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Knicks NBA Finals' Dream Comes to End in Game 6 of East Finals

 And in the end it was just too much Tyrese Haliburton, and too much Indiana Pacers. 

After winning Game 5 going away, the New York Knicks had really no answer for the Pacers in Game 6, as Indiana rolled to a 125-108 victory to solidify their place in the NBA Finals. The Pacers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder beginning Wednesday; it's Indy's first trip to the Big Dance since 2000. 

As for the Knicks a long and very fascinating off-season awaits. (More on that in a moment). 

The Knicks lost this game because they just couldn't keep up with the tempo of play the Pacers put on the court on Saturday. Indiana was on fire, especially in the second half, and gashed the Knicks defensively. In fact, Indiana outscored the Knicks 25-10 in fast break points, and held a 34-13 advantage in points off turnovers.

Those stats alone lost the game for the Knicks. 

Pascal Siakam was awesome, leading the Pacers with 31 points, while Tyrese Haliburton kicked it into second gear as the second half rolled around. He finished with a double-double, 21 points and 13 assists. Even ex-Knick Obi Toppin enjoyed himself in the fourth quarter knocking down a series of big shots as the Pacers pulled away in the fourth quarter. 

Toppin finished with 18 points off the bench. 

As for the Knicks they just didn't do enough all the way around. They shot poorly; hitting on only 28 percent of their shots from downtown, and missed nine free throws. 

Jalen Brunson finished with 19 points and left the game with a little over two minutes to go when it was abundantly clear Indiana was going to win. 

It will be fascinating to see what the Knicks do in the off-season. Rumors abound that they could join the list of potential suitors for Milwaukee's superstar Giannis Antetokunmpo, but that would require parting ways with some key players and draft capital. Stay tuned on that front. 

Bottom line is the Knicks do need help. They need another shooter to go along with Brunson, and they absolutely need some killers to come off the bench.  

The Knicks have brought a lot of joy to fans the past two seasons, but in looking ahead toward next year, the expectations will be ratcheted up, and the need to win will only be stronger.

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