Against all odds, the Indiana Pacers are going to the NBA Finals. Tyrese Haliburton and company clinched their spot in the championship round with a convincing 125-108 win in Game 6 over the New York Knicks on Sunday night.

As the team celebrated on the floor, the assumption by many was that Haliburton would be named the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals after a stellar series. However, seemingly everyone was stunned when the award was given to Pascal Siakam instead.

Haliburton himself even seemed surprised, as he seemed to already be making his way to the front of the stage to accept the trophy.

Even the media was split on the vote, which ended up being very close. In the end, Siakam received five of the nine votes, while Haliburton received four. Pacers legend Reggie Miller, who called the game on TNT, declared on the broadcast that the star point guard was getting his vote.

In addition to Haliburton himself being caught off guard, many NBA fans were also surprised at the snub and expressed that on social media.

Article Continues Below
More Indiana Pacers News
Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton smiling, with NBA Finals logo, Larry O'Brien trophy, and Finals MVP trophy beside him
Tyrese Haliburton bold predictions for 2025 NBA Finals vs. ThunderJedd Pagaduan ·
Head coach Rick Carlisle, Tyrese Hliburton, Pascal Siakam, all beside each other, Yellow lightning in the background
Indiana Pacers bold predictions for 2025 NBA Finals vs. ThunderEnzo Flojo ·
Pat McAfee and Michael Cole and Wade Barrett during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium.
WWE news: Michael Cole loses bet to Pat McAfee over Pacers-Knicks seriesJordan Llanes ·
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle speaks after game six of the eastern conference finals against the New York Knicks for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Rick Carlisle credits offseason message for Pacers’ NBA Finals runJosue Pavon ·
Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) shoots a three point basket as Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) defends during the first quarter at Paycom Center
Thunder’s Jalen Williams reveals why confidence is key for Tyrese HaliburtonJosue Pavon ·
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) and forward Pascal Siakam (43) embrace after defeating the New York Knicks in game two of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Kendrick Perkins reveals why Pacers’ Pascal Siakam, not Tyrese Haliburton, deserved ECF MVPZachary Weinberger ·

While it would be easy to argue that Haliburton was more deserving, Pascal Siakam had a series that was worthy of the honor. For the series, he averaged nearly 25 points per game to go along with five rebounds a night on incredible shooting efficiency. He shot over 50% from the floor over the six games and made half of his 3-pointers.

Still, Haliburton seemed like the right choice to win the award. He had the most iconic shot of the series with his buzzer-beater to force overtime in Game 1 and also had the biggest individual performance of the series with his flawless triple-double in Game 4: 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists and zero turnovers.

The star guard also showed out in Game 6 with 21 points and 13 assists while finishing the game, and effectively the series, with a deep 3-pointer to officially stamp Indiana's place in the NBA Finals.

Still, Haliburton will have a chance to take some even bigger hardware in the coming weeks. The Pacers will get their final battle underway against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night on the road.