With the Indiana Pacers just one win away from a trip to the NBA Finals, the team couldn’t get it done in Game 5. The New York Knicks fought back, winning the contest 111-94 and pushing the series to 3-2.
It was a welcome sign for New York, which had mostly looked overmatched in previous games of the series. It may have also been a turning point for the Knicks, who finally have some momentum as the series shifts to Game 6.
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TNT analyst Charles Barkley may have summed it up best after Game 5, when he called Game 6 a “must-win” for the Pacers. His reasoning: If the Pacers drop two straight games and then have to go play a Game 7 in New York, the Knicks have a massive advantage.
That puts a lot of pressure on the Pacers to finish the job in Game 6. Given what’s at stake, that amount of pressure could prove overwhelming. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton won’t let that happen.
Following Indiana’s Game 5 loss, Haliburton urged his teammates to stay calm as the series heads to a Game 6, per ESPN.
“We’re a resilient group,” Haliburton said after the game. “We always want to respond when things don’t go well after a game like that. We understand what the stakes are. … We’re fine. There’s no need to panic or anything.”
That’s probably exactly what the Pacers need to hear after a disappointing performance in Game 5. Frustrations already seemed to be boiling over after the loss, as Pascal Siakam got into an awkward exchange with a reporter who questioned the Pacers’ effort during the contest.
Throughout the entire playoffs, the Pacers have thrived on their ability to be calm in tense situations. The team has pulled off multiple late-game comebacks in the postseason so far, showing poise when other teams would wilt under the pressure.
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At the center of all those comebacks is Haliburton, who has excelled most when the Pacers needed it. Given Haliburton’s late-game heroics, he’s the perfect person to tell the rest of his teammates to remain calm ahead of what should be a pressure-packed Game 6.
If they can follow that advice, there’s a good chance the Pacers will find themselves in the NBA Finals soon. If not, it’s going to be much harder to remain calm if a Game 7 in New York is on the schedule.
