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Jordan Morey

Two of the most outstanding scoring teams in NBA history will meet in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.

Starting Tuesday at TD Garden, the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics will compete in a seven-game series to advance to the NBA Finals.

PLAYOFF CENTRAL: Follow Indiana's Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>

Since opening night, the Pacers and Celtics have ranked among the top scoring squads in the NBA, dazzling audiences with their deadeye 3-point shooting, close-range craftiness, frenetic pace, and superb shotmaking abilities.

During the regular season, the Pacers led the league in scoring (123.3), field goal percentage (50.7), assists (30.8), and points in the paint (57.9) averages, while the Celtics finished first in offensive rating (122.2) and total 3-pointers made (1,351) and second in points per game (120.6).

Indiana’s 123.3 points per game are the sixth-most ever by an NBA team in a regular season, and Boston’s 120.6 ranks 22nd on the all-time list.

The 2024 Eastern Conference Finals will be just the sixth time that the top two teams by points per game in the regular season have met in the conference finals or later since the 1983-1984 season.

RELATED: Pacers at Celtics (Game 1) Preview >>

While points are harder to come by in the postseason, both teams still rank near the top in scoring for the playoffs.

The Pacers’ offense has carried into the postseason, as they rank first in points per game, putting up 114.2 on average through 13 playoff games. Indiana hasn’t lost a game at home in the playoffs, a perfect 6-0, and they kick into extra gear at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, averaging 119.2 points per game at home in the playoffs.

Seven players for the Pacers are averaging double-digit scoring in the playoffs, led by 21.1 points per game by forward Pascal Siakam, 18.8 by All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, and 17.5 by veteran center Myles Turner. After the Pacers’ star trio, Andrew Nembhard (13.0), Obi Toppin (11.0), T.J. McConnell (10.8), and Aaron Nesmith (10.5) are all also averaging 10-plus points.

Additionally, the Pacers enter Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup coming off an all-time playoff performance for any team — and on the road.

Indiana’s top offensive game thus far in Game 7 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, when they shot an NBA playoff record 67.1 percent from the field and matched their Pacers NBA franchise record for points in a playoff game by dropping 130 on the New York Knicks.

RELATED:&nbsp;Pacers Come Together for All-Time Game 7 Performance&nbsp;>>

En route to a league-best 64-18 record, the Celtics had the No. 1 overall net rating during the regular season.

Five players averaged double-digit points in the regular season for the Celtics, and that trend has continued into the playoffs, where they beat the Miami Heat in the first round and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

In the playoffs, Boston is averaging 108.1 points per game across 10 contests, shooting 48 percent and making 14.5 3-pointers per game.

In the playoffs, Boston stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continue to lead the Celtics, averaging 24.3 and 23.1 points, respectively. Guard Derrick White (18.2 points per game), 7-foot center Kristaps Porzingis (12.3 points per game), and point guard Jrue Holiday (10.4 points per game) have also consistently scored 10 or more points.

Porzingis, however, has only played in four games in the playoffs, as he injured his calf against Miami. His status for the upcoming series is questionable, and 37-year-old vet Al Horford will likely start in his place for at least the first couple games.

Both teams have seen their scoring go down a tick in the playoffs, but there’s reason to believe there could be some big outbursts in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the regular season, it required at least 122 points to come out with a win in the Pacers-Celtics series.

Boston won the regular season series 3-2 over Indiana, beating the Blue & Gold 155-104 on Nov. 1, 118-101 on Jan. 6, and 129-124 on Jan. 30. Indiana’s wins came in the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals on Dec. 4 (122-112) and again in Indianapolis on Jan. 8 (133-131).

The Pacers will need to find better ways to slow down Tatum and Brown in Eastern Conference Finals after the two combined for nearly 61 points per game against the Pacers during the regular season.

Tatum averaged 32.5 points against the Pacers in four games played and Brown scored 28.4 points per game across five contests, including a 40-point outing on Jan. 8.

One offensive metric to note in the series is that the Pacers are 2-0 against the Celtics this season when they make more 3-pointers in a game, but 0-3 when Boston makes more from deep.

While most of the Pacers’ players perform close to their typical averages in games against the Celtics, one player in particular — Aaron Nesmith — has elevated his game consistently against Boston.

Nesmith, who was traded from Boston to Indiana in the summer of 2022, has averaged 14.8 points on 50 percent shooting and 4.4 rebounds per game against his former team this season.

