Pacers Advance to Eastern Conference Finals in First of Two Sunday Game Sevens
Photo Credit: Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press Photo
In a move that was truly unexpected for the basketball world, the Indiana Pacers conquered both the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks in each of the first round and semifinals respectively to earn a Eastern Conference Finals berth. The cherry on top was the Pacers’(47-35) road game seven victory against the New York Knicks(50-32), which the Pacers won by a score of 130-102, according to ESPN. The Pacers, the sixth seed in the eastern conference, will play the Boston Celtics in what is sure to be a close matchup.
Photo Credit: Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press Photo
The critical factor leading the Pacers to the game seven victory was Tyrese Haliburton, who contributed 26 points to the team, leading the team in scoring. Halibruton shot 10-17 from the floor(58.8%) while also going a blistering 6-12(50%) from three, with those six threes making up almost half of the Pacers’ total three-pointers made. Not only did Haliburton score, he was able to facilitate and control the game to an elite level. Haliburton dished the ball six times while only registering 2 turnovers, which allowed Haliburton to boast an impressive three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio. The Pacers were plus-21 while Haliburton was on the floor, proving that the young point guard is crucial to the Pacers’ current and future success. All statistics were provided by Pro Basketball Reference.
While the Pacers’ main contribution came from Haliburton, each of the starters held their own in the tough matchup with the Knicks. All Pacers starters scored above 15 points, with the only starters missing the 20-point mark being Myles Turner with 17 points and Aaron Nesmith with 19 points. Though the two starters did not hit that 20-point mark, the players were plus-19 and plus-13 when on the floor, demonstrating that their contribution was a reason for the Pacers’ win against the Knicks. All statistics were provided by Pro Basketball Reference.
Pascal Siakam proved once again why the Raptors cashed in at a high level. Siakam cashed in 8 of his 15 field goal attempts and two of his three three-point attempts, shooting 53.3% from the floor and 66.7% from three, according to Pro Basketball Reference. Since Siakam has experience in the NBA Playoffs, particularly with his 2019 Championship run, his skills could be valuable if the Pacers advance to the 2024 NBA Finals.
Photo Credit: Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports
While the Knicks were unable to advance one round further in the playoffs, their loss to the Pacers can be attributed to a variety of factors. According to an article written by Sam Quinn of CBS, both Josh Hart and OG Anunoby played injured in the game against the Knicks, as the former had a strain in his abdomen and the latter had a strain in his hamstring. Jalen Brunson, as written in an article by Peter Botte of the New York Post, fractured his hand in the matchup, resulting in his inability to contribute to the fourth quarter of the game. Additionally, the presence of Julius Randle has been missing since the start of the playoffs, and his 24.0 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game would have been valuable in the matchup against the Pacers.
Photo Credit: Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports
The Pacers play the Boston Celtics, who won their first-round matchup with the Miami Heat by a score of 4-1 and their second-round matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers by a score of 4-1 as well. The Celtics have been playing the last couple games without starting Center Kristaps Porziņģis, a player that, when he returns, will be a valuable asset for the Celtics.
