Pacers thump Knicks, send NBA East semis series to Game 7

MANILA, Philippines -- The Indiana Pacers forced a Game 7 after steamrolling the New York Knicks, 116-103, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Saturday morning (Manila time) at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Pacers took advantage of the Knicks' injury woes -- with Josh Hart leaving the game for good in the final quarter with a reported abdominal soreness -- as they battered New York.

Pascal Siakam paced Indiana with 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Myles Turner added 17 markers and eight boards.

With the two teams trading baskets early on, and with the Knicks holding a slim 46-44 lead in the second quarter with a triple by Josh Hart, the Pacers erupted with a 17-2 run led by Turner and Siakam to go up 61-48.

A 3-pointer by Donte DiVincenzo with time winding down halted the run, but it still gave Indiana a 61-51 lead going to the second half.

An 8-0 run by New York cut the lead to half, 56-61, but a 10-2 run put the game out of reach, 71-58, as the team from the Big Apple played catch up the rest of the way.

Despite the second half explosion by Jalen Brunson, the Pacers’ lead grew to as much as 23 points, 102-79, with a trey by Ben Sheppard, which ultimately shut the door on the Knicks.

Andrew Nembhard, Tyrese Haliburton and TJ McConnell provided the spark with 15 points apiece. Obi Toppin provided 11 against his former team.

Brunson, who struggled in the first half with 11 straight misses, finished with 31 points with 26 coming in the second half.

Deuce McBride added 20 points while DiVincenzo had 17 and four.

Hart had a forgettable performance with five points, eight rebounds, three assists and a block in 30 minutes of play.

New York is currently missing Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Bogdan Bogdanovic and OG Anunoby.

Game 7 is set on Monday (Manila time) at Madison Square Garden. The winner of the series will be facing the well-rested Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.