NBA conference finals takeaways: Pacers go up 3-1 on the Knicks

The 2025 NBA league finals are some perchance a crippled distant from ending, with 4 teams warring for a spot successful the Finals.

The No. 1 effect Oklahoma City Thunder took a commanding 2-0 pb successful the Western Conference finals against the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves earlier getting blown retired successful Game 3 astatine Target Center. But the Thunder bounced backmost to triumph Game 4 successful a back-and-forth battle. They caput backmost to Oklahoma for Game 5 and look to adjacent retired the bid with a 3-1 lead.

In the East, the No. 4 effect Indiana Pacers took a 2-0 pb against the 3-seed New York Knicks astatine Madison Square Garden. But the Knicks rallied connected the Pacers' location tribunal successful Game 3 aft a fourth-quarter surge from Karl-Anthony Towns. The Pacers responded by taking Game 4 astatine location and volition caput backmost to New York with a 3-1 bid lead

As these elite teams look off, our NBA insiders interruption down their biggest takeaways from each matchup and what to ticker for successful some showdowns.

Jump to a series:
Pacers-Knicks | Timberwolves-Thunder

More coverage:
Schedules and results | Offseason guides

Eastern Conference

(4) Indiana Pacers pb (3) New York Knicks 3-1

Game 4: Pacers 130, Knicks 121

As Tyrese Haliburton sat astatine the postgame quality league wrong Gainbridge Fieldhouse aft Indiana's second-half illness successful Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, helium did not hesitate to foretell however things would look erstwhile his Pacers took the tribunal against the New York Knicks successful Game 4.

"I deliberation a batch of our violative struggles successful the 2nd fractional were owed to me," Haliburton said.

"I got to beryllium amended there. And I volition beryllium amended successful Game 4."

It's 1 happening to marque a declaration similar that. It's different to not conscionable travel done connected it, but to bash truthful emphatically.

As Haliburton led the Pacers to a 130-121 triumph to determination to wrong 1 triumph of returning the franchise to the NBA Finals for the archetypal clip successful a 4th century, here's each helium did:

• Scored 32 points

• Grabbed 12 rebounds

• Dished retired 15 assists

• Had 4 steals

• Committed zero turnovers

• Finished +16 successful 37 minutes

It was a virtuoso performance, the benignant of conducting occupation fewer different players tin do. After the mode Indiana's play tailed disconnected successful the 2nd fractional of Game 3, it was a fitting mode to regain power of this series.

There has been plentifulness of speech passim these playoffs astir Indiana's quality to propulsion disconnected 1 frenetic comeback aft another; to play astatine a high-octane gait successful a mode nary squad has truly ever been capable to successful the playoffs, erstwhile the crippled traditionally slows down; and to systematically mow done 1 of the game's transcendent players successful Giannis Antetokounmpo, predominate the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers and perchance disregard the Knicks successful 5 games.

All of it, though, is lone imaginable due to the fact that of the brilliance of Haliburton. Yes, Pascal Siakam -- who has a 26-point and 10-rebound showing successful a Finals closeout crippled connected his résumé -- is simply a fabulous player, scoring 31 points Tuesday, the latest impervious he's a cleanable spouse with Haliburton. Yes, Rick Carlisle is simply a championship-winning coach, who has molded this franchise astir a subordinate helium sought retired arsenic acold backmost arsenic draught nighttime successful 2020, erstwhile the Dallas Mavericks tried to determination up to get him. Yes, the Pacers person surrounded him with two-way relation players similar Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner, creating the ecosystem successful which helium could thrive.

But it's Haliburton astatine the controls. The Pacers person gone from a fun, frisky squad to 1 that is successful the Eastern Conference finals for a 2nd twelvemonth successful a enactment and connected the verge of returning to the Finals.

It's besides precisely t...