by Jordan Morey
Legends are made in the playoffs, and on Sunday afternoon in the Big Apple the 2023-2024 Indiana Pacers immortalized themselves in NBA history.
In the franchise’s most important game in a decade, the Pacers pulled off the greatest shooting performance by any team in league playoff history.
Shooting an NBA playoff record 67.1 percent, the sixth-seeded Pacers posted a 130-109 Game 7 win over the second-seeded New York Knicks on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014. The Pacers will play the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the ECF, starting with Game 1 on Tuesday at TD Garden.
By beating the Knicks, the Pacers came back from down 0-2 in their series — the first time the franchise has ever surmounted such a deficit in a seven-game series. Neither the Knicks nor Pacers had lost a home game before Game 7, and the Pacers remain the only team undefeated at home in the playoffs at 6-0.
The Pacers’ 130 points also matched a franchise playoff NBA record for most points in a playoff game.
“Everybody has to give and everybody has to take to make a team successful,” Pacers head coach Rick Carilsle said. “We had some good fortune to get to this moment, but our guys did the work to put us in a position to be here. I want to complement our guys on the level of class that they have showed throughout the playoffs. I know our fans in Indiana are very proud of them.”
Indiana finished 53-of-79 from the field (13-for-35 from 3-point range), assisting on 33 baskets, while the Knicks shot 42.4 percent. The Pacers won the critical rebounding margin 33-28 and points in the paint differential 52-38.
Six Indiana players finished in double-digit scoring. The Pacers’ starters shined on the big stage, as All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton logged 26 points (10-for-17 shooting, 6-for-12 from 3-point range), Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard each dropped 20 points, Aaron Nesmith put in 19, and Myles Turner had 17 points. T.J. McConnell supplied 12 points and seven assists off the bench, and Isaiah Jackson scored nine points.
Combined, Nembhard (8-for-10 shooting) and Nesmith (8-for-8) went 16-for-18 from the floor, a major boost from two players guarding the opposing team’s best players. Both players finished with personal bests in the playoffs for points.
“We knew our expectation was to get to the playoffs,” Haliburton said. “…This ain’t a surprise for us. It’s no fluke. We expect this from our group, and once we added (Siakam) we knew we really could take off.”
The Pacers couldn’t have scripted a better start to Game 7, as they shot 76 percent in the first half to build a 70-55 lead. After the Knicks cut the deficit to six points early in the third quarter, the Pacers used a pair of substantial runs to go back in front 101-84 heading into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, the teams traded blows, but the Knicks never pulled within single digits of the Pacers lead.
For the Knicks, Donte DiVincenzo led New York with 39 points (11-for-21 shooting), Alec Burks added 26 off the bench, and Jalen Brunson totaled 17 points.
Brunson fractured his left hand at the end of the third quarter and didn’t return to the floor in the fourth. Indiana was ahead by 20 points when he left the game.
Indiana opened the game by making 22 of their first 27 shots following the tip, leading by as many as 22 points in the second quarter, to establish dominance early. The Pacers also assisted on 19 of their 29 made baskets and limited the Knicks to 46.5 percent from the field at halftime.
Indiana’s stars controlled the first half, as Haliburton scored 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting (4-for-5 3-point range), Siakam had 15 points (6-for-9 shooting), and Turner chipped in 10 points for the Blue and Gold by the break.
In the first quarter, the Blue and Gold shot 16-for-21, including 7-for-9 from three, while dishing out 12 assists to lead 39-27. Haliburton dropped 14 points (5-for-7 shooting) in the opening frame, and Siakam added 11 points (5-for-6 shooting).
Indiana came out on fire, making seven of their first eight shots – with Siakam accounting for six points and Turner and Nembhard each adding five – to put the Pacers in front 16-10, forcing a Knicks timeout with 7:19 on the clock.
Out of the huddle, Siakam and DiVincenzo each scored five quick points to keep it close until Haliburton went on a self-imposed 11-2 run — where he drained a trio of 3-pointers and also hit a fadeaway from 16 feet — to give the Pacers a 34-22 lead and prompt another New York timeout.
McConnell then scored his first basket of the game and Haliburton drained his fourth three of the opening frame to build the lead to 12.
The Pacers’ hot shooting carried into the second quarter, as the Blue and Gold bench opened the frame on a 12-3 spree thanks to five points by Jackson and four from McConnell to put the visitors ahead 52-30 with 8:23 remaining in the half.
New York responded with a quick 6-0 string, but a free throw line jumper by Nembhard, 3-pointer from Nesmith, and an and-one from Turner ended the run as the Blue and Gold went in front 64-45.
In the final 1:48 of the first half, the Knicks finished on an 8-2 spree to narrow the score to 15 points. Siakam blocked a shot by Brunson on a layup attempt with two seconds left to end the half with a defensive highlight.
