Siakam, Haliburton Propel Pacers to NBA Finals

Siakam, The Indiana Pacers are going to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. 

The Pacers punched their ticket with a 125-108 win at home on Saturday night to take the Eastern Conference Finals 4 games to 2 over the New York Knicks. 

Pascal Siakam’s complete game of 35 points and 5 rebounds (10-for-18, 3-for-5 from downtown, 8-for-11 from the free-throw line) led the way, while Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals on 9-for-17 from the floor. Haliburton put a stamp on the game with a deep 3-pointer with 58 seconds remaining that gave the Pacers a 125-105 lead. 

Andrew Nembhard (14 points, 8 assists, 6 steals) played blanketing defense on Jalen Brunson all night, playing a vital role in holding the star to 19 points on 8-for-18 shooting. Myles Turner (11 points) and Aaron Nesmith (10 points) also scored in double figures out of the starting lineup and Thomas Bryant was crucial off the bench with 11 points in 12 minutes (3-for-4 from downtown) and Obi Toppin had a standout game off the bench as well with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks on 7-for-11 shooting. 

Karl-Anthony Towns registered 22 points and 14 rebounds on 8-for-19 and 6-for-10 from the line. OG Anunoby played a strong game with 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting for the Knicks. 

The Pacers shot 54.1% while holding the Knicks to 47.7%, and made 17 of their 33 shots from deep compared to the Knicks’ 9-for-32. The Pacers made 16 of their 19 foul shots while the Knicks made just 17-of-26 from the line. 

The Pacers were outrebounded 41-36, but turned the Knicks over 17 times. In the series, Indiana outscored New York 140-61 in points off turnovers, and 106-48 in fast break points. 

In the Finals, Indiana will play an Oklahoma City Thunder team that mirrors itself - a fast, young team that scores in many ways. The MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, awaits Haliburton. Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace await Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner, Siakam, TJ McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin, and Obi Toppin. The Thunder play dutiful defense, the best perimeter grouping in the league. 

Siakam was awarded the Larry Bird Trophy as Conference Finals MVP, as he averaged 24.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 52.4% shooting. He shot 50% from 3-point range and posted three games of 30+ points. He has a Finals appearance from 2019 with the Toronto Raptors, and has the potential to be very impactful against the Thunder. 

As for the Knicks, they head into an offseason disappointed after losing for the second consecutive year to the Pacers in the playoffs. Brunson and Towns have superstar capabilities, and Anunoby had a good series. The Knicks however lack depth and will need to fill their bench out in the offseason. While Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are solid in the starting lineup, they are a little redundant. It will be interesting to see what changes the Knicks make this summer.