State Champ Radio indiana pacers
Source: Getty Images / Indiana Pacers / New York Knicks
It’s no longer orange and blue skies after the NBA’s “most overrated player,” Tyrese Haliburton, and the Indiana Pacers once again sent New York Knicks, Ben Stiller, Timothee Chalamet, Spike Lee, and the rest of the diehard Knickerbocker fans on summer break.
The New York Knicks and their fans thought their 52-year championship drought was coming to an end, but unfortunately, the Indiana Pacers had other plans.
Last night, in a game that started close, the Pacers eventually cruised to a 125-108 Game 6 win over the Knicks, punching their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, where they hope they can win the franchise’s first NBA title.
Out of the gate, the Knicks didn’t let the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd affect them, keeping the contest close, trailing by only four points at halftime. But it was clear they couldn’t keep pace with the Pacers, who turned it on in the second half, ending the third quarter with an 11-point lead that the Knicks couldn’t overcome.
It didn’t help that the Knicks’ offense was stifled by the Pacers’ defense in the second half. The clutch player of the year and Knicks’ top offensive weapon, Jalen Brunson, was held to just 19 points and shot 4/10 at the half because Andrew Nembhard locked him down.
In Games 1-5, Andrew Nembhard defended Jalen Brunson for 49 match-ups, allowing 51.0 player points per 100 match-ups
In Game 6, Nembhard defended Brunson for 55 match-ups, giving up just 9.1 player points per 100 match-ups
He was sensational. pic.twitter.com/VQNoJSo22x
— Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) June 1, 2025
Turnovers Killed The Knicks’ Chances
The Pacers also forced 18 Knicks turnovers, scoring 25 fastbreak points, a recipe for disaster for any team trying to win an Eastern Conference Finals series.
After being stifled in Game 5, Tyrese Haliburton returned to form, scoring 21 points and dishing out 13 assists. However, it was Pascal Siakam’s 31-point performance that helped put the Knicks away for good, earning him the series MVP award, which also provided a classic meme moment.
Tyrese Haliburton thought that Larry Bird ECF MVP trophy was his🤣#NBA #Pacers pic.twitter.com/59eF189mNI
— Caleb Nixon (@calebnixonmedia) June 1, 2025
Jalen Brunson Still Has Confidence In This Knicks Team
Despite solid offensive efforts from OG Anunoby, who led all Knicks scorers with 24 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns with 22, it just wasn’t enough.
It didn’t help that Josh Hart, who has been reliable all season, didn’t leave his mark on the game, scoring only 4 points.
Following the game, Brunson says he still believes in this Knicks team as it is constructed, telling reporters he has “The most confidence, overconfident, seriously,” Brunson said. “There’s not an ounce of any type of doubt that I’m confident with this group.”
Jalen Brunson was asked if he has confidence that Tom Thibodeau is the right coach for the Knicks moving forward:
“Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe if he’s the right guy. Yes.” pic.twitter.com/FRjCO8genL
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
A Magical Season Comes To A Bitter End
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks looked like they were on the verge of a special season after two big playoff series wins, including knocking off the defending champion Boston Celtics.
But it would turn out their biggest test would be the franchise’s longtime rivals, the Indiana Pacers, who have played boogeyman to the Knicks franchise for many years.
Coming into the series, the Knicks had all the momentum, especially after pulling off one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history en route to denying the Celtics the opportunity to defend their 2023-24 NBA championship.
It would turn out that the Knicks would get a taste of their own medicine after they dramatically blew a significant lead in game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, which led to an insane Tyrese Haliburton buzzer-beater to force overtime, where the Knicks came up short, and eventually would go on to lose the series.
TYRESE HALIBURTON BUZZER BEATER FORCES OT 🤯🤯🤯
AND HE DID THE CHOKE SIGN TO THE KNICKS!!! pic.twitter.com/0jufr6naNl
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2025
As you can imagine, Knicks fans’ emotions are all over the place. Some are proud of their Knickerbockers, while others feel a change is needed, calling for the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau, whose rotations and refusal to use his bench were once again the subject of discussion.
Tom Thibodeau is just Doc Rivers but plays his stars 48 minutes a game. pic.twitter.com/d2fVTya9Cj
— chickenfried🍗 (@realzachbrown) May 26, 2025
Welp, there’s always next year.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. A proud Knicks fan
I don’t care I’m damn proud of this team.A season full of memoriesTwo All Star startersBack to back 50 win seasonsGreat series win vs DetroitAn upset for the ages vs BostonFirst ECF in 25 yearsIt was an amazing season pic.twitter.com/JWJipMcEsq— KNICKS BEAST (@KnicksBeast) June 1, 2025
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Getty Images / Giannis Antetokounmpo / John Haliburton
If this is the final time we see Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform, he went out fighting, both literally and figuratively.
Things got extremely chippy at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after final buzzer of the Indiana Pacers stunning 119-118 overtime victory over the Bucks, eliminating the Bucks from the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo got into it with Pacers guard Ben Mathurin at center court first, which led to the hoopers having to be separated. It looked, at first, as if the players were exchanging pleasantries, as players always do at the end of the game, but. Mathurin pushes Giannis, who had his hand on the back of Mathurin’s head.
Then Antetokounmpo got into it with Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton, after his son sealed the Pacers’ win with a game-winning drive past the Greek Freak. Antetokounmpo shook hands with John Haliburton before two butted heads and began screaming at each other before they each had to be separated.
Following the game, Tyrese Haliburton spoke about the incident, saying that his father was in the wrong, adding that a conversation would be had.
“I don’t think that my pops was in the right at all there. … We will have a conversation and I’ll talk to Giannis, it’s unfortunate we’re all grown men,” Haliburton said during the post-game press conference.
Antetokounmpo was also asked about the incident, and he added during his post-game press conference that “I believe like being humble in victory, ” and that he felt “disrespected,” but noted that all parties involved talked, adding “I think we’re in a good place.”
Social Media Is Reacting To The Chippy End
As expected, the two incidents have social media talking, especially if this is Giannis’ final game as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise.
Many believe the NBA champion will be traded and sent to a contender because it’s not looking suitable for the Bucks next season. The team has no first-round picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, and outside of Damian Lillard, who suffered a torn Achilles in his last game, putting an asterisk on his career, and whether he will play next season, there isn’t much to lure Antetokounmpo back.
Damn.
We won’t find out any time soon, but until then, you can view more reactions in the gallery below.
5. Nah chill
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Nick Cammett / Getty
It’s official; the Indiana Pacers are going to Cancun. The Boston Celtics swept them in the NBA Eastern Finals.
As reported by ESPN the Celtics have proven to be the best NBA team in the Eastern Conference. On Monday, May 27 they won their fourth straight game against the Indiana Pacers. While Andrew Nembhard and his squad fought hard they couldn’t maintain their 98-90 lead with under six minutes left in the fourth quarter. Boston’s clutch defense caused the Pacers to miss several shots and turnover the ball. The Celtics outscored Indiana 15-4 to close out the series.
Jaylen Brown lead his team with 29 points, three steals, six rebounds, two assists and one block. At the end of the game he was given the Larry Bird Trophy as the Eastern Conference MVP. He made it clear the honor came to him as a surprise. “I wasn’t expecting it at all” he said. “I don’t never win sh*t.” The Marietta, Georgia native went on salute the Pacers during their celebration. “And give credit to Indiana, they played us tough. I know people think that Indiana wasn’t a good team or whatever the case may be, but I thought they were as tough as anybody we played all season. They were physical, they were fast, they put a lot of pressure on us. So shout out to them, and respect to them.”
When asked about his second trip to the NBA Finals Jayson Tatum responded “it’s special.” He added “even though we’ve been there before, most of us have, you don’t take it for granted. We were excited.” The Dallas Mavericks currently lead the Minnesota Timberwolves 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Elsa / Getty
And just like that, the New York Knicks Cinderella story comes to an end as the injury plagued team was routed by a red-hot Indiana Pacers team in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon (May 19).
As ESPN, reports, the Indiana Pacers set a playoff mark with their hot shooting in the first half of the game and though they cooled off in the second half they still ended the game with a 67.1% field goal percentage which is the highest ever recorded in an NBA playoff game. Fittingly, the Knicks superstar point guard, Jalen Brunson suffered a season ending injury in the second half of the game when he fractured his hand and was pulled from the game as the Knicks saw their playoff dreams slip away at the hands of a fully healthy Pacers squad.
Per ESPN:
It was the greatest shooting half in a playoff game on record, beating the 74% the San Antonio Spurs shot during the 2014 NBA Finals in a performance that left some thinking that was one of the finest displays of offensive basketball ever. And the Pacers beat it.
The Knicks made a push in the third quarter, thanks largely to a series of 3-pointers from DiVincenzo (37 points). He ended up with nine treys for the game, setting a Knicks playoff record. Those 3s and some rare defensive stops cut the Pacers’ lead from 22 points down to seven and had the Knicks fans thinking they might see something to remember after all.
Had the Knicks even somehow pulled off a miracle on 34th street and won the game, they’d certainly be swept by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals without their floor general in Jalen Brunson who was struggling with his game before fracturing his hand on a play in the 3rd quarter.
It was already a tough day for Brunson, who was just 6-of-17 shooting for 17 points before exiting.
“It’s a part of the game and, like I said, this group, we didn’t make excuses for anything,” Brunson said. “And so if things happen, we go forward with what we had. Obviously we wanted everyone healthy.”
Unfortunately for the Knicks, health was in short order this season as every one of their starters had been sidelined by the time Game 7 rolled around. With four bench players in the starting lineup and Jalen Brunson leading the charge, many considered it a miracle that the Knicks lasted as long as they did in the playoffs.
This is probably the first time that the Knicks got eliminated from the playoffs and New York fans were still happy and grateful with how the season turned out.
Respect.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Basketball fans may have scoffed at the NBA In-Season Tournament initially but ended up being treated to some of the best games so far early in the season. The Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers locked horns for the inaugural tournament final with the Lake Show taking the whole thing on the back of Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
The NBA In-Season Tournament had its share of critics who didn’t quite understand the necessity or purpose of it unless, of course, their teams were in contention. Early favorites like the Boston Celtics were bounced by the Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton, who is now becoming one of the league’s brightest stars.
The Lakers and Pacers may not have been the marquee matchup some fans wanted but it was a pure clinic put on by AD and King James, who seized the moment with the help of great play from fellow starters D’Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish, and Taurean Prince. Austin Reaves also provided a big lift off the bench with 28 points, leading the entire second unit.
The Pacers gave it their all with Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin, who came off the bench, both scoring 20 points. The Pacers also saw significant contributions from Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith.
The Lakers rode the wave of Davis, who led all scorers with 41 points, hauling in 20 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. James added 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, eventually winning the MVP trophy for the tournament. While Davis did show out for the final game, James has been consistently dominant even at age 38 and displayed an uncanny level of strength, speed, and basketball IQ.
It may not be the top trophy of the league but the NBA In-Season Tournament proved that fans don’t have to wait until May to see amazing professional basketball. Commissioner Adam Silver can go back to the lab with his team and figure out how to improve the tournament and said that he’s open to suggestions.
On X, formerly Twitter, NBA fans are discussing the game and much more. Check out the reactions below.
—
Photo: Getty
-
Pages
