Indiana Pacers offense just made NBA history in Game 7 win versus Knicks

Sure, the Indiana Pacers beat a Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks team that also missed Damian Lillard for two games. And yes, they just beat the New York Knicks, who were without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby, and, in the end, Jalen Brunson, for some or most of their seven-game series.

But there’s no denying the Pacers have a historically great offense. At least not anymore.

Indiana led the NBA in scoring during the regular season at 123.3 points per game. It has the top-scoring offense in the playoffs at 114.2 ppg. The Pacers have been the most efficient team from the field and from three during the postseason.

They took that to an entirely new level in their Game 7 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Indiana Pacers set NBA playoff record for efficiency

Led by Tyrese Haliburton’s 26 points, Indiana shot an NBA-record 67.1 percent from the field to close out the Knicks. That includes a wild 76.3 percent mark during a first half in which the Pacers scored 70 points.

Haliburton is the engine; he shot 50 percent from three and nearly 60 percent from the field Sunday. But it was Indiana’s role players that helped make the game a record-setting performance. Aaron Nesmith was 8-for-8 and 2-for-2 from three and finished with 19 points. Andrew Nembhard scored 20 points and made nine of his 12 shots. TJ McConnell was 6-for-8.

The only blemish was the Pacers’ 68.8 percent mark from the free-throw line.

Indiana now moves on to play the Boston Celtics, which led the league in net rating during the regular season and has only lost twice this postseason. It will be a different kind of test for the Pacers. But if their red-hot offense finds its way to TD Garden, their Cinderella run could march on.

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