The Indiana Pacers reached the 2025 NBA Finals after taking down the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday. Throughout the series, Obi Toppin played a pivotal role, demonstrating his presence on both ends of the court to assist Indiana in defeating the Knicks.
On Sunday, his fiancee, Magdalena Bellinger, wrote a heartfelt message for Toppin after the Pacers became the Eastern Conference champions. Bellinger expressed her love of Toppin, and how the Pacers are the top team in the East, along with pictures of their family during the presentation of the conference finals trophy.
“Number 1 in our heart, number 1 on the court, and NUMBER 1 IN THE EAST!!! 💫,” she wrote.
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The couple has been dating since 2020 and has two children together. Toppin proposed to Bellinger in January.
In the title-clinching Game 6, Toppin had his most points in the conference finals, scoring 18 points, six rebounds and three blocks off the bench for the Pacers. He also shot an efficient 7-of-11 from the field in 25 minutes of play.
Toppin, who played his first three years in the league with the Knicks, averaged 9.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for Indiana as the franchise reached its first NBA Finals since 2000.
Toppin and the Pacers will face the OKC Thunder in the NBA Finals, starting June 5. He is expected to continue his fine play for the Pacers, whose squad is considered to be the heavy underdogs in the championship series.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton lauds Obi Toppin’s two-way resurgence with Indiana
Obi Toppin was traded to the Pacers in 2023 from New York and has since become one of the team’s most reliable bench pieces.
At the start of his career, Toppin’s defensive habits were suspect, but since playing for the Pacers, they have improved, earning praise from Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton as the team rose to the East title.
"We always mess with him because there's all that athleticism but [he] just doesn't use it on the defensive end sometimes. But, nah, he was big for us off the bench,” he said after Game 6.
The 27-year-old forward is seen as a pivotal piece off the bench against the Thunder, as both squads boast solid bench units.
The Thunder has also been known to be one of the most rugged defensive teams this season, posing a threat to Indiana. Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be in OKC.
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