If I ventured in the slipstream
Between the viaducts of your dream
Where immobile steel rims crack
And the ditch in the back roads stop
Could you find me?
—Van Morrison, “Astral Weeks”

There isn’t really any way of overstating it: What Tyrese Haliburton did on Tuesday night in Indianapolis communed with the immortals. In a pivotal Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, Haliburton logged 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, five 3-pointers, four steals, and zero turnovers in a 130-121 win over the New York Knicks. One of the greatest performances from an NBA point guard, ever. And it’s brought the Indiana Pacers to a 3-1 series lead, just one win away from the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years.  

It was the type of game that not only cemented Haliburton as a bona fide superstar but also may well inspire the next generation of point guards to embrace the quirks in their own style of play. For years, Haliburton has pushed against the insularity of basketball’s collective aesthetic bias. His economy of motion is bewildering. His dribble is slippery. His shot mechanics are perfectly hideous. There is almost a cartoonish, slapstick quality to his game that feels out of time but also uniquely suited to representing basketball today. He prances around like Martin Prince but shoots like Bobby Hill. And it’s fucking amazing. You know what’s overrated? Being cool is overrated. I’ll hear from the boss if I’m overstepping here, but I’m ready to call it: All hail the new Dork Elvis. 

The freewheeling habitus inherent to Haliburton’s style belies the precision of his game. The lack of turnovers in Game 4 was no fluke: Tuesday night’s master class was Hali’s 11th career game with at least a 15-to-0 assist-to-turnover ratio, according to Sportradar’s Todd Whitehead. Only John Stockton (14) and Chris Paul (13) have more such games. Haliburton may well lap the field several times over by the end of his career; he’s only 25. The game whirrs around him, and the Pacers stir up frenzy only to cocoon themselves within it. But chaos can be harnessed. Great point guards create an overarching sense of beauty and order in the game. And within that framework is a new logic, imminently translatable across the rest of the team. It widens the scope of possibility, magnifies what a teammate believes himself capable of achieving. It can embolden an otherwise tunnel-visioned decision-maker like Bennedict Mathurin to make the right pass on a drive. It can expand the imagination of a player like Myles Turner, allowing him to be receptive to a pass he knows wouldn’t normally be delivered. 

On a 15-assist night, one play stood out as uniquely Hali. Roughly midway through the third quarter, Haliburton bolted into a double-drag screen meant to toss Mikal Bridges in a pinball machine. There was the slightest window for a low-angle pocket pass to a rolling Turner—Haliburton faked the pass, and Turner dipped his torso low accordingly, just in case the ball did head toward him. The fake momentarily froze Karl-Anthony Towns, which created an awkward logjam as Bridges reentered the play—the two Knicks effectively ran into each other trying to stop the ball, leaving Turner unobstructed under the basket. Haliburton jumped in the air and double-clutched for a moment before sending a side-angle lob for an easy layup. Classic Hali. The type of play that inspired the perfect gift for the Haliburton fan in your life: a T-shirt that reads Jump passes are good now. 

“My game is a little unorthodox,” Haliburton said after the game. “I jump to pass probably more than anybody in the NBA. But I work on that stuff.” 

The effect Haliburton has on the Pacers offense is akin to a slipstream, reducing drag and creating a structure that maximizes the efficiency of the players flanking him. And there aren’t many players over the past decade who have benefited from playing within the slipstream of a superstar more than Pascal Siakam, who killed the Knicks softly in Game 4 with an absurdly efficient 30 points. Siakam’s breakout season ran concurrently with Kawhi Leonard’s lone season in Toronto; it’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly six years since Game 1 of the 2019 NBA Finals—wherein Siakam was the best player in a game that featured at least five future Hall of Famers. Six years later, this version of Siakam is the most realized yet. Credit aerodynamics. Credit the synchronicity of strangeness that powers the Pacers’ chaos engine.  

Siakam is a perfect stylistic complement to Haliburton—a kindred weirdo who doesn’t have presets, whose unorthodoxy is a purely individual expression of how he intuits the game. Maybe more than any other star in the league, Pascal’s game does not track as a collage of outside influences. On a TNT pregame show earlier in the series, Draymond Green mentioned Siakam as one of his toughest covers—he acknowledged losing his defensive matchup to Siakam handily in those 2019 Finals. Green, one of the greatest defenders of the century, is a super-processor of information, but that relies on endless mental simulations of the most probable outcomes. Siakam, as ever, slip-slides away from such categorizations. 

