The Indiana Pacers advanced to the NBA finals on Saturday, defeating the New York Knicks 125-108 in game 6 of the confrontation of the finals of their conference.
A year ago, the Pacers were left without a round of the championship series after losing in a scanning four games against the Boston Celtics. This time, Indiana only needed five games to send to the Knicks, a rival of the franchise for a long time.
The Pacers will face thunder in the final, with the series from June 5 in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were the best NBA team during the regular season, winning 68 games.
Oklahoma City will have advantage on the court in the next series.
Indiana was taken to the championship round by the ship’s ship’s owner Haliburton. Upon entering game 6 against the Knicks, Haliburton averaged 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists in the series.
The Pacers acquired the star guard in the mid-2021-22 season, exchanging the All-Star Dressprokes Sabonis in exchange for Haliburton in a movement that surprised the NBA. The consequent summer, Indiana, recruited the guard Aaron Nembhard and changed to the Swingman Aaron Nesmith, who since then have played fundamental roles in the initial alignment of the team.
The Pacers also exchanged last season for striker Pascal Siakam, who was named for his third All-Star team earlier this year.
Indiana is known for her frantic game style. During the regular season, the Pacers ended seventh in the NBA in rhythm. The team has been one of the best in the League since the new year, registering a record of 34-14 after January 1, a better room in the NBA.
Indiana finished fourth in the east after the heat near the season, and then eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round for the second consecutive year. In the second round, the Pacers bother the Cleveland Cavaliers of 64 wins in just five games, taking out the best sown team from the conference. Then, in the third, Indiana defeated New York in another post -season rematch since 2024.
The coach of the Pacers is Rick Carlisle, who was previously an assistant to Indiana from 1997 to 2000, and then the chief coach of the team from 2003 to 2007. Carlisle was the chief coach of the Dallas Mavericks from 2008 to 2021, winning a championship with the team in 2011.
The confrontation with the Thunder will be the second appearance of the Pacers finals and first since 2000, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Indiana is one of the 10 NBA franchises that has never won a championship.
