NBA Playoffs Preview: Knicks and Pacers set to revive historic rivalry

If you’ve been paying attention to social media for the past few weeks, you would have noticed that beef has been on the menu of late. There’s no better time than right now to re-ignite some good old-fashioned vitriol in the form of a matchup reminiscent of a long-lost rivalry.

The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers have had some historic duels in the post-season, playing in six series between 1993-2000. They each won three in those instant-classics and created some legendary moments including Reggie Miller’s 25-point fourth quarter in 1994 and Larry Johnson’s four-point play in 1999.

Though the rivalry has been dormant in recent years, with both teams still trying to reclaim their glory days, the Knicks and Pacers have come out of their rebuilds with a renewed sense of self and a hunger to contend. 

Leading the way are Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton, two of the NBA’s most promising up-and-coming point guards. They’re both flanked by some ex-Raptors, and like Kendrick Lamar and Drake, it’s poetic justice that two former collaborators in OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam are set to draw each other in a defensive matchup. 

Though the key figures aren’t the same, the best beef is aged, and this one’s been sitting around, waiting to be cut into for years. As these teams look to blossom into the next powerhouses in the East, here’s a preview for the first course of what could be an electric throwback series and perennial rivalry.

Season series: Pacers won 2-1

Dec. 30, 2023, NYK @ IND: Pacers def. Knicks 140-126

Feb. 1, 2024, IND @ NYK: Knicks def. Pacers 109-105

Feb. 10, 2024, IND @ NYK: Pacers def. Knicks 125-111

Betting line:

Knicks -270 to win the series
Pacers +220 to win the series
Game 1: Knicks -6.0/Pacers +6.0. O/U 217.0

All odds courtesy of Bet365

Series schedule:

Game 1 @ NYK: Monday, May 6, 7:30 p.m. ET
Game 2 @ NYK: Wednesday, May 8, 8 p.m. ET
Game 3 @ IND: Friday, May 10, 7 p.m. ET
Game 4 @ IND: Sunday, May 12, 3:30 p.m. ET
Game 5 (if necessary) @ NYK: Tuesday, May 14, TBD
Game 6 (if necessary) @ IND: Friday, May 17, TBD
Game 7 (if necessary) @ NYK: Sunday, May 19, TBD

Jalen Brunson has established himself as the most revered Knicks point guard since Bernard King in the mid-1980s.

He’s already joined Patrick Ewing and King as the only Knicks with multiple 40-point games in a post-season, and he did it three games in a row to close out the dogged first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, becoming only the seventh player in NBA history to do so.

But it’s much more than just the numbers for Brunson, as his play has re-invigorated perhaps the most rabid and passionate fanbase in the NBA. Madison Square Gardens has been a madhouse so far this post-season, and what’s more jarring is just how packed Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia was with Knicks fans. No matter the venue, the Knicks are playing a home game. 

More so than the years with Carmelo Anthony steering the ship, this Knicks squad feels like they’ve got the grit and surrounding talent to make a serious run. Their plethora of high-effort, tenacious role-players has given them a never-say-die attitude perfect for the playoffs.

Anunoby has been everything they could’ve asked for defensively, Josh Hart rebounds everything in sight, Donte DiVincenzo can heat up at any time and be the team’s second scorer and Deuce McBride dismantles second-units, shooting 43.4 per cent from deep against Philly.

Though there may not be a second star in New York, the collective’s sense of identity is clear as day and you can bet that they won't take a single night off.

Don’t be mistaken by the lack of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard in their first round series against the Bucks, the Pacers had been beating Milwaukee all season long. That was no fluke.

Though Tyrese Haliburton has continued to struggle with his 3-pointer, shooting 29.6 per cent from deep in the first round, the breakout guard has shown why he’s one of the most gifted playmakers in the NBA, averaging 9.3 assists and finding ways for one of the deepest teams in the playoffs to thrive.

Six Pacers averaged double-digit scoring figures over the six-game set, with backup point guard T.J. McConnell not far behind with 9.5 a game. That multi-faceted attack is unlocked by Haliburton and his high-level offensive IQ, as he finished with a 36.1 assist percentage against Milwaukee, good for third amongst guards.

Siakam has led Indiana in scoring, averaging 22.3 a game while still being a huge part of their ball-movement-heavy offence, dishing out 4.2 assists a game. Myles Turner in the middle has been one of the best floor-spacing bigs in the league, dragging guys like Brook Lopez out to the 3-point line with his ridiculous 43.9 per cent rate in the first round.

Though their defence has still left much to be desired, their ability to keep guys fresh with deep rotations should give them a leg up on a Knicks team that runs their top guys into the ground. 

OG Anunoby (Knicks): Anunoby has transformed the Knicks since he was acquired in late December. When he’s in the lineup, they have a 24-5 record. The Knicks’ defensive rating when he’s on is a ridiculous 102.4, good for the best in the NBA, while their offensive rating shoots up to 124.7, also the best in the NBA. Though he might not dominate the stat sheet, his ability to switch one-through-five on defence or toss down mean-spirited posters on offence has drastically elevated the Knicks’ floor and ceiling. He’s been exactly what they needed.

Andrew Nembhard (Pacers): Nembhard held Damian Lillard to 11.3 points on an inefficient 44.4 per cent from the field and 25.0 per cent from deep in 43.9 partial possessions per game in the first round. The Aurora, Ont., native is set to draw the matchup against Brunson this round. Though it’s hard to project a world in which Brunson doesn’t score 30 a night, if Nembhard can at least make him inefficient and force a few more misses on his ridiculous 29.2 field goal attempts per game, it should go a long way in slowing down the Knicks. 

Dominate the glass (Knicks): New York was unstoppable on the offensive boards against the 76ers, making up for its 44.1 per cent shooting by grabbing an absurd 14.5 offensive rebounds per game. Their trio of Hart, Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein picked up a combined 65 offensive rebounds and helped turn them into 19.2 second-chance points per game. The Pacers also picked up the third-least defensive boards per game (31.4) in the regular season and the Knicks will be sure to take advantage of that to earn extra possessions.

Push the pace (Pacers): Living up to their name, the Pacers were the second-fastest team in the regular season, finishing with 101.7 possessions per 48 minutes and turning that into the most points per game at 123.3. The playoffs have a way of slowing things down, though, and Indian averaged just 93.3 possessions per 48 against the Bucks, ninth-best among playoff teams. The Pacers will want to pick that back up against the Knicks, especially if they lose the rebounding battle. New York, by contrast, was the slowest team in the league with only 95.2 possessions per 48, so a slow game will play right into the Knicks’ hands. Indiana needs to get back to their strength. Make it a track meet.