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Brunson and Haliburton face off as the Knicks take on the Pacers.
Game 6 is set for tonight in Indianapolis.
**5 TOPICS IN TODAY’S ISSUE 🏀**
May 31, 2025
**Game 6 Preview in Two Minutes: Knicks and Pacers ready for their seventh playoff battle in this intense rivalry.**
**Next Challenge:** The Knicks avoided elimination at home. Can they repeat that success on the road?
**Home Court Advantage:** The Pacers strive to wrap up the series on their home turf, aiming for their first trip to the Finals since 2000.
**Brunson & KAT:** This dynamic duo has put the Knicks just two wins away from the Finals in their inaugural playoff campaign together.
**WNBA Friday Highlights:** A’ja shines, the Liberty and Lynx remain undefeated, the Dream are on fire, and the Sun secure their first victory.
### 1. GAME 6 PREPARATION IN TWO MINUTES
Every Game 6 comes with high stakes – with one team securing a win and the other facing elimination.
Tonight’s showdown at 8 PM ET on TNT between the Pacers and Knicks, two historic foes who have already delivered an epic series, carries even greater intensity.
This marks their ninth playoff encounter, and the seventh to go at least six games to find a winner. The series so far has seen the Knicks and Pacers evenly split their prior Game 6 matchups at 3-3.
**Indy’s Momentum:** The Pacers come into Game 6 having captured their last three Game 6 encounters with the Knicks over the past quarter-century.
**Road to Recovery:** The Knicks triumphed in the first three Game 6 meetings against Indiana, with circumstances similar to tonight’s scenario.
In both the 1994 and 1995 playoffs, the Knicks clinched Game 6 in Indiana when their season was on the brink – the same situation they face this evening.
Can New York’s star duo perform under pressure once again and return the series to The Garden? They’ve been solid on the road this postseason, with a 6-2 record, including a victory in Indiana during Game 3.
Or will Indiana rebound from Thursday’s defeat and secure their first Finals appearance since 2000 in front of their eager fans?
**The game is just hours away.**
### 2. KNICKS AIM TO COMPLETE PHASE TWO OF A 3-1 RECOVERY
New York has demonstrated outstanding determination in this postseason, marking a historic achievement as the first team to overcome a deficit of 20+ points three times in a single playoff run.
Now, they set their sights on another monumental comeback, hoping to join the ranks of just 13 teams in playoff history who have recovered from a 3-1 series deficit.
To achieve this, they must successfully execute the following three phases:
Among the first 296 teams that have faced such a 3-1 deficit, 100 share the same circumstances as the Knicks – with Games 5 and 7 at home and Game 6 on the road. Note that this excludes the 3-1 situations from the 2020 playoffs.
The 1995 Knicks are among the 17 teams that managed to complete the initial two phases but could not finish the third, losing to the Pacers at home during Game 7 of the Eastern Semifinals.
Now, the Knicks look to build on their success from Game 5 and hand the Pacers consecutive losses for the first time since early March.
### 3. PACERS LOOK TO REGAIN MOMENTUM AT HOME IN GAME 6
The Pacers have faced this situation before — in fact, three times during the current postseason.
Each time, they’ve shown resilience. Whenever they’ve stumbled, they’ve bounced back, and this fighting spirit has fueled their journey thus far.
Tonight, Indiana returns to their cherished Gainbridge Fieldhouse (8 PM ET, TNT) for Game 6 of the Eastern Finals, the very venue where they eliminated Milwaukee in Game 5. This time, however, a trip to the Finals is on the line.
Although Tyrese Haliburton plays a key role, Indiana will need a collective effort from their starters, who contributed just 37 points, approximately 39.3% of their total score, in Game 5. This is well below their average of 80.8 points from starters throughout the series.
“Our collective strength lies in our unity and unwavering determination to fight together,” commented Pascal Siakam. “Nobody expected us to be in this position.”
### 4. BRUNSON AND TOWNS AIM FOR LEGEND STATUS IN THEIR FIRST PLAYOFF SEASON TOGETHER
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns had already established their presence in the league prior to becoming teammates.
Both have earned All-Star accolades and consistently performed at high levels, securing their places among the elite in their respective positions.
Throughout this season, they’ve made significant contributions to franchise history. Now united, they are on the cusp of creating their own legacy.
In Game 5, Brunson (32 points) and Towns (24 points) combined for 56 points, keeping the Knicks’ playoff hopes alive and forcing a return to Indianapolis.
With the trade for Towns (who has a career average of 23.1 points per game), the Knicks paired one of the NBA’s top centers with the star guard Brunson (averaging 26.4 points in New York).
This combination not only creates problems for opposing teams but also enhances their inside game while providing more outside shooting options.
The duo will take the spotlight in a must-win scenario for the Knicks, who have demonstrated their ability to secure victories on the road, which will be essential for them tonight.
### 5. A’JA’S REMARKABLE SHOWING HIGHLIGHTS WNBA FRIDAY
Though the WNBA season is just two weeks old, Friday’s games showcased several players and teams already demonstrating elite performance.
Last season concluded with an exhilarating five-game WNBA Finals showdown, where the New York Liberty narrowly defeated the Minnesota Lynx in a thrilling overtime Game 5, claiming their first championship in franchise history.
Since then, neither team has succumbed to defeat, as both improved their records to 6-0 on Friday, marking only the second instance in WNBA history where two teams have kicked off the season with such strong starts.
The previous occurrence was in 2016, when the Lynx (13-0) and Sparks (11-0) set similar records, leading into their eventual Finals match-up.
The Lynx and Liberty aren’t the only teams entering the Commissioner’s Cup – the fifth edition of this midseason tournament begins on Sunday and runs from June 1-17 – with hot streaks.
