The Indiana Pacers have been accepting everything about reaching the NBA Finals since 2000.
Indiana defeated the New York Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals to end the game with a 125-108 victory on Saturday night. Indiana will accept NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, which begins Thursday (8:30 ET).
The Pacers’ Victory is a book where seven players led by Pascal Siakam scored in double figures, who scored 31 points, were appointed Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Tyrese Haliburton dominated the second half and scored 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Haliburton is the third player to score more than 60 assists and 10 or fewer turnovers in the series, joining Chris Paul and Tim Hardaway, according to ESPN Research. He was the first player to achieve his feat in the finals.
Indiana's finals road is not easy - both on and off the court.
So once the Pacers earned the Oriental Conference championship in the bag, their social media team and Halliburton wouldn’t give up on the Knicks and their shared history, instead landed some worthwhile social media jabs.
Pacers pack up New York
The Pacers have a long history of defeating the Knicks in the 21st century playoffs. They accomplished this feat in 2000, 2013, 2024 and 2025.
To show their dominance over New York in the playoffs, the Pacers gave up the graphics, highlighting their series won the Empire State Building and 73-storey No. 1 Vanderbilt Tower in the Knicks, behind five games at Indiana.
For so long, New York.
We will bring our duffel bags to the NBA Finals😏 pic.twitter.com/v76x8kdpjc
— Indiana Pacers (@pacers) June 1, 2025
"Big Apple"
The Pacers also sent an article with sports pages from various newspapers in each game, they beat the Knicks while also shooting on New York’s nickname “Big Apple.”
Start spreading news 📰 pic.twitter.com/ymcsuun39t
— Indiana Pacers (@pacers) June 1, 2025
Halliburton is the new Miller
In Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, Pacers guard Reggie Miller made a notorious suffocation gesture to director and Knicks fan Spike Lee at Madison Square Garden. Twenty-five years later, Haliburton reappeared Game 1 gesture in Game 1, in which the Pacers trailed by 14 points but still had 2:51. The Pacers’ social media team is about to pay attention soon.
Halliburton went to Ben Stiller
Actor Ben Stiller is known for his appearances and support on social media. In Haliburton's arrival in Game 6, he was dressed in all-black clothes with a black duffel bag. Stiller responded to pre-game post-game, saying: “He brought his luggage to New York.”
Halliburton's response after the game?
"No, I want to pack you guys," the Knicks pointed.
No, I want to package everyone https://t.co/hhgo9fp8ib
- Tyrese Haliburton (@Tyhaliburton22) June 1, 2025
Halliburton and New York
Knicks fans were ruthless about their antics during the playoffs — even hours after the Knicks beat the Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, even wore Halliburton jerseys on New York Street, threw garbage bags at Pacers fans and were bothered by wearing Halliburton jerseys on New York streets.
Haliburton actually invited the Accosted fan to play Game 4 in Indianapolis. He also kept the receipt and put the reels on the highlights in the series.
'cers in 6 pic.twitter.com/ccjasm1qnf
- Tyrese Haliburton (@Tyhaliburton22) June 1, 2025