Knicks vs. Pacers: A playoff rivalry reignited

When the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers square off in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, it won’t just be a battle for a ticket to the NBA Finals—it’ll be a sequel, nearly three decades in the making.

For those who lived through the ’90s, the mere mention of Knicks-Pacers evokes memories of blood, grit, edge-of-your-seat basketball, and some of the most unforgettable moments in NBA playoff history.

These two franchises didn’t just clash—they collided in three Eastern Conference Finals in a six-year span, each one with drama and legacy-defining implications.

And now, 25 years later, they meet again with history on the line.

1994: The War of Seven Games

The first Eastern Conference Finals showdown between the Knicks and Pacers came in 1994, and it felt less like a basketball series and more like a seven-act Shakespearean drama played out on hardwood.

Led by Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and Charles Oakley, the Knicks had clawed their way through a rugged East. Indiana, on the other hand, was riding high behind the swagger of Reggie Miller and the brains of coach Larry Brown. The series was deadlocked at 2-2 after four hard-fought games, but it was Game 5 that etched itself into NBA lore.

That night, Miller turned Madison Square Garden into his own personal stage, erupting for 25 fourth-quarter points and punctuating each dagger with taunting gestures toward Spike Lee, who had taken on the role of unintentional motivator.

The Pacers took a 3-2 series lead, but the Knicks answered with grit—winning Game 6 in Indiana and Game 7 at the Garden, thanks to Ewing’s iconic late-game putback and a defensive stand that sent the Knicks to their first Finals appearance in over two decades.

That series didn’t just birth a rivalry—it carved it in stone.

1999: The 8th Seed’s Cinderella Slap

Five years later, the roles were different—but the intensity was the same. The Knicks were no longer a powerhouse; they had slipped into the playoffs as the 8th seed in a lockout-shortened season. The Pacers, on the other hand, were experienced, deep, and expected to finally take that next step to the Finals.

But if the ’94 Knicks won with power and persistence, the ’99 version played with something else: belief.

With Patrick Ewing sidelined due to injury, the Knicks leaned on Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Marcus Camby, and the heart of a city that still believed in miracles. Game 3 saw Larry Johnson hit the unforgettable four-point play—a twisting three, a foul, and a Garden eruption that still echoes in every rafters’ memory.

That moment broke Indiana’s spirit. The Knicks closed it in six, and became the first 8th seed in NBA history to reach the Finals.

It was one of the unlikeliest runs the league had ever seen—and one of the toughest blows the Pacers had taken in their long climb toward a championship window.

2000: Reggie’s Revenge

The following year, the rivalry reached its climax. For the third time in seven seasons, the Knicks and Pacers met in the Eastern Conference Finals. Only this time, it was Indiana’s turn to walk away with closure.

Reggie Miller had waited for this. After years of torment at the Garden and near-misses in the playoffs, the Pacers had home court and a healthy roster. New York, led by the trio of Houston, Sprewell, and Camby, pushed the Pacers but ultimately couldn’t contain the revenge tour.

Game 6 at Madison Square Garden became Reggie’s moment. He scored 34 points and waved goodbye to the crowd that had loved to hate him for years. Indiana advanced to its first NBA Finals in franchise history, and Miller finally exorcised the ghosts of ’94 and ’99 in one poetic finale.

After three emotionally charged Eastern Conference Finals matchups in the ’90s and 2000—each packed with drama, iconic moments, and legacy-defining performances—the Knicks-Pacers rivalry cooled for a while, but it never disappeared.

2013: Hibbert’s Block, Melo’s Wall

Thirteen years later, the rivalry was reignited in the second round of the 2013 playoffs. Carmelo Anthony had brought the Knicks back to relevance, capturing the second seed in the East, while the Pacers—led by Paul George, Roy Hibbert, and a suffocating defense—were a rising powerhouse.

The Knicks took Game 2 at the Garden, but the Pacers’ physicality and composure won the day. The defining image came in Game 6: Roy Hibbert rejecting Carmelo at the rim with authority—a game-saving block that symbolized Indiana’s dominance in the series.

The Pacers closed it out in six and reached the conference finals, while the Knicks wouldn’t sniff the second round again for a decade.

2024: The Seven-Game Standoff

Fast forward to 2024, and the Knicks, led by Jalen Brunson and a retooled roster, found themselves once again locked in a playoff battle with the Indiana Pacers in the second round. On paper, it looked like one of the most balanced series of the postseason. In reality, it was a war of attrition—especially for New York.

The Knicks were battered by injuries throughout the series. OG Anunoby missed critical games, Julius Randle was sidelined months before, and Mitchell Robinson was unavailable, forcing Tom Thibodeau to rely heavily on a shortened, exhausted rotation. Jalen Brunson fought valiantly through the fatigue and delivered heroic performances, but by Game 7, the toll of the series had caught up with New York.

Indiana, meanwhile, stayed relatively healthy and capitalized. With Tyrese Haliburton orchestrating, Pascal Siakam attacking, and Myles Turner anchoring the paint, the Pacers stayed composed.

Game 7 at Madison Square Garden began with a balanced, high-energy first quarter, but from there, Indiana took control and never looked back. The Pacers erupted in the second quarter with a dominant run that stunned the Knicks and silenced the home crowd. Despite New York’s efforts to chip away, the gap never truly closed.

With timely shot-making and disciplined execution, Indiana kept the Knicks at bay, ultimately ending their season on New York’s home floor. Once again, the Knicks were left to regroup—knocked out by the Pacers in a playoff series that slipped away.

2025: Same Stage, New Faces, Old Fire

Now, the rivalry returns to where it reached its peak: the Eastern Conference Finals.

The names have not changed much—Brunson, Towns, Bridges, and Hart for New York; Haliburton, Siakam, Turner, and Mathurin for Indiana—and the stakes, the pride, and the tension also feel all too familiar.

The Knicks are back in the conference finals for the first time since 2000. The Pacers return to this stage for the second straight year, having knocked out the Knicks in last season’s hard-fought second-round series.

For the Knicks, it’s a chance to erase the heartbreak of 2024 and take the next step in a journey 25 years in the making. For the Pacers, it’s another shot at carving their place in Eastern Conference lore.

Old rivals. New legacies. Knicks vs. Pacers—again. This time, it’s not just a series. It’s a continuation. A revival. A reckoning. Buckle up.