Also of note for the Pacers, Siakam only played in one of the Pacers’ games against the Celtics after he was traded to Indiana from Toronto in January. In his lone outing against Boston, on Jan. 30, Siakam logged 23 points and six rebounds.

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High-powered Offenses Headline Eastern Conference Finals Showdown between Pacers and Celtics

Wheat Hotchkiss

Tuesday, May 21 at 8:00 PM ET at TD Garden

For the first time in 10 years, the Pacers are in the Eastern Conference Finals. After knocking off third-seeded Milwaukee and second-seeded New York in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the sixth-seeded Pacers will now square off with the top-seeded Boston Celtics in a best-of-seven series, with the winner advancing to the NBA Finals.

Indiana is coming off an all-time great performance on Sunday in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, where they set an NBA playoff record for field goal percentage, making 67.1 percent of their shots in a 130-109 win over the Knicks.

PLAYOFF CENTRAL:&nbsp;Follow Indiana's Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>

Six players scored in double figures in the victory, with All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton leading the way with 26 points and six assists. Indiana got big contributions from its veterans, as Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, Myles Turner had 17 and blocked four shots, and T.J. McConnell tallied 12 points and seven assists of the bench. The Blue & Gold's young defensive-minded duo of Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, meanwhile, combined for 39 points on 16-of-18 shooting.

"We have a historic offense, obviously, but this guy (Haliburton) got things rolling and just everybody kind of followed suit," Turner said. "To do that on the road, here in the Garden, in Game 7, is phenomenal, but this is what we’ve been doing all season long and we were able to do it on the biggest stage."

RELATED: Pacers Come Together for All-Time Game 7 Performance >>

As great as the Pacers played to close out the series with the Knicks, they will face an even stiffer test this round against the Celtics. Boston was far away the top team in the East in the regular season, compiling a 64-18 record and finishing 14 games ahead of second-place New York. The Celtics ranked second in the NBA in the regular season in offensive rating (118.9 points per 100 possessions), third in defensive rating (106.1) and first in net rating (outscoring opponents by 12.8 points per 100 possessions).

Boston has a strong claim to the best starting five in the league. All-Star forwards Jayson Tatum (26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game in the regular season) and Jaylen Brown (23 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists) lead the way, but the Celtics all have three more All-Star caliber players in center Kristaps Porzingis (20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks), and guards Derrick White (15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists) and Jrue Holiday (12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists).

The Celtics won each of their first two series in five games, defeating Miami in the first round Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Porzingis sustained a calf injury in Game 4 against the Heat and has not played since. He may return at some point in the Eastern Conference Finals, but is expected to miss at least the first two games of the series.

As good as the Celtics were in the regular season, the Pacers did beat them twice, including in the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals on Dec. 4. Both those victories came at home and prior to Indiana's mid-season trade for Siakam.

While the Pacers flew directly to Boston on Sunday night, the Celtics have been off since closing out their series with the Cavaliers on Wednesday. As good as Boston looked in the first two rounds, it did drop one of the first two games of each series at home against both Miami and Cleveland.

One storyline in this series will be Nesmith returning to Boston to face his former team. The Celtics drafted the 6-6 forward out of Vanderbilt with the 14th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Nesmith spent his first two years in Boston and was part of the team that reached the 2022 NBA Finals, but he had a limited role playing behind Tatum and Brown.

The Celtics traded Nesmith to Indiana in the summer of 2022 and he has flourished in his two seasons with the Blue & Gold, where he has been a two-year starter who takes on the toughest defensive assignments and knocks down shots on the offensive end. Nesmith averaged a career-best 12.1 points and 3.8 rebounds this season while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from 3-point range.

The deal worked out well for both sides, as Boston acquired Malcolm Brogdon from Indiana. Brogdon was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2022-23, then was used as one of the centerpieces in the traded that brought Holiday to the Celtics last offseason.

Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Aaron Nesmith, F - Pascal Siakam, C - Myles Turner

Celtics: G - Jrue Holiday, G - Derrick White, F - Jaylen Brown, F - Jayson Tatum, C - Al Horford

Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin - out (right shoulder labral tear)

Celtics: Xavier Tillman - questionable (personal reasons), Kristaps Porzingis - out (right soleus strain)

Jan. 30, 2024: The Pacers withstood a scorching-hot first half from the Celtics, battled back from a 20-point deficit, and even briefly retook the lead for one possession in the third quarter. But they didn't have quite enough to pull off the comeback, as the Celtics held on for a 129-124 win in Boston.

