Pacers, Knicks Clash Again in 2025 East Finals

The Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks are set to reignite their postseason rivalry as they meet in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference finals, with Game 1 tipping off Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The matchup may come as a surprise to fans and analysts alike, given the high hurdles both teams cleared in the semifinals.

The fourth-seeded Pacers stunned the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games, marking their second straight series win in just five games.

Meanwhile, the third-seeded Knicks eliminated the defending champion Boston Celtics in six, showing their grit and growth under coach Tom Thibodeau.

Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and New York’s Jalen Brunson headline the rematch after last season’s fiery playoff series, where Haliburton sealed the Pacers’ Game 7 win with a memorable performance and a pointed nod to history.

Wearing a hoodie featuring Reggie Miller’s iconic 1994 “choke” gesture toward Knicks superfan Spike Lee, Haliburton embraced the moment with swagger.

That energy carried over when Haliburton and Brunson crossed paths again at Madison Square Garden a month later—this time in a WWE ring—where they staged a dramatic staredown that sent New York fans into a frenzy.

“It was obviously something that he wanted to do and the way he played last year in the playoffs, I mean, it was fitting,” Brunson said.

“He played well in the Garden. Obviously, Knicks fans and Pacers fans, they go back and forth. But I think he did a great job with it last year, but now we’re moving on.”

Thibodeau echoed the sentiment, telling reporters Tuesday, “The challenge is always the same, it’s no different whether it’s a game or a series—it always resets.”

“Each game is different. You have to prepare for that particular game,” he added. “You’re not carrying anything over from the previous series or the previous game. You just have to be right and ready when the ball goes up Wednesday night.”

During the regular season, New York won two of three games against Indiana, with five-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns leading the charge.

Towns averaged 30.3 points and 12 rebounds per game against the Pacers, though he struggled against the Celtics, shooting just 3 of 19 from beyond the arc.

Indiana’s lone win over New York in the regular season came on Nov. 10, when Bennedict Mathurin exploded for a career-high 38 points, including seven 3-pointers.

Haliburton also starred in that game, recording 35 points and 14 assists as Indiana won 132-121.

While Haliburton remains the engine of Indiana’s offense, head coach Rick Carlisle praised the team’s collective effort.

“People look at playoff victories and point to great scoring performances and triple-doubles and stuff like that,” Carlisle said.

“Series-defining plays oftentimes are loose-ball effort plays.”

The Pacers will look to those effort plays and balanced contributions as they battle a battle-tested Knicks squad aiming to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.