A year after falling to Indiana in the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Knicks will get another shot at them in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. Star guard Jalen Brunson is looking forward to the opportunity to take advantage of the second chance.
“I mean, it still kind of bothers me,” Brunson said on Monday, referring to last year’s series, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “Obviously it was a missed opportunity last year playing them at home in Game 7, regardless of who we had out there.”
The version of the Knicks that finished last season looked far different from the group that will take the court on Wednesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Finals. The 2023/24 roster didn’t feature Karl-Anthony Towns or Mikal Bridges, the club’s two major 2024 offseason additions. Plus, as Brunson alludes to, last year’s team was incredibly banged up, with key players like Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson unavailable for that do-or-die Game 7 and OG Anunoby unable to play more than five minutes.
This time around, the Knicks are fully healthy and are riding high after a strong first-round showing against the upstart Pistons and an unlikely second-round upset of the defending champion Celtics.
Just about everyone had penciled in an Eastern Finals showdown between the 64-win Cavaliers and 61-win Celtics, but New York and Indiana played spoiler and now the Knicks will enter their third-round series holding home court advantage and as betting favorites. BetOnline.ag lists New York as a -160 favorite to advance to the NBA Finals.
Knicks fans have plenty of reasons for optimism. After all, last year’s battle between these two teams nearly went their way even without Randle’s scoring, without Robinson’s elite rebounding, and without Towns and Bridges, who have been two of New York’s most valuable contributors in this postseason. The front office’s vision – Brunson and Towns serving as offensive engines while Bridges, Anunoby, and Josh Hart terrorize opponents on defense – has come together perfectly in recent weeks.
These Pacers, conversely, look pretty similar to last year’s team. In fact, with the exception of Bennedict Mathurin (injured for the 2024 playoffs) replacing Isaiah Jackson (injured for the 2025 playoffs), the Pacers have the exact same top nine players in minutes played that they did last postseason.
Skeptics would also point out that Indiana has benefited in a major way from injury luck over the past two springs. Bucks point guard Damian Lillard went down with an Achilles tear in the first round of this year’s postseason, while several Cavaliers – including Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter – were battling health problems in the second round.
But underestimating this Pacers team would be a mistake. Indiana was doing just fine against healthy versions of Milwaukee and Cleveland before those injuries occurred and has a better overall net rating (+5.5) during these playoffs than that of the Knicks (+0.1). The Pacers are especially dangerous when they’re dictating the speed of the game, which they’ll be looking to do against a Knicks squad that ranked 26th in the NBA in pace during the regular season (Indiana was seventh).
The Pacers have also been getting a balanced offensive attack from their starting lineup and bench this spring. All five starters are averaging at least 14.6 points per game, led by Pascal Siakam (18.8 PPG) and Tyrese Haliburton (17.5 PPG and a playoff-leading 9.3 APG), with Mathurin, T.J. McConnell, and Obi Toppin combining for 28 points per contest off the bench. Indiana’s 117.3 playoff offensive rating is easily the best mark of any of the four remaining teams.
The last time the Knicks appeared in the NBA Finals in 1999, they defeated the Pacers in the Eastern Finals to get there. The Pacers returned the favor a year later, beating the Knicks in the Eastern Finals to represent the conference in the NBA Finals. They haven’t gotten back since. Whichever team wins this series and makes their first Finals appearance in a quarter-century will have to get past an old rival to do it.
We want to know what you think. Which team will win the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts and predictions!
Injuries are always a huge wildcard but I got the Knicks in 6.
I think the pacers will take game 1 because their pace and pressure is very exhausting and overwhelming. But once both teams have time to adapt, the Knicks are the better team.
I’ve got no horse in this race, all I hope is that they find a way to get Reggie Miller and Spike Lee involved again.
Love Twix hate Pixie Stix despise the Knix Pacers in six
I had penciled a NYK v MIL ECF, so at least I did better than the folks who were thinking of CLE v BOS, right?
Si Indiana gana uno en New York gana la serie
I’m going with the Pacers. I think the Celtics series may have drained the Knicks a bit, physically and mentally.
Indy 8 days off too long. But knicks might be a bit more tired after all the energy it took beating depleted Cs team. Ny gonna flop drop & roll til refs give em all the fta they need. Brunson will be at the line more often than the entire pacers squad guaranteed. In fact he’s alredy at the ft line & series hasnt even started yet. Hali gonna mvp like always. A couple of step back 3s & sweet baby lay ups to send the msg crowd sleeping again. Is reggie calling the games?? I hope they let hali’s pops back in the arena to celebrate the chip
Pacers in 6, due to the big minutes the Knicks starters play (which will leave them tired in the 4th Qs against the Pacers’ fast pace).
What looks worse?
KAT attempting to sprint or Mitchell Robinson’s free throw shooting form?
Pacers in 4 or 5, the Knicks are shot from playing too many minutes and Indy has the depth to destroy them. Jalen might get 1 game for the Knicks, but the Pacers are the best team in the east to beat them, and are playing way better than they are right now.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so let’s go Pacers.
let me see the Pistons were going to beat the knicks in round 1 but lost probably because of the refs 🙄 knicks had no chance against Celtics but only won because the Celtics were hurt even though they were down 3 to 1 basically when Tatum was hurt 🙄 now pacers win in 4 or 5. I’ll take the knicks in 7 in a great series because it’s a styles clash I won’t be surprised if pacers win but I’ll go knicks