He’s always been known for his spin move, but where it was once overly telegraphed, the move has become more and more dictated by reading the micro-movements of his defender—an organic response to his environment. As soon as you get accustomed to the spin, Siakam is liable to feign the motion only to slip into a behind-the-back dribble to catch you off-balance:  

Nothing is premeditated. The game flows when you read and react. Siakam’s sudden emergence as a steady spot-up shooter from deep has unlocked all the frontiers of his versatility, allowing him to truly inhabit the offense as an omni-dimensional presence. It’s a testament to the Pacers’ deep and abiding understanding of Haliburton’s ethos that they doubled  down on unorthodoxy with his lead running mate. It’s what makes this team special. 

The Pacers are now 11-3 in the postseason and 45-17 since the New Year—a .726 win percentage. They’ve been one of the four best teams in the NBA for a while now. And should things hold across both conference finals series—which mirror each other at 3-1 apiece—then these games of attrition will have gotten things right: The Thunder and Pacers are the two best teams remaining. The Pacers play an outrageously fun, visceral style of up-tempo basketball. They pressure. They drive and kick with almost unilateral focus. They have a coach who is unendingly curious and open to riding the shifting winds of the game. The Pacers are tantalizingly close to the promised land. Their guiding lights may not look like the kinds of stars we’ve grown familiar with, but their difference has been the difference.  

Karl-Anthony Towns will be available for the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Despite dealing with a left hand injury earlier in the playoffs, medical tests confirmed no fracture, and he has not missed any games. His name does not appear on the Knicks’ latest injury report, meaning he will play without restrictions. The injury initially caused concern during the second-round series against the Boston Celtics, but Towns has played through minor discomfort. His availability is a major boost for the New York Knicks as they look to tie the series.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ recent performance and impact on the series

Karl-Anthony Towns delivered one of his best playoff performances in Game 3, leading the Knicks to a crucial 106-100 win. His fourth-quarter explosion included 20 points, helping New York overcome a 20-point deficit.Key stats from Towns’ Game 3 performance: – 24 total points – 15 rebounds – 20 points in the fourth quarter (second Knicks player ever to do so in a playoff game) His ability to dominate in clutch moments has been vital for the Knicks, especially with their limited bench depth. Head coach Tom Thibodeau has relied on Towns for heavy minutes, and his defensive versatility allows for strategic adjustments when needed.

New York Knicks injury report vs Indiana Pacers Game 4 (May 27, 2025)

The Knicks enter Game 4 with no injury concerns. The full roster is available, including Towns, who has fully recovered from his hand issue. Meanwhile, the Pacers have key injury concerns: – Aaron Nesmith (questionable, ankle sprain) – Isaiah Jackson (out, Achilles injury) This gives the Knicks a slight advantage, especially with Towns healthy and in rhythm.

What to expect in Knicks vs Pacers Game 4 (May 27, 2025)

Towns’ presence ensures the Knicks maintain their interior scoring and rebounding edge. His ability to stretch the floor and defend multiple positions will be crucial against the Pacers’ fast-paced offense. With the series still within reach, the New York Knicks will look to Towns for another big performance. His resilience and playoff experience make him a central figure in New York’s push for the NBA Finals.Also read: Is Jalen Brunson playing tonight against the Indiana Pacers Eastern Conference Finals Game 4? Latest update on the New York Knicks star’s injury report (May 27, 2025)Fans can expect Towns to play significant minutes and continue his aggressive approach on both ends of the floor. If he maintains his Game 3 form, the New York Knicks have a strong chance to even the series.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — This Memorial Day there is a Ride for Freedom across central Indiana. Rolling Thunder Indiana Chapter 1 is hosting the annual ride from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne to honor fallen service members and remember the nation’s Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (MIA).

The motorcyclists departed from Indianapolis on Monday morning at 9.m. from Fort Harrison Veterans Center in Indianapolis, headed to the to Harley Davidson of Fort Wayne.

Organizers say the Allen County Sheriff’s Department will then escort riders to the Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum in Fort Wayne, where the program will start at 1 p.m. The ceremony will include the presentation of the nation’s colors by the Marine Color Guard, singing of the national anthem, and the pledge of allegiance.

Next will be a bench dedication in honor of U.S. POWs/MIAs from all wars. The United States has more than 81,000 servicemembers still unaccounted for. Indiana has 104 from World War I, 1,497 from World War II, 169 from the Korean War, and 50 from the Vietnam War.

Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker will assist in placing a wreath to honor those who sacrificed their lives in defense of the country. She will also participate in the unveiling of the bench dedicated to POWs/MIAs.

Organizers say the Ride for Freedom and Memorial Day Ceremony serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by military personnel and the ongoing commitment to bring home those still unaccounted for.

The event is open to the public and organizers are inviting community members to pay their respects and support the cause.

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