The Indiana Pacers are in full smack talking mode and unless you’re a New York Knicks fan, you gotta be here for all of it. Tyrese Haliburton canned six 3-pointers to lead six Pacers in double figures with 26 points, as the Pacers strutted into Madison Square Garden and straight-up embarrassed the home team 130-109.
For a Knicks squad and a coach in Tom Thibodeau who pride themselves so much on defense, they were hit with an avalanche of offense that they couldn’t stop. Literally no team in NBA history shot better than Indy did in Sunday’s Game 7.
The Pacers shot 67.1% today—the best shooting performance in any game (not just Game 7) in NBA playoff history
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) May 19, 2024
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 19, 2024
That cliché of great offense beating great defense sure did hold true. However, I don’t know if you could call what the Knicks played “great defense.” They were outmanned due to injuries, which didn’t help. The problem is, New York had a commanding 2-0 series lead and let the sixth-seeded Pacers roar back to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
And look at what the Pacers did afterwards. Some dirty work on ESPN here, as the classic “unanimous predicted series winner” jinx came to fruition.
it was always Pacers in 7. pic.twitter.com/Hzp88oNi9D
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 19, 2024
…It only got worse for the Knickerbockers from there. Apparently Spike Lee and Stephen A. Smith getting their hearts ripped out in person wasn’t enough. Haliburton had to rub salt into the gaping wound.
Spike Lee & Stephen A Smith pregame pic.twitter.com/SWXpcv1l4M
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 19, 2024
Tyrese Haliburton showing up to the press conference with the iconic Reggie Miller choking photo on his sweatshirt. @WISH_TV #Pacers #BoomBaby #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/AnSRAfbp51
— Angela Moryan (@AngelaMoryanTV) May 19, 2024
Tyrese Haliburton in a Reggie Miller sweatshirt after winning Game 7 at the Garden 😈 pic.twitter.com/TKuOc3t1zu
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 19, 2024
That’s right. One of the most iconic images in NBA lore. Reggie Miller was serenaded with profane chants at MSG in Game 2 when the Knicks won. They hate the guy. In fact, Lee was the man in the line of fire when Miller hit the Big Apple with the pose.
Reggie Miller giving Spike Lee the "choke sign" at a Knicks-Pacers playoff game. pic.twitter.com/cHTYHIGwTX
— Iconic Sports (@Iconic_Sports) July 2, 2014
Never would’ve thought before the season began that the Pacers would run all the way to the NBA’s Final Four. They’ll be unanimously predicted to lose to the Celtics, and they probably will, but just to get this far is a hell of a job.
I wonder how the Sacramento Kings are feeling. They had Haliburton as one of their franchise cornerstones and opted to trade him after only two seasons. It looked like the Kings won that deal last season when Mike Brown was Coach of the Year and they pushed Golden State to seven games in the first round. Alas, Sacramento couldn’t back that up with another playoff appearance.
Kings FO to Haliburton’s agent pic.twitter.com/lAF7h1P3VF
— iamtheREALvegasMURPH (@RealMurphdog916) May 19, 2024
Meme of the day that ties Miller and Haliburton together goes to this doozy depicting Patrick Ewing, who has his fair share of Knicks falling-short horror stories from his own career.
"tryna take down a light skin man on the pacers ain't so easy is it?" pic.twitter.com/EyyC0sAmwq
— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) May 19, 2024
Check the full Game 7 highlights:
