Pacers set NBA playoff shooting mark, top Knicks 130-109 in Game 7 to make Eastern Conference finals
NEW YORK (AP) When the Indiana Pacers compiled one of the best offensive seasons in NBA history, they were just getting warmed up.
For Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, they delivered something really spectacular.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 26 points and the Pacers set an NBA playoff record by shooting 67.1% from the field, beating the New York Knicks 130-109 on Sunday to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 10 years.
“We have a historic offense obviously, but this guy got things rolling and everybody kind of just followed suit,” center Myles Turner said, pointing toward Haliburton.
“To do that on the road here in the Garden in Game 7 obviously is phenomenal, but I think this is what we’ve been doing all season long and we were able to show it on the biggest stage.”
The Pacers averaged 123.3 points during the regular season, sixth highest in league history, and set an NBA record by scoring 140 11 times.
They haven't slowed down much in the playoffs.
The Pacers made 29 of their 38 shots in the first half, a shooting percentage of 76.3% that was the highest in the postseason since 1997, when the NBA began keeping detailed play-by-play for all four quarters. They led 70-55 at that point and pulled away every time the Knicks tried to make a run in the second half.
“I just told our team when you win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, you’ve made history,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.
The No. 6-seeded Pacers advanced to face top-seeded Boston in a series that begins Tuesday. Indiana last reached the conference finals in 2014, losing to Miami.
Jalen Brunson left in the second half with a broken left hand, one final injury for a Knicks team that was decimated by them.
They got OG Anunoby back Sunday after he missed the previous four games with a strained left hamstring, but he clearly wasn't moving well and was taken out of the game after just five minutes.
Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard each scored 20 points and Aaron Nesmith was 8 for 8 en route to his 19 for the Pacers.
Donte DiVincenzo made nine 3-pointers and scored 39 points for the Knicks, who were trying to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2000 but couldn't overcome the losses of Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic, before losing Anunoby and finally Brunson.
“Knowing that this team gave its best effort all year long, I can live with the result,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s disappointing, but in the end there’s only going to be one happy team. Twenty-nine teams will fall short. This team fought like crazy and there’s no regret.”
Brunson finished with 17 points and nine assists, shooting 6 for 17 after scoring 40 or more points five times in this postseason. Alec Burks came off the bench for 26 points.
The third Game 7 between the franchises - the Knicks won in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals and the Pacers pulled out a 97-95 victory the next year in the East semifinals - was a chance for the Pacers to prove that their fast-paced style can win at a time when defenses are supposed to rule.
They scored 39 points in the first quarter, the most in a Game 7 in the play-by-play era, a score that would have been more fitting for halftime in the Pacers-Knicks rivalry of the previous century.
“I think it’s just the old-school way of thinking that you can’t play this fast in the playoffs, but I think opportunistically you can do it. I think if we’re able to get stops, of course we can," said Haliburton, who was wearing a sweatshirt with a picture of Reggie Miller making a choking sign from a playoff game at MSG.
The Pacers made 10 of their first 11 shots - it would have been 11 of 12, but Turner's dunk attempt bounced back out of the basket - and didn't slow down much the rest of the half. Knicks fans who were screaming and chanting before the game were groaning during it as the Pacers made shot after shot, no matter how well the Knicks had defended them.
The Pacers led 39-27 after shooting 16 for 21 from the field (76.2%) and 7 for 9 from 3-point range (77.8%) in the first quarter. Indiana then went 13 for 17 (76.5%) in the second quarter, with the lead growing to 22 points.
The Knicks cut it to 70-55 at halftime, then scored the first seven out of the break as part of a 12-3 start to the second half that trimmed it to 73-67. But with the Pacers leading by seven, the Knicks committed three straight turnovers that helped Indiana push the lead to 84-70.
Josh Hart played through an abdominal strain for the Knicks, fouling out with 10 points and eight rebounds.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
12:00 | Myles Turner vs. Isaiah Hartenstein (Josh Hart gains possession) | |||
11:38 | +2 | Jalen Brunson makes two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | 0-2 | |
11:24 | +2 | Pascal Siakam makes two point jump shot (Tyrese Haliburton assists) | 2-2 | |
11:04 | Jalen Brunson misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
11:02 | Isaiah Hartenstein offensive rebound | |||
10:58 | +3 | OG Anunoby makes three point jump shot (Josh Hart assists) | 2-5 | |
10:43 | +2 | Andrew Nembhard makes two point driving floating jump shot | 4-5 | |
10:25 | Aaron Nesmith personal foul (Josh Hart draws the foul) | |||
10:14 | Isaiah Hartenstein misses two point floating jump shot | |||
10:12 | Andrew Nembhard defensive rebound | |||
9:57 | +2 | Myles Turner makes two point jump shot (Andrew Nembhard assists) | 6-5 | |
9:32 | +2 | OG Anunoby makes two point fadeaway jump shot | 6-7 | |
9:16 | +3 | Myles Turner makes three point jump shot (Tyrese Haliburton assists) | 9-7 | |
8:56 | Donte DiVincenzo misses three point jump shot | |||
8:54 | Donte DiVincenzo offensive rebound | |||
8:53 | Donte DiVincenzo misses two point putback layup | |||
8:51 | Andrew Nembhard defensive rebound | |||
8:46 | Tyrese Haliburton misses three point running jump shot | |||
8:45 | Josh Hart defensive rebound | |||
8:37 | Josh Hart misses two point running layup | |||
8:36 | Aaron Nesmith defensive rebound | |||
8:29 | +2 | Pascal Siakam makes two point driving floating jump shot | 11-7 | |
8:11 | Jalen Brunson misses two point stepback jump shot | |||
8:09 | Pacers defensive rebound | |||
8:09 | Isaiah Hartenstein personal foul (Loose ball) (Aaron Nesmith draws the foul) | |||
7:57 | +2 | Pascal Siakam makes two point cutting layup (Andrew Nembhard assists) | 13-7 | |
7:36 | +3 | Donte DiVincenzo makes three point jump shot (Jalen Brunson assists) | 13-10 | |
7:28 | +3 | Andrew Nembhard makes three point pullup jump shot (Tyrese Haliburton assists) | 16-10 | |
7:19 | Knicks 60 second timeout | |||
7:06 | +3 | Donte DiVincenzo makes three point jump shot (Jalen Brunson assists) | 16-13 | |
6:57 | +2 | Pascal Siakam makes two point stepback jump shot | 18-13 | |
6:30 | Miles McBride misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
6:27 | Isaiah Hartenstein offensive rebound | |||
6:20 | +3 | Donte DiVincenzo makes three point jump shot (Josh Hart assists) | 18-16 | |
5:53 | +3 | Pascal Siakam makes three point jump shot (Myles Turner assists) | 21-16 | |
5:41 | +2 | Jalen Brunson makes two point driving floating jump shot | 21-18 | |
5:35 | +2 | Ben Sheppard makes two point layup (Pascal Siakam assists) | 23-18 | |
5:12 | +2 | Josh Hart makes two point pullup jump shot (Jalen Brunson assists) | 23-20 | |
4:56 | Myles Turner misses two point cutting dunk | |||
4:54 | Isaiah Hartenstein defensive rebound | |||
4:50 | Pacers 60 second timeout | |||
4:50 | Tyrese Haliburton blocks Donte DiVincenzo's two point running layup | |||
4:50 | Pacers defensive rebound | |||
4:50 | Donte DiVincenzo technical foul (Double) | |||
4:50 | Pascal Siakam technical foul (Double) | |||
4:30 | Obi Toppin misses three point jump shot | |||
4:28 | Tyrese Haliburton offensive rebound | |||
4:26 | Tyrese Haliburton misses two point putback layup | |||
4:25 | Isaiah Hartenstein defensive rebound | |||
4:20 | Donte DiVincenzo misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
4:17 | Pacers defensive rebound | |||
3:58 | +3 | Tyrese Haliburton makes three point jump shot (T.J. McConnell assists) | 26-20 | |
3:38 | Obi Toppin personal foul (Josh Hart draws the foul) | |||
3:33 | +2 | Jalen Brunson makes two point pullup jump shot (Josh Hart assists) | 26-22 | |
3:16 | Jump ball. Myles Turner vs. Isaiah Hartenstein (Pacers gains possession) | |||
3:09 | +2 | Tyrese Haliburton makes two point fadeaway jump shot | 28-22 | |
2:54 | Jalen Brunson misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
2:52 | Obi Toppin defensive rebound | |||
2:45 | +3 | Tyrese Haliburton makes three point pullup jump shot (Ben Sheppard assists) | 31-22 | |
2:26 | Jalen Brunson misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
2:24 | Ben Sheppard defensive rebound | |||
2:13 | +3 | Tyrese Haliburton makes three point jump shot (T.J. McConnell assists) | 34-22 | |
2:03 | Knicks 60 second timeout | |||
1:54 | T.J. McConnell personal foul (Jalen Brunson draws the foul) | |||
1:45 | +2 | Donte DiVincenzo makes two point pullup jump shot (Jalen Brunson assists) | 34-24 | |
1:27 | +2 | T.J. McConnell makes two point fadeaway jump shot (Obi Toppin assists) | 36-24 | |
1:06 | Jalen Brunson misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
1:05 | Tyrese Haliburton defensive rebound | |||
1:00 | +3 | Tyrese Haliburton makes three point stepback jump shot | 39-24 | |
0:46 | +2 | Miles McBride makes two point stepback jump shot (Jalen Brunson assists) | 39-26 | |
0:24 | Pascal Siakam misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
0:21 | Josh Hart defensive rebound | |||
0:17 | Ben Sheppard shooting foul (Donte DiVincenzo draws the foul) | |||
0:17 | +1 | Donte DiVincenzo makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 39-27 | |
0:17 | Donte DiVincenzo misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
0:15 | T.J. McConnell defensive rebound | |||
0:05 | T.J. McConnell turnover (lost ball) (Donte DiVincenzo steals) | |||
0:01 | Donte DiVincenzo misses three point jump shot | |||
0:01 | Knicks offensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
11:41 | +2 | Aaron Nesmith makes two point driving finger roll layup | 41-27 | |
11:23 | Donte DiVincenzo turnover (out of bounds step) | |||
11:02 | +2 | Isaiah Jackson makes two point hook shot (T.J. McConnell assists) | 43-27 | |
10:43 | Miles McBride misses three point jump shot | |||
10:41 | Pacers defensive rebound | |||
10:41 | Isaiah Hartenstein personal foul (Loose ball) (Isaiah Jackson draws the foul) | |||
10:26 | +2 | T.J. McConnell makes two point driving reverse layup (Isaiah Jackson assists) | 45-27 | |
10:07 | +2 | Alec Burks makes two point driving finger roll layup | 45-29 | |
10:07 | Isaiah Jackson shooting foul (Alec Burks draws the foul) | |||
10:07 | +1 | Alec Burks makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 45-30 | |
9:52 | Precious Achiuwa shooting foul (Isaiah Jackson draws the foul) | |||
9:52 | Isaiah Jackson misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
9:52 | Pacers offensive rebound | |||
9:52 | +1 | Isaiah Jackson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 46-30 | |
9:31 | Donte DiVincenzo turnover (bad pass) (Andrew Nembhard steals) | |||
9:23 | +2 | T.J. McConnell makes two point driving floating jump shot (Andrew Nembhard assists) | 48-30 | |
9:19 | Knicks 60 second timeout | |||
9:12 | Josh Hart misses three point jump shot | |||
9:10 | Pacers defensive rebound | |||
9:10 | Josh Hart personal foul (Loose ball) (T.J. McConnell draws the foul) | |||
8:56 | +2 | Ben Sheppard makes two point driving floating jump shot (Andrew Nembhard assists) | 50-30 | |
8:42 | Ben Sheppard blocks Jalen Brunson's two point driving floating jump shot | |||
8:40 | Ben Sheppard defensive rebound | |||
8:27 | +2 | Isaiah Jackson makes two point dunk (Ben Sheppard assists) | 52-30 | |
8:14 | Andrew Nembhard shooting foul (Josh Hart draws the foul) | |||
8:14 | +1 | Josh Hart makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 52-31 | |
8:14 | +1 | Josh Hart makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 52-32 | |
7:58 | Myles Turner misses three point jump shot | |||
7:56 | Pacers offensive rebound | |||
7:47 | +2 | Myles Turner makes two point jump shot (T.J. McConnell assists) | 54-32 | |
7:32 | +2 | Alec Burks makes two point pullup jump shot (Precious Achiuwa assists) | 54-34 | |
7:18 | Andrew Nembhard turnover (traveling) | |||
6:59 | +2 | Alec Burks makes two point fadeaway jump shot (Josh Hart assists) | 54-36 | |
6:37 | +2 | Andrew Nembhard makes two point driving reverse layup | 56-36 | |
6:23 | +2 | Alec Burks makes two point driving floating jump shot (Jalen Brunson assists) | 56-38 | |
6:08 | Andrew Nembhard turnover (traveling) | |||
5:49 | Precious Achiuwa misses two point driving hook shot | |||
5:48 | Knicks offensive rebound | |||
5:37 | Myles Turner blocks Miles McBride's two point driving finger roll layup | |||
5:34 | Miles McBride offensive rebound | |||
5:33 | Obi Toppin shooting foul (Alec Burks draws the foul) | |||
5:33 | +1 | Alec Burks makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 56-39 | |
5:33 | Pacers 60 second timeout | |||
5:33 | +1 | Alec Burks makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 56-40 | |
5:17 | Andrew Nembhard turnover (bad pass) (Josh Hart steals) | |||
5:14 | +2 | Precious Achiuwa makes two point running dunk (Jalen Brunson assists) | 56-42 | |
4:52 | +2 | Andrew Nembhard makes two point jump shot (Pascal Siakam assists) | 58-42 | |
4:30 | Alec Burks misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
4:28 | Andrew Nembhard defensive rebound | |||
4:23 | +3 | Aaron Nesmith makes three point running jump shot (Andrew Nembhard assists) | 61-42 | |
4:06 | Miles McBride misses three point jump shot | |||
4:04 | Myles Turner defensive rebound | |||
3:49 | Pascal Siakam misses two point driving layup | |||
3:47 | Josh Hart defensive rebound | |||
3:41 | +2 | Alec Burks makes two point driving finger roll layup (Miles McBride assists) | 61-44 | |
3:41 | Andrew Nembhard shooting foul (Alec Burks draws the foul) | |||
3:41 | +1 | Alec Burks makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 61-45 | |
3:26 | Myles Turner misses two point layup | |||
3:25 | Myles Turner offensive rebound | |||
3:24 | +2 | Myles Turner makes two point putback layup | 63-45 | |
3:24 | Isaiah Hartenstein shooting foul (Myles Turner draws the foul) | |||
3:24 | +1 | Myles Turner makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 64-45 | |
3:12 | Aaron Nesmith personal foul (Jalen Brunson draws the foul) | |||
3:12 | +1 | Jalen Brunson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 64-46 | |
3:12 | +1 | Jalen Brunson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 64-47 | |
2:52 | +2 | Tyrese Haliburton makes two point stepback jump shot | 66-47 | |
2:35 | Jalen Brunson misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
2:32 | Pascal Siakam defensive rebound | |||
2:24 | Tyrese Haliburton turnover (out of bounds lost ball) | |||
2:14 | Jalen Brunson misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
2:12 | Pascal Siakam defensive rebound | |||
2:01 | +2 | Pascal Siakam makes two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | 68-47 | |
1:48 | Ben Sheppard shooting foul (Jalen Brunson draws the foul) | |||
1:48 | Jalen Brunson misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
1:48 | Knicks offensive rebound | |||
1:48 | +1 | Jalen Brunson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 68-48 | |
1:39 | Tyrese Haliburton turnover (bad pass) (Donte DiVincenzo steals) | |||
1:29 | +2 | Precious Achiuwa makes two point driving dunk (Alec Burks assists) | 68-50 | |
1:07 | Josh Hart shooting foul (Pascal Siakam draws the foul) | |||
1:07 | +1 | Pascal Siakam makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 69-50 | |
1:07 | +1 | Pascal Siakam makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 70-50 | |
0:53 | +2 | Jalen Brunson makes two point turnaround jump shot | 70-52 | |
0:53 | Myles Turner shooting foul (Jalen Brunson draws the foul) | |||
0:53 | +1 | Jalen Brunson makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 70-53 | |
0:38 | Pascal Siakam misses three point jump shot | |||
0:36 | Josh Hart defensive rebound | |||
0:25 | +2 | Donte DiVincenzo makes two point driving floating jump shot (Jalen Brunson assists) | 70-55 | |
0:07 | Pascal Siakam offensive foul (Charge) (Precious Achiuwa draws the foul) | |||
0:07 | Pascal Siakam turnover (offensive foul) | |||
0:01 | Pascal Siakam blocks Jalen Brunson's two point driving finger roll layup | |||
0:01 | Andrew Nembhard defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |