Indiana and Minnesota Advance to NBA Conference Finals, Completing Final Four

Indianapolis – Indiana and Minnesota secured their spots in the NBA conference finals, joining Boston and Dallas to round out the semifinal teams. In a decisive series of games on Monday, both teams won their respective rubber matches on the road. The Pacers triumphed over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with a score of 130-109, propelled by a record-setting shooting performance. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves overcame a significant halftime deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 98-90 at Ball Arena in Denver.

According to Philippines News Agency, Indiana’s offensive success was sparked by Tyrese Haliburton’s impressive 26 points, which helped guide the team to victory. The Pacers’ performance was reminiscent of a historic playoff win against the Knicks 30 years prior, led by Reggie Miller, who was present as a commentator during this game. Coach Rick Carlisle praised the team’s historic win, emphasizing its significance given the challenging environment of Madison Square Garden.

In Denver, the Timberwolves staged the largest second-half comeback in a Game 7 in NBA history, overturning a 15-point deficit. Key performances from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels, who each scored 23 points, catapulted Minnesota back into the Western Conference Finals for the first time in two decades. Despite strong efforts from Denver’s Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, who scored a combined 69 points, it was not enough to secure victory for the Nuggets.

The NBA playoffs now proceed to the conference finals, with Indiana set to face Boston at TD Garden and Minnesota preparing to meet Dallas at the Target Center.