Pascal Siakam poured in 31 points and Tyrese Haliburton tallied 21 points and 13 assists as the Indiana Pacers pulled away for a 125-108 win over the New York Knicks in Game 6 on Saturday night, securing their first trip to the NBA Finals in 24 years.
Obi Toppin contributed 18 points and six rebounds against his former team, energizing the home crowd that erupted in applause as Indiana’s starters checked out with under a minute remaining.
The Pacers will open the Finals on Thursday night in Oklahoma City, marking just the second Finals appearance in franchise history.
OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 24 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 14 rebounds. Jalen Brunson chipped in 19, but New York was hampered by 17 turnovers under relentless Pacers defensive pressure.
From the opening tip, the game was intense and physical. Haliburton was knocked to the floor on a drive, and Towns was seen limping after drawing contact — clear signs of the high stakes and aggressive play.
Indiana broke a tight game open with a 9-0 run to start the third quarter, sparked by back-to-back threes from Thomas Bryant and one from Andrew Nembhard, stretching the lead to 78-63 and sending the home crowd — including Anthony Richardson, Caitlin Clark, Timothée Chalamet, and Kylie Jenner — into a frenzy.
Though the Knicks responded with eight straight points, Indiana countered immediately with another 9-0 run, pushing the lead back into double digits for good.
The Knicks, who haven’t made the NBA Finals since 1999 or won a title since 1973, were aiming to become the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit. But the Pacers had other plans, fueled by a deep roster, home-court energy, and Hall of Famer Reggie Miller — a member of the Pacers’ last Finals team — on the TNT call.
