May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the third quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Knicks vs. Pacers, Eastern Conference Finals: LIVE Game 1 Log

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Magliocchetti | Last updated May 21, 2025 7:00 PM ET

Much has changed over the last quarter-century but the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers are once again playing an NBA Finals bid.

The lasting playoff rivals are set to face off in the Eastern Conference finale's best-of-seven set, with the winner getting a long-sought bid to the famed championship round. The ninth postseason get-together between Manhattan and Indianapolis gets underway with the opening stanzas at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

New York is Indiana's most common postseason opponent and the Pacers have won five of the prior eight showings. The two sides have split two previous showdowns in the conference final stage, with the Knicks prevailing in 1999 before the Pacers took revenge a year later.

Yet another playoff tilt with the Pacers gives the Knicks an immediate shot at revenge for what transpired last year: Indiana spoiled the most successful Knicks season in over a decade with a seven-game triumph in the conference semifinal stanza, finishing things off with a 130-109 win over an injury-riddled Manhattan group at MSG.

The Knicks already earned a quantum of revenge in the regular season, taking two of three meetings from Indianapolis. That includes the most recent get-together on Feb. 11, a 128-115 Knick win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.