INDIANAPOLIS — Pascal Siakam scored 31 points, Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points and 13 assists and the Indiana Pacers pulled away for a 125-108 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 6 on Saturday night to reach the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history.
Obi Toppin added 18 points and six rebounds against his former team as the gold-clad crowd gave the starters a roaring ovation when they departed with 47.2 seconds left.
The Pacers will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder for Game 1 on Thursday night.
OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 24 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and 14 rebounds and Jalen Brunson added 19 points as the Pacers’ relentless ball pressure forced New York into 17 turnovers.
The Knicks haven’t reached the Finals since 1999, and they couldn’t extend the series in a game that was tough and physical from the start.
Whether it was Towns limping after drawing a foul or Haliburton holding his jaw when he took a shot that knocked him to the ground, the tone was set early — and never really changed with so much at stake.
The Pacers finally broke open a close game by opening the second half on a 9-0 run to take a 78-63 lead courtesy of three straight 3-pointers — two from Thomas Bryant and one from Andrew Nembhard. The run ignited the crowd, which included Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, WNBA star Caitlin Clark and Kylie Jenner.
When the Knicks answered with eight straight to cut the deficit to 78-71, the Pacers responded with another 9-0 run to take their biggest lead, and the Knicks were forced to play catch-up the rest of the night.
Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, star of the 1999-2000 Pacers team that made the finals, served as the color analyst for TNT’s final broadcast.
The Knicks were trying to become the 14th team in league history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win a series. They haven’t won a title since 1973.