Insane Pacers stat highlights X-factor in Knicks Game 7 blowout

Looking at every Indiana player who saw action on the court, all but one finished with an above-50% field goal percentage. Aaron Nesmith and Isaiah Jackson were perfect from the floor. They may have only shot the ball 11 times (combined), but they made sure all those attempts resulted in points. Andrew Nembhard followed with an 8-of-10 (80%) statline. Then there’s TJ McConnell, who shot 75% off the bench. Myles Turner (63.6%) and Ben Sheppard (66.7%) also oozed efficiency.

Of course, Indiana’s stars played their part as well. Tyrese Haliburton was 10-of-17 (58.8%) from the floor, shooting 50% from downtown. He finished with 26 points and six assists to ensure that Pacers fans would watch their team in the ECF again after a decade-long wait. Pascal Siakam added 20 points on 8-of-15 (53.3%) shooting from the field.

More on the Pacers’ Game 7 win

As a team, Indiana made 13 out of their 24 attempts (54.2%) from downtown. While they did miss a number of free throws, it didn’t matter, as the squad’s firepower more than made up for it. In the rebounding department, it was a team effort. No player grabbed more than five boards each, but the Pacers somehow managed to outrebound the Knicks, 45-38. Indiana also finished with a total of 33 assists; seven came from McConnell, while Haliburton and Nembhard had six each. On the defensive end, the team tallied nine blocks, four of which came from Turner.

The game was close in the opening minutes, but the Pacers would rally to put themselves up by 12 after the first period. The momentum would continue in the second quarter, as Indiana scored basket after basket to keep themselves in front by double digits at the half.

In the third, New York would trim the lead to as low as six, but that was the nearest they’d get to catching up. The Pacers broke away once again, and it didn’t help that Jalen Brunson’s night ended with a fractured hand. The Pacers cruised the rest of the way, finishing with a 130-109 win in front of an anguished Madison Square Garden.

After the game, Haliburton wore a Reggie Miller hoodie, highlighting how the series reignited the Pacers-Knicks rivalry of the 90s. That’ll surely spark more ire from New Yorkers, but that’s what makes the whole thing exciting. Future clashes between both squads will undoubtedly be fireworks, but for now, Indiana takes the spotlight.

The Pacers will be facing the Boston Celtics in the ECF, and Game 1 tips off on Tuesday.