Eastern Conference G5 Preview: Pacers Strive to Eliminate Knicks Harry and Alexander Meet in the Finals?

At 8 a.m. Beijing time on May 30, the Eastern Conference Finals will continue, and the Pacers will play the Knicks away to start Game 5 of the series. In the first four games, the Pacers led 3-1 on aggregate and have already got the match point, and only need to win one more game to eliminate the Knicks and advance to the Finals. The Thunder have eliminated the Timberwolves with a 4-1 overall score to reach the Finals first, can Haliburton follow suit and meet Alexander in the Finals?

The last time the Pacers advanced to the Finals was in 2000, when the team leader was Reggie Miller. Now, Haliburton is expected to lead the team back to the Finals for the first time in 25 years. They hope to finish the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden.

'I'm excited about that,' Haliburton said, "it's going to be fun, but it's going to be tough in New York and we have to be ready." ”

Haliburton played 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds and zero turnovers in G4, which was the first time in NBA playoff history that a player reached the statistic of "30+15+10+0". He also hit five three-pointers and made four steals in the 130-121 home victory.

Haliburton's fast-break propulsion has been a huge advantage for the Pacers, who have taken a 65-23 lead in fast-break scoring so far in the series.

'He's a great player, it's as simple as that. Speaking about Haliburton, Knicks star Brunson said, "We have to try to limit him as much as we can. Now it's time to get back to the tactical board and prepare for Game 5. Brunson averaged 33.3 points per game in the series and scored more than 30 points three times.

The Knicks' only win so far has come in Game 3 – when they came back from 20 points down to the Pacers. Towns was the hero of that comeback, with 20 of his 24 points coming in the crucial fourth quarter. With a left knee injury, the Knicks have named Towns' Game 5 form doubtful, and the team is closely monitoring his condition.

Downs has injured his knee in the last two games. At the end of Game 4, the Pacers' Nesmith collided with Towns, who briefly left the court, but eventually limped to finish the game.

When asked about the 3-1 deficit, Downs was clear: "We all need to do better as a team and everybody needs to improve. We have to make it difficult for the opponent to score every time. ”

The Knicks also face the problem of turnovers leading to easy fast-break breaks—they have 60 turnovers in the series, averaging 15 per game.

For the Pacers, Siakam is a great partner for Haliburton, with at least 30 points in two games. Mathurin also had a surprise, scoring 20 points in less than 13 minutes off the bench in Game 4, compared to averaging just 3.7 points per game in the first three games, saying he has been focused on the task at hand, not the stats.

"Our goal is very clear," Mathurin said, "and everybody wants to win the championship, but they have to be willing to do the right thing. ”

Nesmith sprained his right ankle in Game 3 and was again listed as a doubtful to play. He wasn't allowed to play until more than an hour before Game 4 kick-off and still contributed 16 points.

The Pacers are looking to finish the series in a frenzied atmosphere in New York. Haliburton wasn't worried about continuing his epic G4 performances: "I just tried to play the right way and just wanted to contribute to the win. ”

List of injuries and illnesses

Pacers: Isaiah Jackson is out, Nesmith is doubtful

Knicks: Towns is doubtful

ESPN predicts the win rate: Pacers 54.0%, Knicks 46.0%