Seven Pacers finished in double figures, led by Aaron Nesmith, who tallied 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting (4-of-7 from 3-point range), 12 rebounds, and seven assists against the team that drafted him.

Pascal Siakam added 23 points and six rebounds, while Myles Turner scored 17 for the Blue & Gold.

All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton returned to the lineup after missing the past five games and 10 of the last 11 contests with a strained left hamstring. Haliburton played 22 minutes and recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists while going 5-for-16 from the field (1-for-5 from 3-point range). On a minutes restriction, Haliburton did not play in the fourth quarter, subbing out for the final time with 4:42 remaining in the third.

Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 30 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists, going 12-for-19 from the field and 4-for-9 from 3-point range. Jaylen Brown added 25 points and six rebounds, Derrick White tallied 24 points and five assists, while Jrue Holiday stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, five boards, four assists, three blocks, and a steal. Kristaps Porzingis recorded a double-double for the Celtics with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)

TV: ESPN/ESPN2 - Mike Breen (play-by-play), Doris Burke (analyst), JJ Redick (analyst), Lisa Salters (sideline reporter)

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (studio host)

Single game tickets for the Eastern Conference Finals will go on sale on Tuesday, May 21 at 4:00 PM ET. To sign up for presale access or guarantee playoff seats by placing a deposit on a 2024-25 season ticket plan, please visit Pacers.com/Playoffs.

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Game Preview: Pacers at Celtics (Game 1)

NEW YORK — As the Pacers knocked down shot after shot in the first half on Sunday, you could feel the growing frustration in the crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Throughout the first three games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in New York, the home crowd had grown accustomed to erupting every time the Knicks went on a run. But in the first half of Game 7, the run never came because the Pacers essentially never missed a shot.

Indiana went 16-for-21 from the field and 7-for-9 from 3-point range in the first quarter to open up a 39-27 lead. The Blue & Gold then scored on their first eight possessions of the second quarter, pushing the margin as high as 22 points.

The Knicks fans tried their best to keep up the energy, rising to their feet at one point after a stop as Jalen Brunson brought the ball up the court with his team down 20. After a bucket, they chanted “DEF-ENSE” with as much gusto as they could muster.

But the Pacers just...kept...hitting...shots.

After the Knicks cut the lead to 56-42 with five minutes remaining in the first half, Andrew Nembhard hit a midrange jumper. On the next possession, Nembhard dished to Aaron Nesmith for a 3-pointer.

A minute later, Myles Turner converted a three-point play. Then Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam knocked down jumpers on the next two possessions. Just like that, the lead was back to 21.

Each time the ball fell through the net in the latter stages of the first half, the home crowd let out an audible sigh. The groaning grew louder with each successive miss.

The Pacers shot 76.3 percent from the field in the first half on their way to a 130-109 victory to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the ninth time in franchise history and the first time since 2014.

Sixth-seeded Indiana has now knocked off third seed Milwaukee and second seed New York and will now face top seed Boston for a spot in the NBA Finals.

"I just told our team when you win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, you've made history," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "It’s very, very difficult to do. This is the most raucous crowd in the NBA that I’ve seen."

It’s hard to adequately put into words just exactly what the Pacers did on Sunday. On the biggest stage, on the road, in a Game 7 they shot 67.1 percent from the field. That is the best field goal percentage by any team in any game in the history of the NBA playoffs.

The Pacers knew that as good as they played in the first half, the Knicks were going to make a run over the final two quarters. That run came right out of the gates at the start of the third quarter.

The Knicks scored the first seven points of the second half, drawing within eight on Donte DiVincenzo’s 3-pointer just 2:27 into the third quarter. Haliburton hit a three on the other end to put the Pacers’ first points of the half on the board, but Brunson countered with a trey of his own and then Josh Hart converted a layup that made it 73-67 less than four minutes into the half.

The Pacers kept their composure. Back-to-back baskets from Nembhard and Nesmith pushed the lead back to 10. DiVincenzo hit another three to make it 77-70.

Aaron Nesmith darted in front of a Miles McBride pass, starting a break that ended with Haliburton driving and kicking to Turner for a three from the left wing. On the next possession, Haliburton poked a Brunson pass away. T.J. McConnell scooped it up and threw ahead to Haliburton for a layup.

The Knicks took a timeout at this point. The Pacers pressed after the stoppage and forced a five-second violation. The Pacers capitalized, with Nesmith scoring on a layup six seconds later.

In the next minute, Nesmith hit a jumper and then McConnell did what he does, stealing Isaiah Hartenstein’s inbounds pass and whipping a dish over his shoulder to Nesmith, who converted a reverse layup through contact for an and-one.

That was all part of a 16-4 run that pushed the lead back to 93-74. The Blue & Gold never looked back, cruising to the franchise's most consequential playoff win in a decade.

"We knew they were going to make their run," Nesmith said of the weathering the storm from the Knicks at the start of the third quarter. "We knew it was going to get loud in this building. We hadn’t responded well to that in previous games, so that was a big point of emphasis for us and we responded the right way today."

The Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in fitting style, getting significant contributions from up and down the roster.

Haliburton, Indiana's lone All-Star, led the way with 26 points and six assists. He scored 14 points in the first quarter alone and finished the night 10-for-17 from the field and 6-for-12 from 3-point range.

With so much focus this postseason on Haliburton's aggression and shot attempts, he was aggressive in all the right spots on Sunday. He had a personal 8-0 run late in the first quarter, hitting a turnaround jumper and then two threes on three straight possessions.

"Today was Game 7, unload the clip and have no regrets," Haliburton said of his mindset.

"Tyrese Haliburton is a great basketball player," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "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...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."

Siakam, the Pacers' big trade acquisition, came through with 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

Like he has so many times this postseason, the veteran forward and only player on the roster to have won an NBA championship was a calming presence, someone they could throw the ball to and know that he would go get a bucket.

"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," Turner said.

"This ain't a surprise for us," Haliburton added. "It’s no fluke. We expect this from our group, and once we added (Siakam) we knew we really could take off."

Turner, the longest tenured Pacer, tallied 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, five rebounds, and four blocks.

The 6-11 big man was drafted with the 11th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and has been through all the ups and downs of the franchise over the last nine seasons. He made the playoffs in each of his first five seasons with the Blue & Gold, but never got out of the first round (twice losing a Game 7 on the road). He was one constant as the franchise overhauled the roster over the last three years.

Making the Eastern Conference Finals was especially sweet for Turner, who had a long embrace with his family after the buzzer and was as giddy as a school kid in the postgame locker room.

"For me, personally, I can sit here and say a lot of things, but obviously it’s a long time coming," Turner said. "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."

Perhaps no players embody the idea of having no ego better than Nesmith and Nembhard. The fourth and fifth starters take on the biggest defensive assignments night after night and often defer on the offensive end, where the majority of shots and touches go to the trio of Haliburton, Siakam, and Turner.

Nesmith and Nembhard were sensational on Sunday in Game 7, going a combined 16-for-18 from the field. Nembhard — whose 34-foot 3-pointer in Game 3 gave the Pacers their first win of the season — scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting while also tallying five rebounds and six assists. Nesmith — who took over the primary assignment of guarding the Knicks' star Brunson midway through the series — tallied 19 points and four boards while going 8-for-8 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3-point range.

"I love Drew, just the way he plays the game," Siakam said. "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."

Off the bench, McConnell was once again excellent, flying all over the floor on his way to 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting, seven rebounds, and a steal. Third-year big man Isaiah Jackson came through with nine points, while forward Obi Toppin and rookie guard Ben Sheppard made key contributions like they have all series.

"We have the best bench in the NBA," Haliburton declared after the victory. "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."

By advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers will also be playing late enough in May to overlap with the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 2014. The schedule couldn't work out any better for Indiana fans, as the Pacers will host Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, the 108th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" will be on Sunday, and then Game 4 will be on Monday night at the Fieldhouse.

"There’s a lot of exciting things going on in Indiana right now," Haliburton said. "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."

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Pacers Come Together for All-Time Game 7 Performance

Sunday, May 19 at 3:30 PM ET at Madison Square Garden

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Game Recap: Pacers 130, Knicks 109

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 compliment 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 & Gold by the break.

In the first quarter, the Blue & 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).&nbsp;

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&nbsp;– 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.&nbsp;

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 & 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.&nbsp;

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 & Gold went in front 64-45.&nbsp;

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.&nbsp;

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 & 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.&nbsp;During the regular season, the Celtics went 3-2 against the Pacers.

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Tyrese Haliburton: 'All series we just found a way' to beat Knicks

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.

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Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability at New York Knicks (Game 7) | May 19, 2024

“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.” –&nbsp; 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.”&nbsp; – 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 …&nbsp; 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&nbsp;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&nbsp;reaching the Eastern Conference Finals

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).

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.

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Game Rewind: Pacers 130, Knicks 109 (Game 7)

The NBA has announced the schedule for the Pacers' Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics. Sixth-seeded Indiana advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after knocking off second-seeded New York in Game 7 on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

It is the Pacers' ninth appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals and their first since 2014.

Game 1 will take place in Boston on Tuesday, May 21. The Celtics will also host Game 2 on Thursday, May 23, before series shifts to Indianapolis for a memorable Memorial Day Weekend.

The Pacers will host Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, May 25 at 8:30 PM ET. After a day off (which happens to coincide with the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500), Indiana will host Game 4 on Monday, May 27 at 8:00 PM ET.

If necessary, Game 5 would be in Boston on Wednesday, May 29. Gainbridge Fieldhouse would host a potential Game 6 on Friday, May 31. And Game 7 would be at TD Garden on Sunday, June 2.

All games in the series will air on the ESPN family of networks (ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC). Every game in the series is scheduled for 8:00 PM ET with the exception of Game 3, which will tip off at 8:30 PM ET.

The Pacers and Celtics met five times in the regular season, with Indiana taking two games and Boston winning three. The Pacers defeated Boston 122-112 in the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and also gutted out a 133-131 victory at home on Jan. 8. The Celtics prevailed in both meetings in Boston  on Nov. 1 and Jan. 30 and also won a game in Indianapolis on Jan. 6.

Single game tickets for Games 3, 4, and 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will go on sale soon. Fans can visit Pacers.com/Playoffs to purchase tickets, sign up for exclusive presale access, and guarantee playoff seats by placing a deposit on a 2024-25 season ticket plan.

The complete schedule for the Eastern Conference Finals is listed below.

Series Schedule: #6 Indiana vs. #1 Boston

nba-announces-schedule-for-eastern-conference-finals-between-pacers-and-celtics

NBA Announces Schedule for Eastern Conference Finals between Pacers and Celtics

It all comes down to this. The 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Pacers and Knicks has gone the distance and will come down to a decisive Game 7 on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

The winner will advance to face the top-seeded Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, which begin on Tuesday in Boston. The loser's season will be over.

The Pacers forced a Game 7 thanks to a 116-103 win on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse where they played at a fever pitch from start to finish. After head coach Rick Carlisle called out his team's effort in a 30-point drubbing in Game 5 on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, the Blue & Gold responded by outhustling the Knicks on Friday.

Indiana outscored New York 62-38 in points in the paint and outrebounded the Knicks 47-35, a drastic turnaround from Game 5, when the Knicks outscored Indiana by 26 points in the paint and outrebounded the Pacers by 24.

While the Knicks' move to a smaller starting lineup — inserting 6-1 guard Miles McBride into the first unit in place of 6-8 forward Precious Achiuwa — was highly effective in Game 5, the Pacers found ways to counteract it on Friday, by attacking the rim and working the ball into 6-8 forward Pascal Siakam in the post, where he was being guarded by a player 6-4 or shorter.

Siakam had 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists to lead six Pacers in double figures.

The home team has won all six games so far in this series, but the Pacers only need to buck that trend once to advance. Still, it will be a tall task in the rowdy environment of Madison Square Garden, especially for a young Pacers team with limited playoff experience.

Of the players on the roster, only Siakam and veteran center Myles Turner have received significant minutes in a Game 7 before. For All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton (as well as other rotational players Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, and Isaiah Jackson), this is his first playoffs.

“It’s the ultimate game," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "This is a great opportunity…This team’s been through a lot of new experiences over the last three-and-a-half weeks and this will be another new one. We’ll do everything possible to get them ready, but in Game 7s it comes down to compete level and how well you’re tied together.”

One storyline to watch heading into Sunday is the health of Knicks forward Josh Hart, who was treated for abdominal soreness during Game 6 and ultimately removed from the game early in the fourth quarter.

Knicks: G - Jalen Brunson, G - Miles McBride, F - Donte DiVincenzo, F - Josh Hart, C - Isaiah Hartenstein

Knicks: OG Anunoby - questionable (left hamstring strain), Josh Hart - questionable (strained abdominal), Bojan Bogdanovic - out&nbsp;(left foot surgery), Julius Randle - out (right shoulder surgery), Mitchell Robinson - out (left ankle stress injury)

May 17, 2024: The Pacers used a 17-2 run in the second quarter to open a lead they never relinquished the rest of the way in a 116-103 victory over the Knicks on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 25 points on 11-of-21 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals. With the Knicks utilizing a small-ball starting lineup that essentially features four guards, the Blue & Gold worked the offense through their 6-8 swingman.

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