The Indiana Pacers’ 130-109 win over the New York Knicks in Game 7 has helped them advance into the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 10 years. Playing at home, the Knicks had the advantage in this crucial encounter but the Pacers proved too good on the night. Tyrese Haliburton starred for Indiana with 26 points on 58.8% shooting from the field. His aggressiveness helped the Pacers put pressure on the Knicks who struggled to generate quality offensive looks.
Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard added 20 points for the team from Indiana. Aaron Nesmith had a stellar performance as he scored 19 points, making all 8 of his shots in Game 7. Once again the bench delivered for the Pacers with 28 points. TJ McConnell scored 12 points and also made 7 assists against the Knicks. His brilliance throughout the series helped the Pacers get through tough situations against a talented Knicks team.
Donte DiVincenzo led the way for New York with a 39-point night. He proved to be a major threat from the three-point line as he shot 9-15 from beyond the arc in Game 7. Alec Burks once again had a good game as he scored 26 points off the bench. The Knicks would have been able to compete in the game if not for the injuries. They brought OG Anunoby into the lineup for this matchup, but he was not able to continue after 4:41 minutes of action. Later in the game, Jalen Brunson hurt his hand and was ruled out for the fourth quarter. The closest the Knicks game in the game was when they cut the deficit to six points, but aside from that they were battered by the Pacers’ fiery offense.
Indiana Pacers have a tough test ahead
After a gruelling 7 game series against the New York Knicks, the Pacers will now have to matchup against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. This is going to be a series where the No 1 and No 2 offense in the regular season go up against each other. However, this time around not only are the Pacers an offense-heavy side, but their defensive abilities have also shown up in the postseason.
The Indiana Pacers will once again be underdogs in this series, but they have thrived in similar situations throughout the season. Boston is a very solid side and defeating them will require a lot of commitment. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both young stars, but they have already made enough deep playoff runs to understand the level that it requires to win a championship. They fell short in the Conference Finals last year, but this time around Joe Mazzula and his men are leaving no room for errors.
They have lost just two games throughout the postseason, but one can argue their road has been relatively easier than that of the Pacers. Boston comes into the series after getting the better of an injured Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers team, while the Pacers have willed their way to this stage by defeating the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks and Knicks.
Both these sides are deep and have good size, which will make it an interesting series to watch. Boston have had enough time to rest for the Conference Finals, but the Pacers will have the momentum of being in red-hot form and that may help them massively against the Celtics.
