The Indiana Pacers entered Saturday with the chance to end their Eastern Conference Finals series against the New York Knicks and punch their ticket to the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The series' first game ended with a brash statement by Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who channeled his inner Reggie Miller with a choking gesture after a long two-point shot that sent the contest to overtime.
Haliburton continued down that same path on Saturday as he pulled out all the stops with his pregame outfit, sending a message to coach Tom Thibodeau's New York Knicks and their supporters.
Tyrese Haliburton vs. the Knicks.
Tyrese Haliburton probes the lane looking to make a play vs. the Knicks on May 29, 2025.
© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Haliburton arrived to Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in all-black funeral attire on Saturday, signaling his intentions to "bury" the Knicks.
Fans were not feeling Haliburton's outfit choice in the comments section as they took shots at him.
"Dressed up as Hilary Clinton," one fan said.
"Looks so corny and forced," another added.
Haliburton is second on the Pacers in scoring with 18.7 points per game during the ECF, chipping in 9.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
Forward Pascal Siakim leads Indiana with 20.4 points per game, hoping to win his second career championship after winning it all with Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
Six Pacers have scored in double figures per game with the Pacers so far during the NBA's second season, during a time when Thibodeau has been criticized for his rotations with the Knicks.
New York will hope for a big game from Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns to steal their second road contest of the series in hopes of sending it back to NYC for Game 7.