In the past, the New York Knicks frequently faced off against the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs.
As they prepare to meet again in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday, memories of their intense battles in the 1990s come to mind. However, while the matchup may evoke nostalgia, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are gearing up to face an opponent with a modern style of play.
Tyrese Haliburton leads the NBA’s highest-scoring offense, showcasing a level of scoring that contrasts sharply with the past Knicks-Pacers matchups, making it seem like a different era.
“I guess when you have the original teams from back then, there’s always going to be some kind of history,” Brunson commented. “But you have two strong teams that play their unique style of basketball. It will be a tough battle to see who comes out on top.”
Brunson guided the No. 2-seeded Knicks past Philadelphia in the first round, marking the team’s consecutive appearance in the East semifinals for the first time since their nine-year streak from 1992 to 2000.
He scored 40 points or more in the last three games, becoming only the seventh player in NBA history to achieve three consecutive 40-point games in the playoffs. He was the fourth-highest scorer in the regular season and is now leading all players in the postseason with an average of 35.5 points per game.
Indiana’s high scoring is a collective effort. The Pacers led the league with an average of 123.3 points per game, which is the sixth-highest in NBA history. They also led in field goal percentage and assists. They scored 140 points or more in 11 games, setting an NBA record.
Despite being the sixth seed, the Pacers have continued their strong performance in the playoffs. They averaged 113 points while defeating the third-seeded Milwaukee and scored at least 120 points in all four of their victories during the six-game series.
The Knicks and Pacers had intense matchups in the past. They faced each other three times consecutively from 1993 to 1995, with each team winning a Game 7. They met again from 1998 to 2000, with the last two meetings in the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers won their most recent encounter, eliminating the second-seeded Knicks in the 2013 East semifinals.
In none of the 41 games between them either team scored more than 120 points.
“It’s a very intense matchup, that’s the simple truth,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “There’s a lot of history, especially with Reggie Miller for five or six years, and in 2013, there was another showdown. We’ll need to show resilience and unity.”
