The Madness Is Back: Knicks Pacers NBA Playoff Rivalry Goes Nuclear
Blood. Sweat. Buzzer beaters. Brass knuckles?
Welcome back to the Knicks Pacers NBA Playoff Rivalry, where basketball meets drama, and every game feels like a heavyweight title fight.
Forget finesse—this isn’t just about Xs and Os. It’s about vengeance. Payback. Legacy. And with the winner of this Eastern Conference Finals punching a ticket to the NBA Finals, everything is on the line.
Madison Square Garden won’t just be loud—it’ll be shaking. And starting Wednesday night, the ghosts of playoff past are about to get some company.
Brunson and Haliburton: The New Kings of Chaos
Let’s rewind to last summer. WWE took over Madison Square Garden for a wild event, but two unexpected stars stole the spotlight. Jalen Brunson stepped into the ring with a steel chair. Tyrese Haliburton came armed with brass knuckles. No, this isn’t fantasy. It really happened.
Was it staged? Sure. But the heat between these two? That’s as real as it gets.
Their beef is now front and center in what could be the biggest showdown in the entire NBA Playoffs. Haliburton torched the Knicks in last year’s Game 7, scoring 26 points and helping Indiana shoot a ridiculous 67.1% from the field—an all-time playoff record. The Garden crowd was stunned. Haliburton grinned. And then he showed up to the postgame press conference wearing a Reggie Miller “choke” meme sweatshirt.
Brutal. Brilliant. Blasphemous—in the heart of New York.
Now, with revenge on the brain and the NBA Finals in sight, Brunson gets his chance to clap back.
History Repeats… with More Heat
If you think this is just another playoff series, you must be new here.
This is Round 9 of Knicks vs. Pacers in the NBA Playoffs—a rivalry that’s defined generations. The first war started in 1993 with John Starks headbutting Reggie Miller, and it only escalated from there. Spike Lee. The choke sign. The Garden eruptions. Fights, fouls, and fury.
Now we’ve got Karl-Anthony Towns, Brunson, and Haliburton stepping into that legacy with a shot at the Finals.
Indiana leads the all-time playoff series 5-3, but when it comes to Eastern Conference Finals matchups, the Knicks have the edge: 1994 and 1999 both ended in New York wins. But the last time they met at this stage in 2000? The Pacers went to the Finals.
This series could be a tie-breaker, and the most important one yet.
The Knicks Are Back—and Hungry
Nobody expected the Knicks to be here. Boston and Cleveland dominated the regular season headlines. But New York just knocked off the defending champs, and now they’re riding a wave of momentum and magic.
This is their first trip to the East Finals in 25 years, and the city is buzzing. Everywhere you go, it’s “Brunson for MVP,” “Towns is a beast,” and “This is the year!”
Towns, acquired in a blockbuster deal with Minnesota, has been electric—especially against Indiana. He averaged 30.3 points and 12 boards per game in their regular season meetings. If he brings that same heat, this series might swing in New York’s favor fast.
But don’t expect him to look ahead.
“We’ve got to get there first,” Towns said. “Step by step.”
Still, Knicks fans can’t help but dream of a Finals showdown with Towns’ old team, the Timberwolves.
Indiana’s Inferno: From 10-15 to Unstoppable
If any team is hotter than New York, it’s Indiana.
After a disastrous 10-15 start to the season, they’ve flipped the script in shocking fashion—going 48-19 since, including the playoffs. Coach Rick Carlisle has this group running, gunning, and blowing teams off the court.
They just embarrassed the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games, and Haliburton is leading the charge like a man possessed.
The Pacers have speed, swagger, and a serious chip on their shoulder. They’re not just here to play—they’re here to take the Garden by storm… again.
Reggie Miller Returns… As a Reminder
Every Knicks fan remembers Reggie Miller. He’s the villain in their nightmares. The man who dropped 8 points in 9 seconds. The ultimate Garden enemy.
And guess what? He’ll be right there on the sidelines, calling the games for TNT.
The symbolism couldn’t be louder. This is full-circle drama, the kind you couldn’t script better if you tried.
And don’t be surprised if he stirs the pot.
This Ain’t Friendly
Sure, Brunson and Haliburton were teammates on Team USA at the 2023 World Cup. And sure, there are smiles in warmups.
But make no mistake: this is war.
Brunson remembers how Haliburton flexed in the Garden. Knicks fans haven’t forgotten the sweatshirt. The trolling. The swagger.
“He played well in the Garden,” Brunson said. “But now we’re moving on.”
Well, they’re not. Not really. Not until someone wins four games and sends the other team packing.
What to Watch For
Towns vs. Indiana’s Frontcourt
Indiana doesn’t have a big who can match Towns in strength and skill. Expect New York to feed him early and often.
Haliburton’s Speed vs. Knicks’ Defense
Can New York slow down the game and avoid getting blitzed in transition? If not, it could get ugly.
Bench Battles and Role Players
The stars will shine, but whoever gets better production from their second unit could steal a game or two.
MSG Crowd Factor
The Garden will be insane. Noise. Energy. Pressure. How Indiana handles that could be the key to Game 1.
Prediction? Pain.
This isn’t going to be pretty.
It’s going to be loud. Emotional. Gritty. And possibly historic.
The Knicks want their first Finals trip since 1999. The Pacers want to end their own drought and get revenge for decades of heartbreak. Someone’s season will end in agony. Someone’s dreams will come true.
And when it’s all said and done, this rivalry—this Knicks Pacers NBA Playoff Rivalry—will have added another unforgettable chapter.
Cheapest Tickets at Madison Square Garden already sell for $ 965 today on the resell market. Just to compare: The cheapest ticket for the Thunder – Wolves Game was $ 95 on Tuesday in Oklahoma.
So you see: New York has playoff-fever today. The whole city is going crazy today. Everybody wants the Knicks to win – and advance in a Championship final with the Thunder!
