INDIANAPOLIS — It was set up perfectly for them.
The Cavaliers bowed out early.
The Celtics were depleted and were never going to recover after blowing those two 20-point leads.
The Knicks then flushed that golden opportunity down the drain.
They blew Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, a loss that will be remembered among the worst in franchise history, and they never recovered.
Favored to reach the NBA Finals, the Knicks couldn’t even push the Pacers in Game 6. Series-long issues — transition defense, turnovers and slowing Pascal Siakam — were among the reasons Indiana cruised to a 125-108 rout Saturday night at boisterous Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Above those were Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks’ two All-NBA talents, coming up small in a big spot.
Their best was needed, and they didn’t come close to providing it. Their defensive shortcomings are one thing, and they were clear throughout this series, but neither was close to good enough on the offensive end Saturday night.
Brunson committed five of the Knicks’ 17 turnovers, and shot 8 of 18 from the field.
Towns had an empty 22 points and 14 rebounds. OG Anunoby (24 points) was the Knicks’ best player. Mikal Bridges (15 points, four assists) played well.
When it mattered, the Knicks couldn’t slow down the Pacers.
They couldn’t do it late in Game 1, and they couldn’t come close in Game 4 or Game 6.
After piling up 130 points on Tuesday in this building, the Pacers shot a blistering 54 percent from the field, made 17 of 33 3-point attempts and had six players in double figures.
Siakam led Indiana with 31 points, Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points and 14 assists, and former Knick Obi Toppin notched 18 off the bench.
And, so, the Knicks head into the offseason in disappointing fashion despite reaching the conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
For the second straight year, the Pacers ended their season.
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At least last year, the Knicks could point to injuries. They were healthy this spring. It is worth wondering if they can get past this point led by Towns and Brunson, two defensively challenged players.
The Knicks were fortunate to trail by four at halftime.
Their offensive stars, Brunson and Towns, shot a combined 7 of 20 from the field. Brunson, facing constant pressure in the backcourt, had three turnovers. Towns was shredded on the defensive end, allowing the Pacers three wide-open 3-pointers in the second quarter because he went under the screen and was slow to react.
Anunoby and Bridges kept the Knicks close.
They scored 25 points between them and Anunoby beat the halftime buzzer with a jumper to send the Knicks into the break with some momentum. Mitchell Robinson (six points, six rebounds) was particularly effective in the first quarter.
Siakam was the best player on the floor, scoring 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Haliburton got going after a slow start, scoring eight second-quarter points.
He frequently beat the Knicks down court, even after made baskets. Turnovers, a series-long issue, hurt the Knicks. They had 10 of them, leading to 16 Pacers points. Many of them were unforced.
The Pacers quickly took command after halftime, opening the third quarter on a 9-0 run. It started with four empty trips by the Knicks, and Indiana took advantage.
The lead ballooned to 13 in a hurry, and grew to 15 after a Thomas Bryant 3-pointer.
The Knicks responded with eight points in a row.
They had momentum and possession. But then Bridges lost the ball, leading to an Aaron Nesmith dunk.
Soon, the lead was 14 again. Soon, the offseason had arrived.