WATCH: Pacers Wear Down Knicks To Win East, Advance To NBA Finals

The Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 to win the East Finals and advance to the NBA Finals.

Indiana will play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals beginning Thursday, June 5.

Pascal Siakam led the way with 31 points, five assists, three assists and three blocks on his way to East Finals MVP. Tyrese Haliburton led right alongside him with 21 points, 13 assists, three steals and a block.

Andrew Nembhard had arguably his best game of the series to finish with 14 points, eight assists, and six(!) steals. He took on the responsibility of being Jalen Brunson’s primary defender with aplomb, limiting the Knicks superstar to 19 points on 18 shots and five turnovers. Nembhard also did a really good job keeping him off the free-throw line, limiting Brunson to just two free throws.

Obi Toppin was also a strong contributor off the bench with 18 points, six rebounds and three blocks.

Indiana dictated pace early on and destroyed New York in transition. The Pacers won the fast break points battle 25-10 and outscored the Knicks off turnovers 34-13. They also won the three-point battle handsomely, outscoring the Knicks by 24.

OG Anunoby led the Knicks in scoring with 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting. He also had five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

Karl-Anthony Towns struggled to be impactful in this one, scoring 22 points on 19 field goal attempts and shot 6-for-10 at the free-throw line. Siakam winning this matchup handily was decisive.

What Next For Knicks?

Arguably the biggest differentiator in this series was the Knicks’ relative lack of depth. Haliburton said at the start of the series that the Pacers felt their pace and relentless pressure because of how many bodies they can go to could wear the Knicks down. That’s exactly what happened.

New York will need to strongly consider if their is a path to creating better depth on this roster. Forced to get creative, head coach Tom Thibodeau actually learned is a bit deeper than he thought as Landry Shamet and Delon Wright provided good minutes when called upon.

Josh Hart’s offensive ineptitude was exposed in this series, as were Brunson and Towns’ defensive deficiencies.

There’s plenty to assess as the Knicks try to figure out a path to the next level.