The Indiana Pacers hadn't won a game on the road against the Knicks the entire series. Game 7 in Madison Square Garden is a daunting task. It was the first Game 7 in the Garden since 1995 when the Pacers beat them. They wanted to do the same thing on Sunday night.
They came out on fire. Indiana was up by as much as 22 points in the first half and shot a historic 76% from the field. No one has ever done that in a half of basketball before. They shot 67% from the field in the game, which was also an NBA record The Pacers just could not miss no matter where they shot it from and they beat the Knicks 130-109.
It was a fantastic game for Tyrese Haliburton. He had 26 points on 10-17 shooting and he had six assists. He was the aggressive point guard that the Pacers needed him to be. Haliburton might be young, but he is clearly not afraid of the moment when it gets big.
Pascal Siakam was also spectacular. He had 20 points on 8-15 shooting and did most of his work in the first half. His steady presence was massive for this young Indiana team. His ability to score on iso plays is a massive benefit for this team. It will be in the next round too,.
T.J. McConnell was his normal fantastic self. He had 12 points, seven assists, a steal, and a block. He was that key guy off the bench that made plays when the offense was breaking down. The Knicks couldn't guard him all series and that continued in Game 7.
The Indiana Pacers are now moving on to their first Conference Finals appearance in ten years. The Celtics are going to be a tough opponent, but they're going to be ready for the challenge.