The New York Knicks looked poised to return to the NBA Finals for the first time in decades.
Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t keep up with the Indiana Pacers and their up-tempo offense.
Rick Carlisle’s team got the best of them in six games, including a couple of comeback wins earlier in the series.
Following the loss in Game 6, Knicks star PG Jalen Brunson didn’t have much to say about the outcome of the series (via NBA on ESPN):
“It sucks man. Simple as that. It sucks,” Brunson said.
"It sucks man. Simple as that. It sucks."
Jalen Brunson kept it simple after the Game 6 loss to the Pacers 😳 pic.twitter.com/wjznQNRcrK
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 1, 2025
Brunson had some big performances in the playoffs and during the series, but he struggled against Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith.
The Pacers did an outstanding job of messing with his rhythm by hounding him the length of the court, denying passing lanes, and forcing him to take heavily-contested shots.
Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner also proved to be a perfect complement to one another, locking down the glass, knocking down threes, and exposing Karl-Anthony Towns on defense over and over.
Last but not least, Tyrese Haliburton proved the doubters wrong with his playmaking and timely scoring for most of the series.
The Knicks were supposed to be the better team, which is why this loss stings so much.
Nevertheless, the Pacers deserve all the credit for their play to close out the regular season and advance to the NBA Finals.
Now, a strong challenge lies ahead, as the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder has looked like an unstoppable force for most of the season.
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