammate Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton had 21 points and 13 assists.
The Knicks kept the game fairly close, but couldn't consistently get it into single-digits. The Pacers pulled away late in the fourth quarter.
The Pacers were in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive season after losing to the Boston Celtics in a four-game sweep in 2024. Indiana had missed the playoffs in three straight seasons from 20-21 until 22-23 before their return last season. The Pacers built a Finals team in large part via their trades for Haliburton, Siakam and Aaron Nesmith.
