The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers kick off the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden in Game 1 on Wednesday.
Knicks vs Pacers Game 1 Preview
The Knicks and Pacers face off in the postseason once again over a year after the latter advanced to the conference championship with a Game 7 win in New York.
It wasn’t to be for Indiana that year who ended up being swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics for a spot in the NBA Finals but this task looks considerably more in reach.
The Pacers toppled the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round before upsetting the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers to earn another shot at Eastern Conference glory, looking to reach the finals for the first time since 2000.
In that season 25 years ago, it was also the Knicks and Pacers in the conference finals which closed out a historic rivalry that saw the pair meet in the playoffs six times from 1993 to the turn of the century.
The bitter feud was renewed in 2013 when the Pacers beat the Knicks in the semifinals in six games and once again last year, as New York look to get one over Indiana for the first time since the 1999 conference finals.
The Knicks got here after seeing off the Detroit Pistons in the first round before closing out the Boston Celtics in six games and with homecourt advantage on their side, the ball is very much in New York’s court.
Despite a slow start to the season – with a 16-18 record on New Year’s Day – the Pacers have turned it up a notch, posting a 42-16 record since including the postseason and talisman Tyrese Haliburton has hit two playoff game-winners already while averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.3 assists.
Indiana boast a well-rounded, balanced roster with the likes of Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith making a huge impact.
The Knicks on the other hand somewhat struggled post-All-Star break with a 15-13 record in that period and they won just 15 of 38 games against teams with winning records, as well as being winless against the league’s three 60-win teams.
They were the first No 3 seed to lose every regular season game against the top two teams in its conference since the current playoff format entered in the 1980s.
Jalen Brunson continues to lead the team to success alongside Karl Anthony-Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart.
WATCH: The best of the Knicks playoff run so far
Knicks vs Pacers Game 1 Injury Report
New York Knicks Injuries
No injuries to report
Indiana Pacers injuries
F Isaiah Jackson (achilles; out)
What TV Channel Is Knicks vs Pacers Game 1 On?
Game 1 of Knicks vs Pacers will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
