Haliburton’s double-double leads Indiana Pacers into NBA Finals for first time since 2000
Indiana Pacers beat New York Knicks to win Eastern Conference finals 4-2, will face Oklahoma City for title
The Indiana Pacers, fuelled by 31 points from Pascal Siakam and a 21-point double-double from Tyrese Haliburton, beat the New York Knicks 125-108 on Saturday to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000.
The Pacers used a big third quarter to break open a close game and kept the pressure on in the fourth period to win the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals 4-2.
They reached the championship series for the second time in franchise history, and will be chasing their first title when the finals open in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Haliburton said the series triumph was especially sweet after the Pacers were swept in the conference finals last season by eventual champions Boston.
“You know, we got to the same spot last year, fell short and we just worked our tails off as a group to get back here,” he said. “It’s been a bumpy road with our start and just really proud of the resilience of this group.”
He was already looking ahead to the formidable challenge of the Thunder, who led the league with 68 regular season wins and saw star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named MVP.