Thibs' rotation, Haliburton's comeback? What to watch for Knicks-Pacers crucial Game 6

The Eastern Conference finals are heading to Game 6 successful Indianapolis with the Indiana Pacers starring the bid 3-2, mounting up a accidental for them to scope the NBA Finals for the archetypal clip since 2000.

But successful their mode stands the gritty Knicks, who, aft losing 2 games astatine Madison Square Garden and 1 connected the road, extended their accidental astatine a comeback Thursday by defeating the Pacers for the archetypal clip successful New York this series.

Our NBA insiders interruption down the astir important things to ticker heading into this important Game 6, including however the Pacers tin adjacent retired the bid and what choices the Knicks and manager Tom Thibodeau request to marque to unit a Game 7 backmost successful MSG.

How we got here

When the Pacers won Game 1 of this bid with a 17-point fourth-quarter comeback astatine Madison Square Garden, it wasn't astonishing this best-of-seven matter would extremity up this way: with the Pacers holding a 3-2 bid pb and a accidental astatine an NBA Finals berth. The Pacers person mostly controlled the tally of play, repeatedly attacking the Knicks defensively -- Jalen Brunson, successful peculiar -- and with outstanding performances from Tyrese Haliburton, particularly a spectacular 32-point, 15-assist, no-turnover crippled successful Game 4. That publication flipped successful Game 5, erstwhile New York led wire-to-wire to nonstop the bid to a Game 6. -- Tim Bontemps

The Pacers volition scope their archetypal NBA Finals since 2000 if ______.

Haliburton bounces back. After 1 of the astir awesome performances for a constituent defender successful playoff past successful Game 4, Haliburton enactment up a dud successful Game 5.

As Haliburton goes, truthful spell the Pacers. It has been existent each play -- they are 30-3 (regular play and playoffs) erstwhile Haliburton scores much than 20 points -- and particularly during the playoffs. He's averaging 21.3 points connected 47.7% shooting successful their 11 wins this postseason, compared with 11.5 points and 39% successful their 4 losses. In Game 5, Haliburton scored 8 points.

Haliburton's constituent totals don't often archer the full communicative due to the fact that of the mode his passing unlocks the Pacers' offense, but helium acknowledged helium needs to beryllium much assertive successful Game 6, and helium vowed to bash more.

"I've got to beryllium better," Haliburton said Thursday night. "And I volition beryllium amended successful Game 6." -- Jamal Collier

Who is the biggest X origin that needs to measurement up successful Game 6?

Aaron Nesmith changeable 1-for-8 and played conscionable 16 minutes successful Game 5 for the Pacers, and helium admitted afterward that his ankle isn't 100 percent. But he's a important contributor connected some ends, arsenic a spacer connected discourtesy (50% 3-point shooting successful the playoffs) and by acold the team's champion enactment to support Jalen Brunson. Indiana indispensable anticipation helium tin look healthier and play much successful Game 6.

For the Knicks, the biggest X origin is Brunson's defense. Indiana has targeted him each series, and helium was repeatedly torched successful Game 4; erstwhile Brunson guarded shot screens that led straight to a shot, foul oregon turnover successful that game, Indiana scored a whopping 1.53 points per play, according to GeniusIQ. But successful Game 5, the Pacers weren't capable to people Brunson arsenic efficaciously and scored conscionable 0.83 points per nonstop pick. It was Brunson's archetypal affirmative antiaircraft crippled of the series, according to Net Points -- and New York hopes helium tin proviso a akin effort successful Game 6 on with his accustomed violative excellence. -- Zach Kram

The astir important determination Tom Thibodeau should see for Game 6 is ____.

His rotation, and simply continuing to beryllium flexible with it. No, that isn't precisely what he's known for, but it has been a redeeming grace for him and the Knicks successful this series.

One crushed New York was capable to unit Game 6 is that the nine yet wasn't hindered by Towns' foul occupation successful the 2nd fractional Thursday. When helium picked up his 4th foul -- and Thibodeau rapidly audibled by plugging successful highly disruptive halfway Mitchell Robinson -- the Pacers opted to foul the mediocre free-throw-shooting large antheral intentionally. It was the 1 clip that New York perchance looked successful information of faltering, arsenic its 20-point pb from earlier successful the crippled shrank to a 10-point advantage.

But Thibodeau subbed successful seldom utilized large antheral Precious Achiuwa, and the Knicks went connected a 12-0 tally soon after, extending the pb to 22. Thibodeau has recovered occurrence passim this bid erstwhile going to reserves specified arsenic Delon Wright and Landry Shamet, base-level defenders who tin clasp up against a potent Indiana offense. -- Chris Herring

Game 7 astatine the Garden would beryllium ____.

Electric. Last year, these 2 teams played an enthralling seven-game series, but by the extremity of the archetypal 4th of that Game 7 astatine MSG, New York was down 4 starters. Julius Randle, Robinson, Brunson and OG Anunoby were sidelined with injuries, turning the last 3 quarters into small much than a formality. If the Knicks tin unit the bid backmost to New York -- which, to beryllium clear, is simply a gangly bid considering the advantages Indiana has enjoyed for the bulk of this matter -- determination won't beryllium immoderate much exhilarating spot to beryllium connected the satellite than the World's Most Famous Arena astatine 8 p.m. ET connected Monday. It's amusive to deliberation about, but the Knicks inactive person an atrocious batch of enactment to bash to marque that a reality. -- Bontemps