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Pacers Can't Rely on Past Matchups to Prepare For Knicks
Feb 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) holds the ball while Indiana Pacers center Thomas Bryant (3) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Pacers Can't Rely on Past Matchups to Prepare For Knicks

Originally posted on Indianapolis Pacers on SI
By Nelson Espinal  |  Last updated May 21, 2025 12:06 PM ET

The Indiana Pacers are set to square off against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, a series in which the Pacers lost two out of the three games during the regular season.

The Knicks succeeded despite missing key big man Mitchell Robinson, who serves as a backup to Karl-Anthony Towns.

This means that the regular season match-up does not represent the full strength of the Knicks.

Chris Herring of ESPN noted that Robinson significantly impacted the Knicks' series win against the Boston Celtics.

"It will be challenging to draw anything conclusive from the regular-season series since the teams didn't play each other after the All-Star break, and because center Mitchell Robinson -- perhaps the most important X factor in the Knicks' second-round win over Boston -- missed their previous matchups," Herring wrote in a story on ESPN.

While role players are typically not entirely game-changing, Robinson often receives significant playing time because the team sometimes seeks more size and a rebounding advantage.

Towns also tends to get into serious foul trouble, especially during the playoffs, which means there are typically stretches when coach Tom Thibodeau cannot risk playing the big man due to him potentially fouling before the end of the game.

Robinson effectively protects the rim with numerous blocked shots and rebounds well, particularly due to his long arms and typically high energy level of play, which compensates for the lack of burst he has at this point in his career.

Pacers center Myles Turner isn't the most dominant rebounder given his size and skill, which could be exposed against Robinson.

While he showed solid performance against Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, he must elevate his game to match the Knicks, who rank among the league's top rebounding teams.

Obi Toppin will need to assist Turner on the boards and Pascal Siakam as well if Robinson is to receive significant playing time due to his superior presence in the paint.

The Pacers will likely respond to any minutes from Robinson with Thomas Bryant, the team's backup center, who can stretch the floor while also playing physically.

It is possible that neither Robinson nor Bryant will be able to play much in the series if the pace of play is high, which is the type of game that Indiana tends to prefer.

The playoffs have tended to be slower-paced contests as they progress, especially in the fourth quarter of games when both teams start to tighten up their approach, which will likely be the time for Robinson to feature in the game.

If Indiana sets a fast pace, Robinson will likely not feature as much as he did against Boston because he is not very fleet of foot due to all the injuries he has battled through.

The battle over when to play the backup centers is just one wrinkle in what is shaping up to be an amazing series featuring two of the best game plan coaches in the league.

Whatever is seen in Game 1 will likely be completely different by Game 5, which may feature more or less of Mitchell Robinson.

More Indiana Pacers News:

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Pacers Want Tyrese Haliburton's Dad to Attend Eastern Conference Finals

Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Responds to LeBron James Praise

For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.


This article first appeared on Indianapolis Pacers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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