After the surprise trip of last year for the NBA East Finale, Pacers show more trust | News, sports, jobs

The Indiana Pacers Guard Tyrese Haliburton celebrated together with the striker Pascal Siakam, after achieving the Eastern Conference on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland (AP) – Andrew Nembhard and the Indiana Pacers liked to achieve the final of the Eastern Conference last year.

After two direct victories of the series and with a wide-open chase to the NBA title, the Pacers will be safer this time.

“Last year was new for us. We were all excited and maybe too complacent to be here. Now we want to drive the border and see what we can do,” said Nembhard, after Indiana Cleveland removed on Tuesday evening with a 114-105 victory in game 5 of her semi-final series.

The pacers with fourth seeds can now rest because they are waiting for the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks.

“We speak of eight other victories for an NBA championship. It is wide open and we have to believe,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “We have a formula that works for us when we are steadfast and believe in it.”

Since 2013 and 2014, the Pacers were no longer a conference final in successive seasons when they were knocked out by Lebron James and Miami Heat both times.

The later NBA champion Boston swept the sixth Pacers in last year's East Finale.

“We still have one way to go, but it's a special feeling,” said Tyrese Haliburton, who had 31 points in the victory and achieved an average of 17.4 points and seven templates in the series.

Indiana had six players on average in double numbers in the series and will count on this balance against the next opponent.

“It is a balanced effort. We move the ball, have preached the depth in recent years and it is now paying off,” said Haliburton. “It is difficult to play over a series with seven games at our pace. We do a great job to play each other.”