The Knicks–Pacers rivalry is a
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
between the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
and the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). The rivalry started in 1977 and quickly became one of the most bitter in NBA history. They met in the playoffs 6 times from 1993 to 2000, fueling a rivalry epitomized by the enmity between Pacer
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...
and prominent Knick fan
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...
. Miller likened it to the
Hatfield–McCoy feud
The Hatfield–McCoy Feud involved two American families of the West Virginia–Kentucky area along the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River (Kentucky-West Virginia), Big Sandy River from 1863 to 1891. The Hatfields of West Virginia were led by Devi ...
, and ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' said in 1998 that it was "as combustible as any in the league".
The rivalry gave Miller the nickname "The Knick-Killer". His clutch performances were frequently followed by jabs at Lee like the choke sign, adding fuel to the rivalry. The rivalry was briefly renewed during the
2013 NBA playoffs
The 2013 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2012–13 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spu ...
in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with Indiana winning in 6 games. The rivalry was then renewed once again during the
2024 NBA playoffs
The 2024 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2023–24 season. The playoffs began on April 20 and concluded on June 17 with the Boston Celtics winning the 2024 NBA Finals over the Dallas Mav ...
in the Eastern Conference Semifinals following the Pacers upsetting the Knicks in game 7, and again in the Eastern Conference Finals of the
2025 NBA playoffs.
Fans of both teams refer to the rivalry as the "Hicks vs. Knicks", arising from the contrasting fanbases and media portrayals of the two teams, with the Pacers often being associated with a "small town" image and the Knicks representing the "big city" of New York.
Pre 1990s
Since the creation of the Pacers franchise in the ABA in 1967, the Knicks and Pacers have always been indirectly linked together. In the ABA, the Pacers won championships in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
,
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
, and
1973
Events January
* January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
. Meanwhile, the Knicks won it all in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
and
1973
Events January
* January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
. Before each team's 1971 season, the Pacers and Knicks played an exhibition game in September, with the Knicks winning by two at the
Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum. The game was one of the first ABA vs NBA games ever played.
In the ABA, the Pacers biggest rival was the
New York Nets
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995
* "New" (Daya song), 2017
* "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
.
The Knicks and Pacers were also at the center of the controversial
1985 draft lottery. The first year the NBA draft lottery was introduced was in 1985. Prior to 1985, the team with the worst record in each conference would participate in a coin flip to determine the first overall pick in the NBA draft. In 1985, the Pacers and Warriors were tied for the worst record in the league, with the Knicks having the third worst record. Some have argued that NBA Commissioner
David Stern
David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020) was an American lawyer and business executive who was the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 2014. Stern oversaw NBA basketball's growth into one of t ...
fixed the first overall pick to help his hometown team, the struggling New York Knicks. The lottery system used in 1985 involved a random drawing of seven envelopes from a hopper, with each of the then-seven non-playoff teams having an equal chance of obtaining the first pick. Inside each of the envelopes was the logo of a non-playoff team. The team whose envelope was drawn first would get the first pick. The process was then repeated until the rest of the first seven lottery picks were determined. In the U.S.,
CBS had live coverage of Stern pulling the envelopes from the hopper (as opposed to NBA Draft lotteries today where the actual drawing is held behind closed doors ''before'' the results are revealed on TV). The "frozen envelope theory" suggests that the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
rigged its 1985 draft lottery so that
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American basketball coach and former professional player who is a basketball ambassador for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played most o ...
would join the New York Knicks. Theorists claim that a lottery envelope was chilled so that it could be identified by touch. The Pacers finished second in the draft lottery and took
Wayman Tisdale.
1993 Eastern Conference first round
The two teams first met in the first round of the
1993 NBA Playoffs. The Knicks, led by
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American basketball coach and former professional player who is a basketball ambassador for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played most o ...
,
Charles Oakley ,
John Starks,
Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An NBA player for 14 seasons, he was an NB ...
, and Coach of the Year
Pat Riley
Patrick James Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, former coach, and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995, and he also se ...
had amassed a record-the best in the
East
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...
-and earned the top seed in the East. The Pacers, with Miller,
Rik Smits,
Detlef Schrempf, and
Dale Davis barely squeaked into the playoffs with a record, thanks to the tiebreaker over the Magic. The Knicks won the first two games at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
before the Pacers won the first of two at
Market Square Arena. Game 3 is remembered as being a precursor for the next decade, as trash-talking between Miller and Starks culminated with Starks
headbutt
A headbutt or butt is a targeted strike (attack), strike with the head, typically involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's Skull#Humans, cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of ...
ing Miller in the 3rd quarter, leading to his ejection. The Knicks, however, took Game 4 and advanced (the playoff format had a best-of-5 first round until 2003) to defeat the
Hornets before bowing out to the Bulls. The Pacers fired
Bob Hill and hired the nomadic but legendary
Larry Brown.
1994 Eastern Conference finals
The Pacers got their first chance at revenge the following year in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. Brown traded Schrempf for
Derrick McKey and added rookie forward
Antonio Davis, veteran
Byron Scott
Byron Antom Scott (born March 28, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a role player, Scott won three NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during the ...
