Magic Johnson congratulated the Indiana Pacers after their 125-108 Game 6 win over the New York Knicks, a victory that secured Indiana’s first trip to the NBA Finals in 25 years.
The Hall of Famer acknowledged the organization and key players in a tweet shortly after the final buzzer.
“Congratulations to Indiana Pacers Owner Herb Simon, Head Coach Rick Carlisle, Pacers superstars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakim and the rest of the team for advancing to the NBA Finals!” Johnson wrote.
The Pacers closed out the Eastern Conference Finals with a dominant performance, outscoring the Knicks in every quarter and shooting 54.1 percent from the field.
Johnson pointed out New York’s struggles on both ends of the court, calling out the team’s lack of execution.
“The New York Knicks lost Game 6 because their two superstars Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns didn’t play well. They also didn’t control the pace of game,” he added.
Brunson was limited to 19 points on 8-for-18 shooting, while Towns finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds but went 0-for-4 from three and had a minus-17 rating.
Indiana took command with a 9-0 run to open the third quarter and eventually built a 15-point lead that New York never cut into.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 31 points and was named the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
“Congratulations to Pascal Siakim for being named the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP!” Johnson tweeted, misspelling Siakam’s last name but clearly recognizing his impact.
Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 13 assists, including 11 points in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.
Obi Toppin chipped in 18 points and six rebounds off the bench against his former team, and the Pacers forced 17 Knicks turnovers while shooting 51.5 percent from three.
The Pacers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Thursday night in Oklahoma City.
Indiana returns to the Finals for the first time since 2000, when Reggie Miller led the franchise to its only other appearance on that stage.
