Pascal Siakam, already a proud owner of an NBA championship ring, is now one step away from adding another to his collection.
Siakam delivered a standout performance on May 31, scoring 31 points and recording three blocks to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 125-108 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The win sealed a 4-2 series triumph and secured Indiana’s first trip to the NBA Finals since 2000.
The nine-year NBA veteran was named the series’ Most Valuable Player, capping off a consistent and impactful postseason. Siakam shot 10-of-18 from the field and notched his third 30-point game of the series.
“He’s so deserving,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Pascal has been a rock of consistency all year long.”
Indiana will now face the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, with Game 1 scheduled for June 5 in Oklahoma City.
Siakam, who won his first title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, reflected on the journey: “That year was only my third season. I was just a young kid and thought it would be easy to get back. I appreciate this moment even more now because I understand how difficult it is to reach this point.”
Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points, 13 assists, and three steals for the fourth-seeded Pacers. Obi Toppin contributed 18 points off the bench, while Andrew Nembhard chipped in with 14 points and six steals.
“It means a lot to do this with this group,” Haliburton said. “We got to this point last year and came up short. We worked hard all season to get another shot.”
For the Knicks, O.G. Anunoby scored 24 points, Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Jalen Brunson added 19 points and seven assists. Mikal Bridges scored 15 points, while Landry Shamet had 12 off the bench on four three-pointers.
Indiana dominated the transition game, outscoring New York 25-10 in fastbreak points in Game 6 and 106-48 over the series. The Knicks also committed 18 turnovers in the final game, with Brunson and Bridges each losing the ball five times.
“I saw way too many breakaways,” Brunson admitted. “That’s on me. It was a big reason they kept pulling away.”
The Pacers shot 54.1% from the floor and hit 17 of 33 from beyond the arc (51.5%). Myles Turner and Thomas Bryant scored 11 points apiece, while Aaron Nesmith added 10.
The Knicks, playing in their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000 — when they also lost to Indiana — shot 47.7% from the field but just 28.1% (9-of-32) from three.
“I’m proud of what our guys accomplished,” said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. “We overcame a lot this season. It’s tough falling short, but this group fought hard all the way.”
