BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – We know there is going to be an Indiana men’s basketball player in the NBA Finals … we just don’t know who it’s going to be.
After the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 119-81 on Friday in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference second round series, former Indiana player OG Anunoby and the Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Already waiting with their Eastern Conference Finals berth assured are the Indiana Pacers and former Hoosier Thomas Bryant. The Pacers dispatched the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in their Eastern Conference second round series.
Anunoby and Bryant were teammates with the Hoosiers during the latter part of Tom Crean’s time in charge of Indiana’s program. Both were Hoosiers from 2015-17.
Anunoby and Bryant were both on the 2016 Indiana team that advanced to the Sweet 16 after first weekend victories over Chattanooga and Kentucky in Des Moines, Iowa.
Anunoby has had the larger role in his team’s success, and that showed through in the Knicks’ Game 6 rout of the defending NBA champion Celtics. He scored 23 points and had nine rebounds in New York’s victory. Anunoby was 7 of 18 from the floor, including 4 of 13 from 3-point range.
Anunoby was part of a four-pronged Knicks attack that overwhelmed the Celtics. Anunoby was the co-leading scorer along with Jalen Brunson. Mikal Bridges had 22 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points in the New York victory.
Anunoby had an up-and-down series against the Celtics. He had a career playoff high 29 points in New York’s Game 1 victory and also had a 20-point game. However, Anunoby also had three games where he didn’t break double-digit scoring, including a two-point performance in Game 3.
Anunoby has averaged 15.7 points overall in the playoffs as the Knicks have bested the Detroit Pistons and Celtics in best-of-seven series.
Bryant played a reserve role in the Pacers’ five-game victory over Eastern Conference top seed Cleveland. He played more in the Cleveland series than he did the previous series win over Milwaukee.
He played no less than six minutes in any of the Pacers’ games. Bryant peaked in the Game 5 clincher with nine points and three rebounds.
Along with Cody Zeller, Bryant was the last Indiana alum to play in the NBA Finals. Bryant was part of Denver’s 2023 NBA championship team, and he played one game in Denver’s five-game victory over Miami and Zeller.
The Eastern Conference Finals begin on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The first game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be the same day at the Indianapolis 500.
Here’s the full schedule:
Game 1 – Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks, Wednesday, May 21, 8 p.m. (TNT).
Game 2 – Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks, Friday, May 23, 8 p.m. (TNT).
Game 3 – New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers, Sunday, May 25, 8 p.m. (TNT).
Game 4 – New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers, Tuesday, May 27, 8 p.m. (TNT).
Game 5 – Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks, Thursday, May 29, 8 p.m. (TNT)*.
Game 6 – New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers, Saturday, May 31, 8 p.m. (TNT)*.
Game 7 – Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks, Monday, June 2, 8 p.m. (TNT)*.
* if necessary
