The Indiana Pacers are embracing the whole lot about advancing to the NBA Finals for the primary time since 2000.
Indiana defeated the New York Knicks in six video games within the Jap Convention finals, capping it off with a 125-108 win in Sport 6 on Saturday night time. Indiana will tackle NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder within the NBA Finals, which start Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
The Pacers’ win was one for the books, with seven gamers scoring in double figures, led by Pascal Siakam, who scored 31 factors and was named Jap Convention Finals MVP. Tyrese Haliburton had a dominant second half and completed with 21 factors and 13 rebounds.
Haliburton is the third participant to file over 60 assists and 10 or fewer turnovers in a collection, becoming a member of Chris Paul and Tim Hardaway, in keeping with ESPN Analysis. He’s the primary participant to realize the feat within the convention finals.
Indiana’s highway to the Finals wasn’t straightforward — on and off the courtroom.
So as soon as the Pacers had the Jap Convention title within the bag, their social media staff — and Haliburton — did not maintain again on the Knicks and their shared historical past, touchdown a handful of worthy social media jabs.
Pacers packed up New York
The Pacers have a storied historical past of defeating the Knicks within the playoffs within the twenty first century. They completed the feat in 2000, 2013, 2024, and now 2025.
To showcase their dominance over New York within the playoffs, the Pacers dropped a graphic highlighting their collection wins over the Knicks with the Empire State Constructing and the 73-story One Vanderbilt tower behind Indiana’s beginning 5.
so lengthy, New York.
we’ll be taking our duffel luggage to the NBA Finals 😏 pic.twitter.com/v76x8kdpJC
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 1, 2025
The ‘Massive Apple’
The Pacers additionally despatched a publish that includes the sports activities pages of assorted newspapers from every sport wherein they defeated the Knicks, whereas additionally taking a shot at New York’s nickname, “the Massive Apple.”
begin spreading the information 📰 pic.twitter.com/yMcsuun39T
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 1, 2025
Haliburton is the brand new Miller
In Sport 5 of the 1994 Jap Convention finals, Pacers guard Reggie Miller made the notorious choking gesture towards director and Knicks fan Spike Lee at Madison Sq. Backyard. Twenty-five years later, Haliburton recreated the gesture in Sport 1 after finishing a comeback wherein the Pacers trailed by greater than 14 factors with 2:51 remaining in regulation. The Pacers’ social media staff was fast to take word.
Haliburton goes at Ben Stiller
Actor Ben Stiller is understood for his courtside Knicks appearances and for supporting the Knicks on social media. In Haliburton’s arrival to Sport 6, he wore an all-black outfit with a black duffle bag. Stiller responded to the publish pregame, saying: “Good factor he introduced his duffle for the flight to NY.”
Haliburton’s response after the sport?
“Nah, was to pack y’all up,” referring to the Knicks.
Nah, was to pack y’all up https://t.co/hhgo9fp8ib
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) June 1, 2025
Haliburton vs. New York
Knicks followers had been relentless with their antics throughout the playoffs — even throwing rubbish luggage at a Pacers fan and heckling him for carrying a Haliburton jersey on the streets of New York within the hours after the Knicks knocked off the Celtics in Sport 6 of the East semifinals.
Haliburton really invited the accosted fan to attend Sport 4 in Indianapolis. He additionally saved the receipts and topped off a reel along with his highlights from the collection.
‘cers in 6 pic.twitter.com/cCjASm1qNF
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) June 1, 2025
