Knicks Left with Questions after Game 6 Loss

Knicks fans have nothing left but to ask 'what if.' But as the dust settled in Indianapolis on Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it was abundantly clear: the Indiana Pacers are just better. They are leaner, faster, better coached, and more disciplined than the Knicks are and were over the course of six games.

And it was on full display on Saturday as the Pacers ran the Knicks out of the building to the tune of 125-108, sending the New Yorkers packing for the summer.

New York had no answer for the Pacers' fast break; Indiana outscored them 25-10. They couldn't cash in on turnovers, something Indiana most certainly did, outscoring the Knicks 34-13 in points off turnovers, and when they needed the most, the Pacers got the most out of their top two stars.

The Knicks simply didn't.

Jalen Brunson finished with just 19 points and left the game when it was out of hand in the fourth quarter. Karl Anthony Towns, despite posting a double-double (22 points, 14 assists) had his issues defensively as the Pacers did whatever they wanted to against him.

O.G. Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Mitchell Robinson, all of whom had miserable series in this East final ,didn't have much of an impact either.

Instead, Tyrese Haliburton (21 points) and Pascal Siakam (31 points) dominated on the glass for Indiana. Even former Knicks Obi Toppin took glee in putting up buckets in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter against his old team. Toppin finished with 18 points off the bench.

And so the Knicks' season ended, and with i,t questions remain as the off-season begins.

Will the Knicks trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo? The Milwaukee Bucks superstar is drawing interest and would be an upgrade over Towns, whom the Knicks acquired last summer. But the Knicks won't be alone in the pursuit. The Nets, Heat, and Spurs could all be interested.

Will the Knicks flip Karl Anthony Towns? Could the Knicks dump Towns after one season? Some fans/media have called Towns 'soft', but the Knicks center is getting paid over $53 million next season and is under contract through 2027. It won't be easy to move.

The bench? The Knicks need to fix their bench big time. Watching Obi Toppin wreck havoc against them had to hurt. Toppin would have been a great piece, but the Knicks gave up on him. Putting Josh Hart on the bench in the playoffs didn't result in much. Now Leon Rose and company have to build a bench that take pressure off the starters and contributes big shots.

It should be an interesting summer.