Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson still bothered by last year’s early playoff exit to Pacers

Originally posted on Empire Sports Media
By Dylan Backer | Last updated May 20, 2025 10:23 AM ET

For the second consecutive postseason, the New York Knicks will face the Indiana Pacers in a playoff series, though there is a lot more at stake this time. After facing off in the second round last season, they will have their rematch in the Eastern Conference Finals with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson says last year’s playoff loss is still on his mind

It will be a high-stakes rematch with New York looking to avenge their loss to Indiana last season. Injuries derailed any hopes of pulling off a series win, and they were defeated in seven games by the Pacers.

Jalen Brunson, who was a part of the injury trouble last year by suffering a broken hand in Game 7, said Monday that losing that series is still fresh on his mind.

Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

“It still kind of bothers me,” Brunson said via SNY. “But I feel like once you get into the season, you start thinking about the next game and everything like that. Obviously, it was a missed opportunity last year playing them at home in Game 7.”

Brunson was on another level postseason, including a stretch in which he had four straight 40-point games. Despite them missing several players due to injury, they pushed a strong Pacers team to seven games. However, moral victories are not the Knicks’ forte.

The Knicks will look to avenge last year’s defeat

This year, they will look to avenge their loss with a different looking group. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns are the new additions to this year’s squad, and the entire team is healthy as of now, which makes a huge difference coming into this series compared to last year.

Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images

The Knicks are also a different team now than they were in the regular season. After going winless against the top three teams during the regular season, they are now coming off a stunning upset win over the defending champion Boston Celtics, and it seems to have gotten all of the pieces clicking at the right time.

New York has a real chance to bring a title to the city for the first time in 53 years, and they will continue that quest on Wednesday when the Eastern Conference Finals begin. Game 1 will tip off at 8 P.M. EST and be broadcast nationally on TNT and HBO Max.

This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: