Cyclones in the NBA: Eastern Conference Finals Recap

The NBA Finals are set. The Oklahoma City Thunder, the West's number one seed, led by star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are set to face the Indiana Pacers, the four seed in the East, led by former Cyclone star Tyrese Haliburton.

Both stars have led their respective squads to their franchise's second-ever NBA Finals appearance. For Oklahoma City, it's the team's first appearance in the Finals since 2013 when they fell 4-1 to the Heat. Indiana, on the other hand, is making its first appearance since 2000 when it fell to the Lakers, 2-4. Either way, one team will exit with its first-ever championship.

NBA FINALS BOUND!

Tyrese and the Pacers are headed to the NBA Finals! #NBA | #C5C | #NBAClones pic.twitter.com/zCbqYHUatG
— Iowa State Men's Basketball (@CycloneMBB) June 1, 2025

Haliburton has continued to be magnificent for the Pacers, as his play has been the engine that has made the team go. Tyrese has helped guide the four-seeded Pacers to their second-ever Eastern Conference Finals, as Indiana has defeated (5) Milwaukee, (1) Cleveland and (3) New York to make it back to the NBA Finals.

After taking care of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in five games in round one, Tyrese and the Pacers followed it up by dethroning the NBA's best record and the East's number one overall seed, Cleveland. After handling its first two series in five games, the Pacers dispatched of New York in six, marking the second-straight season that Indiana has ended the Knicks' season.

Indiana, which boasts one of, if not the best offense in the game, will face off against the league's best defense in the Thunder. The Pacers lead the league in effective field goal percentage, assist-to-turnover ratio, assist ratio, and assist percentage, all of which have helped produce a 117.7 offensive rating. Tyrese Haliburton will look to keep the Indiana offense humming against the toughest team in the league. In two meetings during the regular season, Indiana fell to OKC twice by an average of 13.5 points.

Tyrese Haliburton vs. New York
Game 1 – IND 138, NYK 135 (OT) (IND leads, 1-0)
Game one of the series featured one of the greatest playoff comebacks in league history, as the Pacers overcame a 14-point deficit with 2:40 remaining to force overtime on a miraculous Haliburton shot to eventually win in overtime. Aaron Nesmith would bury six triples in the final 4:45 for Indiana before Haliburton nearly won it with a long two at the buzzer. In overtime, Indiana found a way to escape the Garden with a three-point win. Haliburton finished game one with 31 points and 11 assists, but no shot was bigger than his buzzer-beating, high-bouncing, game-tying hoist. Over the last 27 postseasons, teams were 0-970 when they trailed by 14 or more points in the final 2:50 of regulation prior to Indiana's comeback.

31 Points.
11 Assists.

Game 1 Dub in the Garden! #Cyclones | #C5C | #NBAClones

pic.twitter.com/MvzXmVv7cP
— Iowa State Men's Basketball (@CycloneMBB) May 22, 2025

In the middle of games one and two, the NBA announced its All-NBA selections. Making his second appearance in as many years, Tyrese earned All-NBA Third Team, cementing himself as one of the game's best.

Game 2 – IND 114, NYK 109 (IND leads, 2-0)
For the second consecutive series, Indiana took games one and two on the road, as it downed the Knicks by five behind a 39-point Pascal Siakam performance. Outside of Siakam, who was 15-23, no other member of the high-scoring Pacer offense recorded more than five made baskets. Tyrese put forth another stellar statline the day he was named an All-NBA player, as he just missed on a triple-double with 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Game 3 – NYK 106, IND 100 (IND leads, 2-1)
In its first home game of the ECF, the Pacers were given a taste of their own medicine, as the Knicks rallied from 20 points down in the late second quarter to steal a game in Indy and push the series to 2-1. Indiana, which was 0-3 all-time in games played on the same day as the Indy 500, looked in a good spot to snap the streak, but a 20-point explosion by New York's Karl-Anthony Towns in the fourth quarter quelled all hopes. Tyrese finished game three with 20 points, seven assists and three steals in 37 minutes of action.

Game 4 – IND 130, NYK 121 (IND leads, 3-1)
Despite his game one heroics, Haliburton's best game of the series came in game four, as he was masterful on offense and helped the Pacers take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Haliburton's offensive masterpiece coincided with the reinstatement of his father, John, who was allowed back into Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time since the opening round. Tyrese finished with a game-high 32 points to go along with 15 assists and 12 rebounds, marking his second career playoff triple-double, all without turning the ball over. Nikola Jokic and Oscar Robertson are the only other players to post 30 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a playoff game, while Haliburton is the only one to put up such a statline with no turnovers since the stat was first tracked back in the late 70s.

Tyrese Haliburton of the @Pacers is the first player in NBA history to have:

30+ points
15+ assists
10+ rebounds
5+ threes made
0 turnovers

...in any game, regular season or playoffs. pic.twitter.com/LApIICZmZK
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 28, 2025

Game 5 – NYK 111, IND 94 (IND leads, 3-2)
For the first time in the series, New York won on its home floor, as it was able to hold Haliburton in check and claw back into series contention. The Knicks staved off elimination by getting a double-double from Towns and a game-high 32 points from Jalen Brunson. NYK was able to limit Tyrese to just eight points and six assists, his lowest marks in any game all series.

Game 6 – IND 125, NYK 108 (IND wins series, 4-2)
After 25 years of waiting, Tyrese Haliburton has taken Indiana back to the NBA Finals for just the second time in program history. Haliburton closed things out for the Pacers, scoring 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as he helped put the Knicks to bed and end their season as part of a 17-point game six victory. Haliburton finished with 21 points and 13 assists – the fourth game of the series, he's had both double-figure assists and points. Both times Indiana has gone to the Finals, it's defeated the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Haliburton's ECF Stats: 21.0 PPG, 10.5 APG, 6.0 RPG
Haliburton's Playoff Stats: 18.8 PPG, 9.8 APG, 5.4 RPG
NBA Finals Schedule:
Game 1: Thunder vs. Pacers (Thurs. June 5, 7:30 CT, ABC)
Game 2: Thunder vs. Pacers (Sun. June 8, 7 CT, ABC)
Game 3: Pacers vs. Thunder (Wed. June 11, 7:30 CT, ABC)
Game 4: Pacers vs. Thunder (Fri. June 13, 7:30 CT, ABC)
Game 5: Thunder vs. Pacers (Mon. June 16, 7:30 CT, ABC)*
Game 6: Pacers vs. Thunder (Thurs. June 19, 7:30 CT, ABC)*
Game 7: Thunder vs. Pacers (Sun. June 22, 7 CT, ABC)*
*if necessary

Iowa State University Athletics

Cyclones in the NBA: Eastern Conference Finals Recap

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