NBA convention finals takeaways: Pacers cross up 3-1 at the Knicks

The 2025 NBA convention finals are each doubtlessly a sport clear of finishing, with 4 groups combating for a place within the Finals.

The No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder took a commanding 2-0 lead within the Western Conference finals towards the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves earlier than getting blown out in Game 3 at Target Center. But the Thunder bounced again to win Game 4 in a back-and-forth struggle. They head again to Oklahoma for Game 5 and glance to near out the collection with a 3-1 lead.

In the East, the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers took a 2-0 lead towards the 3-seed New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. But the Knicks rallied at the Pacers’ domestic courtroom in Game 3 after a fourth-quarter surge from Karl-Anthony Towns. The Pacers replied via taking Game 4 at domestic and can head again to New York with a 3-1 collection lead

As those elite groups face off, our NBA insiders destroy down their greatest takeaways from each matchup and what to look ahead to in each showdowns.

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Eastern Conference

Game 4: Pacers 130, Knicks 121

As Tyrese Haliburton sat on the postgame information convention within Gainbridge Fieldhouse after Indiana’s second-half cave in in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, he didn’t hesitate to are expecting how issues would glance when his Pacers took the courtroom towards the New York Knicks in Game 4.

“I think a lot of our offensive struggles in the second half were due to me,” Haliburton mentioned.

“I got to be better there. And I will be better in Game 4.”

It’s something to make a declaration like that. It’s any other not to simply practice via on it, however to take action emphatically.

As Haliburton led the Pacers to a 130-121 victory to transport to inside one win of returning the franchise to the NBA Finals for the primary time in 1 / 4 century, this is all he did:

It was once a virtuoso efficiency, the type of accomplishing activity few different avid gamers can do. After the best way Indiana’s play tailed off in the second one half of of Game 3, it was once a becoming option to regain regulate of this collection.

There has been quite a lot of communicate all over those playoffs about Indiana’s talent to drag off one frenetic comeback after any other; to play at a high-octane tempo in some way no workforce has actually ever been in a position to within the playoffs, when the sport historically slows down; and to systematically mow via one of the vital sport’s transcendent avid gamers in Giannis Antetokounmpo, dominate the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers and doubtlessly disregard the Knicks in 5 video games.

All of it, regardless that, is best conceivable on account of the brilliance of Haliburton. Yes, Pascal Siakam — who has a 26-point and 10-rebound appearing in a Finals closeout sport on his résumé — is a marvelous participant, scoring 31 issues Tuesday, the newest evidence he is an ideal spouse with Haliburton. Yes, Rick Carlisle is a championship-winning trainer, who has molded this franchise round a participant he sought out way back to draft evening in 2020, when the Dallas Mavericks attempted to transport as much as achieve him. Yes, the Pacers have surrounded him with two-way position avid gamers like Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner, growing the ecosystem through which he may just thrive.

But it is Haliburton on the controls. The Pacers have long gone from a amusing, frisky workforce to at least one this is within the Eastern Conference finals for a moment 12 months in a row and at the verge of returning to the Finals.

It’s additionally precisely the type of method the folk on this basketball-crazed state need to see their hoops performed: team-first, pass-heavy and with the ball discovering power and the open guy continuously.

In the similar method that Indiana’s most probably Finals opponent, Oklahoma City, relentlessly pressures its fighters defensively for all 48 mins of a sport, Indiana does the similar offensively. A workforce could possibly sluggish the Pacers down for 1 / 4, a half of or a sport, however Indiana’s wager is {that a} workforce can not care for that over the process a seven-game collection.

No one has come with reference to it thus far in those playoffs. And, after Haliburton’s newest incandescent efficiency, the Pacers are one win clear of getting an opportunity to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the primary time in franchise historical past. — Tim Bontemps

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Tyrese Haliburton’s 3 leaves Spike Lee disgusted

Tyrese Haliburton buries a triple to increase the Pacers’ lead within the first quarter.

Biggest takeaways for the Knicks:

The Knicks entered the fourth quarter of Game 4 in nearly the very same spot they did in Game 3 — down double digits. But somewhat than use the ones first short time of the general duration to chip away, they appeared misplaced defensively and briskly put the Pacers within the bonus with dangerous fouls, permitting Indiana to increase its merit. Sure, New York fixed a tangible comeback danger within the ultimate 5 mins, getting the deficit to 6. But the tough mins to start the fourth in the end made the hill too tall to climb, and it left the Knicks staring down the incorrect facet of a 3-1 collection ledger as they head again to New York for Game 5. — Chris Herring

Biggest takeaways for the Pacers:

With his father in attendance for the primary time because the finish of the primary spherical, Haliburton placed on a display from the outlet tip. He just about recorded a triple-double within the first half of, racking up 20 issues, 10 assists, 9 rebounds and 0 turnovers — the primary time any participant has recorded this type of stat line in a single half of of a convention finals sport, consistent with ESPN Research. His rapid get started helped the Pacers determine a miles sooner pace in Game 4, which they persisted all over the sport en path to seizing regulate of the collection and hanging Indiana one win from the NBA Finals. Haliburton completed with 32 issues and a triple-double whilst getting the remainder of the workforce concerned to attain 33 issues on 14-of-22 (63%) photographs off his passes. — Jamal Collier

Game 5: Pacers at Knicks (Thursday, 8 p.m. ET, TNT)

What to look at:

At least the Knicks gained Game 3. No NBA workforce has conquer a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff collection, whilst 3-1 comebacks have some precedent.

