After last year’s surprise trip to East finals, Pacers showing more confidence after beating Cavs

CLEVELAND (AP) — Andrew Nembhard and the Indiana Pacers were just happy to make the Eastern Conference Finals last year.

After two straight convincing series victories and with a wide-open chase to the NBA title, the Pacers are going to be more confident this time around.

“Last year was more new for us. We were all kind of just excited and maybe too complacent to be here. Now we want to push the limit and see what we can do,” Nembhard said after Indiana eliminated Cleveland on Tuesday night with a 114-105 victory in Game 5 of their semifinal series.

The fourth-seeded Pacers now get to rest as they await either the Boston Celtics or New York Knicks. New York has a 3-1 advantage in the series with Game 5 on Wednesday night in Boston.

If the Knicks close out the series on Wednesday, the conference finals will begin on Monday at Madison Square Garden. If it gets extended, Game 1 would be on May 21 with Indiana on the road.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, left, celebrates along with forward Pascal Siakam after scoring during the second half in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

“We’re talking about eight more wins for an NBA championship. It’s wide open and we have to keep believing,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “We have a formula that works for us when we are steadfast and believe in it.”

The Pacers had not been to the conference finals in consecutive seasons since 2013 and 2014, when they were knocked out both times by LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Eventual NBA champion Boston swept the sixth-seeded Pacers in last year’s East finals. The Pacers, though, took two of three from the Celtics during this regular season.

If it is the Knicks, it would be the fourth time New York and Indiana have met in a conference final. The Knicks won in 1994 and 1999 while the Pacers won in 2000.

New York took two of three games in the regular season.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, left, tries to drive by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell during the first half in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

“We still got a ways to go, but it’s a special feeling,” said Tyrese Haliburton, who had 31 points in the win and averaged 17.4 points and seven assists in the series.

Indiana had six players average in double figures in scoring in the series, and will count on that balance against its next opponent.

“It’s a balanced effort. We move the ball, have preached depth the last couple years and it’s paying off now,” Haliburton said. “Offensively it is hard to play at our pace over a seven-game series. We’re doing a great job of playing our way.”