New York came out of intermission with improved offense, going on a 12-3 run – with Brunson and DiVincenzo each hitting threes – to narrow the score to 73-67 four minutes into the third quarter.
The Pacers then refound their footing, as two buckets by Nesmith, one each from Nembhard and Haliburton, and a 3-pointer from Turner put the Pacers back ahead by double-digits at 84-70 with 5:23 on the clock.
Indiana didn’t stop there, as they strung together a 13-5 run, where Nesmith scored seven points – including an and-one off a signature McConnell in-bounds steal – and Haliburton hit a turnaround 3-pointer to lead 97-79 with around 90 seconds left in the third.
That stretch of defense was critical in the win, according to Pacers players and coaches.
“We knew they were going to make their run and it was going to get loud in this building,” Nesmith said. “We hadn’t responded well to that in previous games, so that was a big point of emphasis for us. We responded the right way today.”
Indiana led 101-84 heading into the fourth quarter, with the Pacers’ 101 points the most by a team after three quarters in a Game 7 since the 1963 Boston Celtics.
The Pacers’ bench kept the Blue and Gold ahead in the early minutes of the fourth quarter as the teams exchanged blows, and Indiana never let the Knicks pull within single digits in the final 12 minutes.
All-time, the Pacers are now 2-1 against the Knicks in Game 7s, with all three games being held in New York.
“I just told our team when you win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, you’ve made history. It’s very, very difficult to do,” Carlisle said.
The Pacers now turn their attention to Boston, who advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games and after downing the Miami Heat in as many games in the first round. During the regular season, the Celtics went 3-2 against the Pacers.
“We’re not done yet,” Turner said.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana’s 130 points matched a Pacers franchise NBA record.
The Pacers finished with 53 total field goals made in Game 7, which is the second most for a Game 7 ever just behind the 1970 Los Angeles Lakers (54).
Aaron Nesmith didn’t miss a shot in the game, going 8-for-8 overall (1-for-1 3-point range) and draining his singular free throw.
Haliburton’s 14 points in the first quarter are the most by any player this postseason.
The Pacers went 11-for-16 from the free throw line and the Knick finished 24-for-27.
Indiana had nine blocks and seven steals in the game.
New York’s bench outscored Indiana’s second unit 38-28.
OG Anunoby played five minutes and scored five points. after missing Games 2-6 with a hamstring injury.
You Can Quote Me on That
“I want to congratulate the Knicks on a great season. I think, pound-for-pound, there’s no better coach in this league than Thibs, and what he got out of that team was amazing. The competitive level in this series was through the roof. We played a great game tonight, but whatever we threw at them they just kept coming, they kept coming. The crowd was unbelievable. I just told our team when you win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, you’ve made history. It’s very, very difficult to do. This is the most raucous crowd in the NBA that I’ve seen. We’re going to Boston, and Boston is up there too. But today, this was really, really, really loud. Congrats to our guys. They won this game, and really won this series, with just a lot of competitive class. They really supported one another. Things get very difficult, our guys stuck together. We’re not all perfect players or perfect coaches, but this group, really, when things really get tough – got tough today – they just problem-solved their way through it and kept the energy from within.” – Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle’s opening statement postgame
“Tyrese Haliburton is a great basketball player. He’s a great point guard. If we need him to score 30, he can find a way to score 30. His job is to run the team – that’s why he led the league in assists. Too much is made of his point totals from game to game, and I always kind of push back on that because if he has one big challenge it’s the balance of the ability to score and running the team. When you have a guy that is not only a great passer, but gives his teammates great confidence when he passes the ball, it’s important when balance is struck. Today, he knew that we needed some special shotmaking. There were shades of Reggie Miller running around in that first quarter. The play where he ran from all the way side to side and made the three right in front of our bench, that was a huge play. That put us up 12 or 14. Those kinds of shots in those moments give a team confidence.” – Carlisle on Haliburton
“This team was very, very much maligned for its defense early in the year. They have flipped the script. They won this series with grit and guts and physical play … pressing 94 feet, and that’s how we beat Milwaukee, too. You’ve got to give these guys a lot of credit for not a total change, but a significant change in the attitude towards defense, the defiance about the importance of defense, and what they did today. I don’t want to make things about shotmaking. If you’re right, and you’re defending the right way, and your heart is in the right place, you’re going to make shots.” – Carlisle on the team’s defense
“We just made a decision as a staff that we needed to be better. … We were on a historic pace offensively, but to get where we are at this moment and where we want to get in this next round and in the future, what we were doing offensively wasn’t sustainable. It just simply was not. Not if you can’t consistently guard and rebound. A lot of credit to our guys.” – Carlisle on changes to the team post-In-Season Tournament, including on defense
