Shaq gives thoughts on a possible Pacers-Thunder ‘small market’ Finals
Shaq joins Sports Seriously to give his thoughts on if a Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals would be too ‘small market’ for the league.
Sports Seriously
Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers have another opportunity to close out the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks – this time at home.
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are coming off a 111-94 win in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden to avoid elimination. The Knicks will need to do it again on the road at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to extend the series. A victory for the Knicks would force the series back to New York with the series tied 3-3.
Brunson scored a game-high 32 points in Game 5, and Karl-Anthony Towns overcame some foul trouble to produce a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds. The Knicks outscored the Pacers in every quarter on Thursday. Haliburton was limited to just eight points and six assists in 32 minutes of play. Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench and finished with 23 points and nine rebounds.
It all adds up to a crucial Game 6. USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest updates, highlights, wild plays, analysis and more throughout the game. Follow along.
The Indiana Pacers host the New York Knicks for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
How to watch New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers Game 6
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
- TV: TNT, truTV
- Stream: Sling TV, Max
Watch Pacers vs. Knicks Game 6 on Sling
Where is Game 6 between Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks?
The Indiana Pacers will host the New York Knicks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Indiana Pacers are favored to beat the New York Knicks in Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, according to BetMGM (odds as of Saturday, May 31):
- Spread: Pacers (-3.5)
- Moneyline: Pacers (-180); Knicks (+145)
- Over/under: 221.5
The Indiana Pacers are favored to win the NBA Eastern Conference finals, according to BetMGM (odds as of Saturday, May 31):
- Indiana Pacers -375
- New York Knicks +275
- Jeff Zillgitt: Pacers 111, Knicks 106
- Scooby Axson: Pacers 117, Knicks 103
- Heather Tucker: Pacers 112, Knicks 101
- Cydney Henderson: Pacers 118, Knicks 113
- James H. Williams: Pacers 110, Knicks 105
ESPN: Pacers have a 58% chance of winning
According to ESPN’s Matchup Predictor, the Indiana Pacers have a 58% chance of beating the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Bleacher Report: Pacers punch ticket to finals
Andy Bailey writes: “With the Knicks’ transition offense limited by fewer Pacer turnovers and Indiana a bit more locked in from three, the Pacers should be able to win at home and end this series. As is often the case when a series hits this point (one team having more than one chance to close things out), Indiana appeared to have let its foot off the gas a bit even before the game started. It’s human nature to let your mind drift to the fact that you’ll get another shot at home in 48 hours. But that won’t happen again. Knowing Game 7 would be in New York will force the Pacers to focus and come out far more aggressively on Saturday. And after that win, Indiana will return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000.”
Draft Kings: Indiana Pacers
Julian Edlow writes: I’ll take Indy to go wire-to-wire again in Game 6 and advance to the NBA Finals. You can bet them on the double result (lead at halftime and win the game) at even money, and/or lay the -4 on the Pacers at DraftKings Sportsbook.”
The Indiana Pacers host the New York Knicks at 8 p.m. ET with coverage on TNT, truTV and streaming on Max.
(Pacers lead series 3-2)
- Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 (OT)
- Game 2: Pacers 114, Knicks 109
- Game 3, Knicks 106, Pacers 100
- Game 4, Pacers 130, Knicks 121
- Game 5: Knicks 111, Pacers 94
- Game 6, May 31: Knicks at Pacers | TNT, 8 p.m.
- Game 7, June 2: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, 8 p.m.*
All times Eastern; *-if necessary
For the New York Knicks to stave off elimination, to get back in this Eastern Conference finals, they needed to somehow curb the Indiana Pacers. New York, for at least one game Thursday night, did exactly that, becoming the first team this postseason to hold Indiana to fewer than 100 points for a 111-94 victory.
New York harassed Indiana’s starters in Game 5, flying around the court and swarming. The Knicks held the Pacers’ starters to just 13 made field goals on 33.3% shooting, Indiana’s entire first five combined for 37 points; its bench poured in 57.
The question for the Knicks now becomes whether this is something that can be replicated — whether Game 5 revealed a blueprint they can use to even the series at three games apiece. — Lorenzo Reyes
ANALYSIS: Click here to read Reyes’ full column from Game 5
BetMGM odds for NBA Finals winner as of Friday, May 30:
Four victories. That’s what the Oklahoma City Thunder need to win the franchise’s first championship since 1979 when they were the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Thunder reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 Wednesday in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
More from Thunder’s Western Conference Finals win.
*-if necessary
- Game 1, June 5: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
- Game 2, June 8: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET | ABC
- Game 3, June 11: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
- Game 4, June 13: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
- Game 5, June 16: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC*
- Game 6, June 19: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC*
- Game 7, June 22: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET | ABC*
Eastern Conference finals
- No. 3 New York Knicks lead No. 4 Indiana Pacers, 3-2
Western Conference finals
- No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder def. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves, 4-1
If the impending NBA Finals matchup of the league’s 23rd and 27th-ranked media markets is supposed to spell doom for the league, it is a doom the NBA’s owners intentionally brought on themselves.
While two glitz-free Midwestern cities in the Finals might not have the celebrity pull the NBA has largely enjoyed through its historically successful franchises, it was an inevitable outcome once the league designed a collective bargaining agreement that dismantled its traditional cycle of superteams and dynasties.
Welcome to the new NBA, where championship windows are smaller, the life cycle of a roster is shorter and the number of teams that can win a title in any given year is beyond anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. — Dan Wolken
Read Wolken’s full column here.
The Knicks and Pacers played six memorable playoff series against one another over an eight-season span, including two consecutive matchups in the Eastern Conference finals in 1999 and 2000. The anticipation for this latest matchup has also triggered nostalgia for those classic battles between Reggie Miller and Patrick Ewing, and how the Knicks and Pacers turned into an NBA playoffs rivalry. Here are some of the best (or infamous) moments from Knicks vs. Pacers playoff series, courtesy of Mark Giannotto.
