All-Star teammates Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton will be competing against each other for their respective seasons.
It took a little longer than either team would have liked, with the Knicks and Pacers suffering disappointing losses in Game 5 before shutting out the Sixers and Bucks, respectively. But they accomplished what they did to set up a franchise rematch in Thursday's doubleheader. Thrilling 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Indiana outscored the Knicks by an average of 123.3-115.3 in the 2023-24 season series, winning 2-1. All three meetings were before the All-Star break, so a lot of time has passed.
series schedule
Here's how to watch the Knicks vs. Pacers series.
Always Eastern Daylight Time
- Game 1: Pacers vs. Knicks, Monday, May 6 (7:30 p.m., TNT)
- Game 2: Pacers vs. Knicks, Wednesday, May 8 (8 p.m., TNT)
- Game 3: Knicks vs. Pacers, Friday, May 10 (7 p.m., ESPN)
- Game 4: Knicks vs. Pacers, Sunday, May 12 (3:30 p.m., ABC)
- Game 5: Pacers vs. Knicks (TBD, TBA) *
- Game 6: Knicks vs. Pacers (TBD, TBA) *
- Game 7: Pacers vs. Knicks (TBD, TNT) *
* = if required
top story lines
A battle between point guards. Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton, who were teammates on the East All-Star team a few months ago, will be competing against each other with their seasons on the line, vying for a spot in the conference finals. Brunson will likely finish in the top five in Kia's MVP voting. Haliburton leads the NBA in assists. Both have a chance to be on All-NBA teams.
While each is the driving force behind the team, they each approach their work in their own unique way. Haliburton was a lanky, pass-first playmaker with drives comparable to an Indy 500 car, and the Pacers led the NBA with his 123.3 points per game.
Brunson was a strong, stocky grinder who improved his game through injuries to teammates like Julius Randle, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.
This season, Brunson is averaging 35.7 points on 49.4 percent shooting and making 10 from the line per game against the Pacers. Haliburton was Indiana's leading scorer against New York, averaging 19.7 points and 13.3 assists. The winner of this matchup may advance their team to the next round.
keep an eye on me
Knicks D vs. Pacers O. The Pacers were held to fewer than 100 points just once in 82 regular season games. Then Milwaukee, no longer known for its defense, stopped them twice in the first four games of the first-round series, scoring 94 and 92 points.
Now it's the Knicks' turn. Don't expect coach Tom Thibodeau to go to school on what the Bucs did with switching and cross-matching. The Pacers will need every trick he can learn because in 8 of his 12 quarters between the two teams he has scored 30 points or more. Their shooters drained 47.6% of their 3-point shots and 54.6% overall.
The key is to structure Indiana's offense well. The Pacers ranked second in the NBA in pace, averaging 16.6 fast break points. Forcing them to play half-court, getting stuck in isolation, or fighting the shot clock will disrupt their rhythm.
One more thing to note about each team
For the Knicks: OG Anunoby. Anunoby, a troublesome and versatile defender, played in only one game against Indiana, but that was in November when he was still in Toronto. He did not participate in all three meetings after being traded to New York. After two months of elbow surgery, the Knicks are 20-3 with him in the lineup, and Anunoby has been positive in all 23 games played, no matter what the plus/minus rating is. He thinks he's logging his minutes against old Raptors teammate Pascal Siakam.
For the Pacers: Myles Turner. Turner is the longest-tenured Pacers manager in terms of playoff experience. He has now played in 32 games, including six in the postseason, but this is his first time being eliminated in the first round. Although he was a clumsy clincher against Milwaukee (1-of-6 shooting, five points, four fouls), he averaged 22.0 points and shot 47.4 percent through the first five games. He won't be as much of a burden as Philadelphia's Joel Embiid will help bulk up Isaiah Hartenstein and Robinson, but Turner moves better, is more dangerous on threes, and stronger on the break. Finish.
pick
Knicks in 6. New York will likely set the pace in this series, thwarting Indiana's biggest strength: its faster-paced style. Brunson has been unstoppable since the All-Star break, averaging 31 points and matching Luka Doncic's usage rate (35.5) for an entire season. Role players Anunoby, Hartenstein, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo are solid complements. I don't want to put too much emphasis on in-season tournaments, but the Pacers have scaled back ahead of the NBA Cup in Las Vegas. This stage is even bigger.
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Steve Aschburner has been writing about the NBA since 1980. Email him here or find his archives here, Follow him on X.
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