In principle, the Knicks will have to have the benefit of having two of the conceivable 3 closing video games at domestic — together with a possible Game 7, if they may be able to stretch the collection that some distance. Out of 13 comebacks from 3-1 deficits in NBA historical past, 8 have come from the workforce with home-court merit, as opposed to 3 from the street workforce. (The ultimate two 3-1 comebacks got here courtesy of the Denver Nuggets in 2020, when there was once no true home-court merit on account of the Orlando bubble.)

Unfortunately, domestic courtroom hasn’t been a lot of an best friend for the Knicks just lately. New York is simply 3-5 at Madison Square Garden within the postseason, whilst the Pacers are a playoff-best 6-1 at the highway, together with two wins in New York final week.

One large query for trainer Tom Thibodeau in Game 5 is whether or not he sticks with the Knicks’ new beginning lineup, with Mitchell Robinson in Josh Hart’s position, or returns to the quintet he depended on all season, and which led the NBA in mins performed via an enormous margin. Robinson has had a good have an effect on all over the playoffs, however he could be working out of steam towards Indiana’s high-octane assault. In Game 4, the Knicks had been outscored via 20 issues with him at the courtroom, and New York closed with out him in each Game 3 and Game 4.

To be truthful, the Knicks have not discovered any lineup aggregate that may constantly win its mins towards Indiana. Thibodeau could be out of choices, whether or not it is Robinson, Hart or somebody else on his roster. — Zach Kram

Western Conference

Game 4: Thunder 128, Timberwolves 126

Biggest takeaways for the Timberwolves:

The system the Wolves had to practice to have an opportunity was once glaring via this level within the collection: Limit turnovers and make open photographs. Minnesota controlled to do one of the vital two in Monday’s 128-126 loss. The Wolves dedicated 22 turnovers, resulting in 22 issues for Oklahoma City — with their leaders, Anthony Edwards (5) and Julius Randle (5), being the principle culprits. As a end result, the Thunder took 11 extra photographs than the Wolves in a sport determined via one ownership.

The miscues minimized the unbelievable contributions of Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23 issues on 9-for-15 taking pictures, 5-for-8 from 3), Jaden McDaniels (22 issues on 9-for-15, 3-for-6 from 3) and Donte DiVincenzo (21 issues on 7-for-11, 5-for-8 from 3).

The Wolves shot 18-for-41 from deep, however Edwards and Randle did not lend a hand that reason, combining to shoot simply 1-for-10 from 3.

Credit Minnesota’s general effort — Edwards stored attacking the Thunder’s box-and-one protection, as flummoxing because it was once, and Randle stayed engaged sufficient to test in to throw Minnesota’s last-ditch inbounds go. And the Wolves’ bench was once traditionally excellent, because it turned into the primary unit since starters had been tracked in 1970-71 to attain 60 bench issues in consecutive video games within the convention finals.

However, the two-point ultimate margin was once the variation between a 2-2 collection and the 3-1 hollow the Wolves to find themselves in heading again to Oklahoma City. — Dave McMenamin

Biggest takeaways for the Thunder:

The 2022 lottery sped up the Thunder’s climb to the contender ranks. The avid gamers from that draft — No. 2 pick out Chet Holmgren and No. 12 Jalen Williams — performed huge roles within the win that put Oklahoma City getting ready to a Finals look.

Williams scored 14 of his 34 issues within the fourth quarter. Holmgren had 9 of his 21 issues within the ultimate body.

On an evening when MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (40 issues, 13-of-30 taking pictures) was once a quantity scorer, the Thunder’s different stars lit up the scoreboard successfully. Williams and Holmgren mixed to head 22-of-38 from the ground, together with 8-of-12 from 3-point vary.

It was once an excellent offensive efficiency at a crucial time for 2 of the league’s very best younger two-way abilities. — Tim MacMahon

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SGA shines once more to make it 3-1 OKC

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ratings 40 issues to energy the Thunder previous the Timberwolves and put OKC up 3-1 within the Western Conference finals.

Game 4: Thunder at Timberwolves (Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

What to look at:

The first job for the Timberwolves heading again to Oklahoma City for a must-win sport is to care for trust. The Thunder did their very best to weigh down it in Game 4, turning again each Minnesota problem down the stretch. But we noticed the Timberwolves rally in a identical state of affairs final 12 months, getting back from 3 consecutive Denver Nuggets wins to take Games 6 and 7, the latter at the highway.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City is ready — one sport clear of the Finals — that the franchise final skilled in 2016, when the Thunder additionally took a 3-1 collection lead however noticed the Golden State Warriors rally to knock them out. Oklahoma City’s lone closeout alternative at domestic, Game 6, was once well-known for Klay Thompson‘s ancient 11 3-pointers.

It’s price observing whether or not Minnesota trainer Chris Finch makes a transformation to the lineup that has began all 14 playoff video games and all however two relationship again to March 7. Reserves Alexander-Walker and DiVincenzo completed Monday’s sport instead of starters Mike Conley and Randle, giving the Timberwolves extra taking pictures and defensive versatility.

Benching Randle two video games after he scored 24 issues on 9-of-15 taking pictures appears like an overreaction, however swapping Alexander-Walker for Conley is extra sensible. Conley hasn’t been an offensive danger on this collection, totaling 22 issues on 7-of-30 taking pictures, regardless that his sure-handed playmaking stays a plus for Minnesota. The Timberwolves have outscored the Thunder with Conley at the ground in all 4 video games, together with plus-2 in 19 mins in Game 4. — Kevin Pelton