The Indiana Pacers have reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years after beating the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals

The Indiana Pacers are heading back to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. It is a big moment for the team, which started the season with 10 wins and 15 losses and did not look like a team that could fight for a title.

Now, Indiana has a chance to win it all when they play against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals.

“This is really special,” said Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton after the team beat the New York Knicks to win the series. “What happened 25 years ago, I wasn’t even six months old. A lot of fans around my age have never seen the Pacers have success like this. We’re trying to make Indiana a special place again — a place where players want to be.”

In Indiana, basketball is a big deal. Teams that win become legends, and players and coaches are remembered for a long time. But for most of their 48 years in the NBA, the Pacers have struggled.

They won three titles in the old ABA league before joining the NBA, but in 1977 the team was in such bad shape it needed a TV fundraiser just to stay afloat.

In their first ten years in the NBA, the Pacers made the playoffs only once — and lost both games. Fans were angry when the team chose Reggie Miller in the 1987 draft instead of local favourite Steve Alford.

In the 1990s, it looked like Indiana might win it all, but they kept losing to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls or Patrick Ewing’s New York Knicks. They finally reached the Finals in 2000, but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant.

Since then, it has taken 25 more years for the Pacers to return to the Finals, even though Reggie Miller kept playing well until he retired.

This year’s team has fought hard. They beat past champions the Milwaukee Bucks, top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, and long-time rivals the Knicks.

Now, they are ready for the last challenge.

**NBA Finals Schedule (all times Eastern Daylight Time):**

* Thursday: Game 1 – Indiana at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m.
* Sunday: Game 2 – Indiana at Oklahoma City, 8:00 p.m.
* June 11: Game 3 – Oklahoma City at Indiana, 8:30 p.m.
* June 13: Game 4 – Oklahoma City at Indiana, 8:30 p.m.
* June 16: Game 5 – Indiana at Oklahoma City (if needed), 8:30 p.m.
* June 19: Game 6 – Oklahoma City at Indiana (if needed), 8:30 p.m.
* June 22: Game 7 – Indiana at Oklahoma City (if needed), 8:00 p.m.