“You just have to go through it. I knew today would be wilder than Game 5. Game 5 was wilder than anything our guys have ever seen. … You get in a Game 7, it’s just another species of animal. These fans are just unbelievable. They were just single-handedly, all 19,000 of them, trying to will the Knicks back into the game in the third quarter, and our guys held the line. They were defiant in holding the line and we found a way to go ahead and win the third quarter and then I think the fourth quarter as well.“ – Carlisle on MSG’s crowd
“For me, personally, I can sit here and say a lot of things, but obviously it’s a long time coming. I’m just proud of this group, for real. It’s (the most) special group I’ve been around since I’ve been here. We all play for each other, there’s no ego. When you have guys who can score 15 to 20 plus points every single night, seven or eight guys, there can be a lot of ego involved with that and we were able to nip that in the bud early in the season. Obviously having Pascal come here midway through the season and just adding his leadership and everything he’s able to provide for our team offensively and defensively, has been huge. I’m proud.” – Myles Turner on what this postseason means to him
“We knew before it started it wasn’t going to be a lot of Xs and Os. It’s just going out there and getting the job done.” – Turner on expectations going into the Knicks series
“For me, aggression is not shots, it’s getting two feet in the paint. I know it’s an old-school way of thinking. The more I can get downhill, it opens up everything for everybody else. Guys were making shots early and I just continued to get to the paint as much as I can thanks to these two guys’ (Siakam and Turner) ball screens and get to the rim and kick out to these guys to make plays. I think, for me, it’s just feeling out the game. .. Today was game 7, unload the clip and have no regrets.” – Haliburton on his aggression and shooting
“I think we’re just slowly changing the way of thinking in the NBA that the playoffs you have to play slow. We’re able to just continue to be who we are.” – Haliburton on the team’s pace
“There’s a lot of exciting things going on in Indiana right now. I think we’re just excited to be a part of it, and us three (Siakam and Turner) are all a part of the long-term future here in Indy and we’re all excited about that. Excited to continue to build excitement around our city and understand we’re not done yet. We still have another series, possibly two to go, but it starts with Boston and I think we’re all excited for that challenge.” – Haliburton on Indianapolis sports right now
“We have the best bench in the NBA. We are the deepest team in the NBA. We have five, six guys ready on the bench at all times ready to answer the call when need be. I think that’s what separates us from everybody.” – Haliburton on the bench
“Those guys, the first thing is just the way they work on defense for us on every player – the best player on every team, they are always on them. Just the commitment they have to playing defense. I think the way we play, it just opens up things too for them offensively. They are gifted offensively as well. Too see them do both … I love Drew, just the way he plays the game. He sacrifices everything just for the team but also has game. Aaron, the same thing. … Those guys, they were great for us and are a big part of what we do.” – Siakam on Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith
“I think we can lean on each other. I think they can lean on me for experience and I can lean on them for just learning to continue playing with them. At the end of the day, we just have to go out there and play and believe that it’s possible. That’s all we have. I always tell them as long as we stay us, no matter what, we are going to be OK because we have everything we need. We just gotta believe that and play as hard as we can.” – Siakam on looking ahead
“I think we played together and had a great energy in our group. We were just really, really together. We knew we had to be together in a loud arena like this. We generate good shots with a lot of movement and good playmakers.” – Nembhard on the offense
“The defense and rebounding was the reason we won the game. It was the reason why we won any game in this series. We knew that was a big focal point and that got us out and running and allowed us to get shots.” – Nembhard on defense
“Coach was preaching about togetherness early on, before the game, and during the huddles, and we just took that to our advantage and started moving the ball.I felt like when everyone got involved, nobody could stop us.” – Ben Sheppard on the Pacers’ offense in Game 7
“We just played together, played as a team. We knew the task at hand and attacked it the right way.” – Nesmith on the offense
“It’s an honor. A lot of people are at home watching us right now. It’s something to be proud of, but the job is not done yet.” – Nesmith on reaching the Eastern Conference Finals
Stat of the Night
The Pacers set an NBA playoff record for field goal percentage in a game by shooting 67.1 percent as a team. Overall, the team shot 53-for-79 from the field, including 13-for-24 from 3-point range. The previous record of 67.0 percent was held by the 1990 Boston Celtics (53-for-79 shooting).
Noteworthy
Indiana owns a 26-22 all-time record against New York in the playoffs.
The Pacers are now 4-7 all-time in Game 7s. The most recent Game 7 win before Sunday was in 2014 when Indiana beat the Atlanta Hawks 4-3 in the first round.
Indiana is 6-0 in playoff games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the first two rounds of the playoffs and is the only team still undefeated at home in the postseason.
Up Next
The Pacers travel to Boston for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics on Tuesday, May 21 at 8:00 PM ET.
Tickets
Single game tickets for the Eastern Conference Finals will go on sale on Tuesday, May 21 at 4:00 PM ET.
Originally posted on pacers.com