Indiana Pacers Advance to Eastern Conference Finals

The Indiana Pacers advance to the eastern Conference Finals after outlasting the New York Knicks. The Pacers finished off the Knicks 130-109 in Madison Square Garden. Indiana will face Boston after they defeated the Cavs in five games. They won four of the final five games against the Knicks after falling 2-0. The Indiana Pacers had one of the greatest shooting halves in the 77-year history of the NBA. When the stunned New York Knicks tried to recover with a second-half push, the Pacers superstar and their super sub stepped in and delivered the final blows. The Pacers ended up shooting 67.1% overall, the highest field goal percentage for a playoff game in NBA history. And that was after they cooled off in the second half. Tyrese Haliburton began the game hot by hitting 4 3-pointers in the first quarter. Haliburton finished with 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting.

The Knicks were expected to be without Josh Hart and O.G. Anunoby, but they played. Hart was dealing with an abdominal injury he sustained in Game 6. Anunoby hit two quick jumpers, but it was clear he could barely run. The Pacers took advantage of it quickly and Anunoby was out of the game within five minutes. Hart also toughed it out by playing the entire game before fouling out. If that wasn’t enough Jalen Brunson went out of the game with an injury in the third quarter. Brunson wasn’t having a great game before leaving the game. Brunson suffered a broken hand, but Donte DiVincenzo and Alec Burks kept them in the game. DiVincenzo finished with 37 points and Burks had 26 points. The Knicks were without Mitch Robinson, Julius Randle, and a couple other key players already.

 

Can the Pacers pull off the upset against the Celtics? Do they have a legit shot against Boston? What are your thoughts about the Knicks? Will this team be back and better next season?