May 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) dribbles the ball during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Pacers Predicted to Easily Beat Knicks by Former All-Star

Originally posted on Indianapolis Pacers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated May 17, 2025 2:10 PM ET

The Indiana Pacers will now be taking on the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. It will be the second straight year that these two teams play in the playoffs.

Indiana was able to take out the Knicks in seven games in the second round of the playoffs last year. They were able to win Game 7 in Madison Square Garden in a game that was not close.

Now, the stakes are raised. The Pacers have been doubted throughout this entire playoff run, and that will likely continue into the Eastern Conference Finals.

While most of the national media continues to disrespect the Pacers, a former All-Star player believes that they will make easy work of the Knicks.

Former Celtics player Paul Pierce believes that the Pacers will beat the Knicks and head to the NBA Finals. He took to social media to say just that in a video directed towards Knicks fans.

Paul Pierce calls out the Knicks

“Pacers gonna pop y’all. Pacers gonna get y’all… y’all beat an injured Celtics team.”

(h/t @Fullcourtpass )

pic.twitter.com/5L3Pln1Zdp
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 17, 2025

"The Pacers are going to pop ya'll though. You know that right? Ya'll know that the Pacers are going to get ya'll?"

Pierce is obviously salty that the Celtics lost to the Knicks, since he's a former player for them. He wants whatever team beats the Celtics to lose from now on.

The Pacers are certainly good enough to beat the Knicks. They are a team that can run up and down the court at lightning speed. No one has been able to slow them down so far this playoffs.

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Indiana is in a great spot as they head into this series. They will continue to use the underdog card to motivate them in this series. While Pierce might be confident in them, not many other national media members are.

The Pacers will have more than a week to wait before they play the first game of the series, so rust is a concern. Rick Carlilse will make sure that his team is ready to go.

Tyrese Haliburton is the biggest reason why Pierce feels confident the Pacers can win. He dictates the temp of the game when he has the ball in his hands.

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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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