The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks are heading to a Game 6. After the Knicks were able to blow out the Pacers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night by a final score of 111-94, they survived to play at least one more game.
As the series shifts back to Indianapolis, the questions about whether or not New York can become the 14th team to come back from a 3-1 series deficit have started to rise.
Stephen A. Smith, one of the most diehard Knicks fans in the world, has now spoken out with what he thinks will happen in Game 6.
During a segment on "First Take," Smith gave New York a 30 percent chance to pull off a Game 6 win in Indianapolis. He thinks the Pacers are going to take the series and deny the Knicks a chance for a Game 7 at home.
Read more:Tyrese Haliburton Sends Bold Warning Before Pacers-Knicks Game 6
Indiana put together one of its worst games of the season in Game 5. Tyrese Haliburton and company could not get anything going. Part of that was due to New York's defense, but the Pacers missed a lot of shots they normally make and did not look nearly as aggressive as they have throughout the playoffs.
Those struggles for Indiana were made even more clear by Haliburton's stat line. He scored just eight points on 2-for-7 shooting to go along with six assists.
Bennedict Mathurin was the only player who truly showed up for the Pacers, scoring 23 points and grabbing nine rebounds off the bench. Pascal Siakam scored 15 points, and Obi Toppin rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 off the bench.
As for the Knicks, Jalen Brunson came through with a massive performance when his team needed him the most. He scored 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting to go along with five assists and five rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns had a double-double performance with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
Read more:Shocking Contender Named as Landing Spot for Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo
Game 6 is going to be must-watch basketball. Indiana has a chance to punch its NBA Finals ticket, while New York is simply fighting to save its season.
It will be interesting to see what the outcome ends up being. Smith simply does not see his Knicks having another win in them, but he's not counting them out entirely.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday evening and will be broadcast on TNT.
For more Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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This story was originally published May 30, 2025 at 10:45 AM.