Knicks Eye Revenge vs. Pacers

The New York Knicks are set to meet a familiar playoff foe in the Indiana Pacers during the Eastern Conference Finals, and the two teams know each other well.

A year ago, the Knicks and Pacers were playoff opponents in the second round, in which Indiana came out on top in seven games despite New York holding a 2-0 lead after two matchups.

The Athletic insider James Edwards III briefly previewed the matchup between the Knicks and Pacers.

"In order to get to the finals, the Knicks have to get past their longtime nemesis in the Pacers, who have been as dominant as any team in this postseason," Edwards wrote.

"The Pacers only lost two games all postseason and decisively put an end the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week. Indiana plays fast and turned into a really good defensive team in the second half of the season. For the Knicks, the series should look more like the one against the Pistons as opposed to the Celtics."

"New York is a legitimate NBA title contender. Being one of the last four teams alive says that. Now the Knicks have a chance to prove they’re more than that."

This will be the ninth time the Knicks and Pacers have met in the playoffs, and the fourth occasion where it will determine who advances to the NBA Finals.

The Knicks pulled off wins in the first two meetings in 1993 and 1994, but Indiana settled the score with wins in 1995 and 1998.

In 1999 and 2000, the two teams met in back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals where the Knicks came out on top first, but the Pacers got back the following year.

After a 13-year hiatus, the Pacers won again in 2013 before another 11-year drought, where Indiana came out on top in 2024.