, and journeyman point guard
Haywoode Workman. They finished with a record and the 5th seed in the East, winning their final 8 games. They swept Orlando and upset the top-seeded Hawks in 6.
Meanwhile, the Knicks, following
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
's first retirement, were heavily favored to win the East. Rivers was lost for the season with a knee injury in December, but New York acquired
Derek Harper from Dallas to replace him. Despite winning the Atlantic Division, they lost the top seed in the East to Atlanta; both teams finished 57–25 and split the season series 2–2, but the Hawks won the tiebreaker. The Knicks beat the Nets in 4, then finally beat Chicago in 7 to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, where Indiana was waiting.
Both teams won their first two home games. However, in Game 5 at New York, Miller scored 39 points (25 in the fourth) in the Pacers' 93–86 victory. Miller hit several long 3's during the quarter while engaging in an animated discussion with
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...
, who was seated courtside. After Indiana took a 3–2 series lead with the victory, the ''New York Daily News'' ran a cover story with Lee's picture and the sarcastic headline, "Thanks A Lot, Spike". However, Indiana lost the next two games and the series. Ewing scored the decisive points off a put-back dunk in Game 7 with 26.9 seconds left. It capped one of the center's finest postseason performances of his career, as he finished with 24 points, 22 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 blocks. Miller airballed a last-second 3, and the Knicks closed the series out at the foul line for a 94–90 victory.
1995 Eastern Conference semifinals
By virtue of the previous year's 7-game series between the two teams, the Knicks and Pacers were now rivals, but the Pacers had yet to answer their foe's last two playoff series wins. The Pacers addressed their need for a point guard by acquiring former Knick
Mark Jackson from the
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
. Indiana also stepped up their game. Smits enjoyed his best NBA season, averaged career highs of 17.9 points and 7.7 rebounds, Miller continued to lead the team with 19.6 points per game with a .415 3-point percentage (15th in the league) and a .897 free throw percentage (4th in the league) and was a starter in the
1995 NBA All-Star Game and member of the
All-NBA Third Team. Derrick McKey played both the third scorer, and provider of intangibles, placing third on the team in both scoring and rebounding, second in assists, and first in steals, earning a spot on the
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...
. Winning the first division title and achieving its first 50-win season since joining the NBA from the
ABA with a record of , the second-seed Pacers swept the Hawks in the first round.
The Knicks, fresh from the previous year's Finals appearance, worked hard to return to the Finals. Anthony Mason, who was eventually named the
1995 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, averaged 9.9 points and 8.4 rebounds, while Ewing (top 10 in scoring, rebounding, and blocks), Starks (15.3 ppg), and others would put up their usually efficient production. Placing 2nd in the Atlantic Division to the Magic with a record and the third seed, the Knicks dispatched the Cavs in 4. With the better record, the Knicks had home-court advantage over the Pacers again, setting the stage for another memorable series.
In Game 1 in New York, it was Miller Time again as he amazingly scored 8 points in the final 18.7 seconds: a 3, followed by stealing the inbounds pass and another 3 to tie the game and 2 free throws, erasing the Knicks' 105–99 lead and stealing the game 107–105. The stunned Knicks settled for a 2-game split with a 96–77 victory, but the Pacers won the next 2 in Indiana 97–95 and 98–84 to take a 3–1 series lead. The Knicks won Game 5 in the Garden 96–95 on Ewing's game-winner with 1.8 seconds left to stay alive and won Game 6 on the road 92–82 to force
Game 7. But the Pacers won in New York 97–95, after Ewing missed a potential game-tying layup as time expired. Pat Riley resigned the day after the
1995 NBA Finals ended, and
Don Nelson, who had recently stepped down as the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
head coach, became Riley's successor.
1998 Eastern Conference semifinals
After a 3-year hiatus, the two teams renewed the rivalry in the 1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Unlike the previous 2 meetings, the Pacers were heavy favorites. The Knicks were without
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American basketball coach and former professional player who is a basketball ambassador for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played most o ...
, who suffered a severely broken wrist early in the regular season. Ewing returned to the lineup in Game 2 but wasn't 100%. The Knicks managed to make the playoffs as the 7th seed in the East. The Knicks upset the 2nd seeded Heat in 5 in their first-round match-up, while the Pacers disposed of the 6th seeded Cavs 3–1.
Indiana won Games 1 and 2 at Market Square Arena. At home in Game 3, the Knicks won 83–76 behind a strong performance by Ewing, who finished with 19 points and 7 rebounds, and a strong defensive effort. Game 4 was a sharp contrast from the first 3 games, as it was a high scoring affair in the Garden that Indiana won 118–107 in OT behind another great performance by Miller, who hit a 3 with 5.1 seconds left to tie it at 102 and force OT. He finished with 38 points. The Pacers also got good performances from Rik Smits (23 points, 8 rebounds), Mark Jackson (16 points, 15 assists), and
Chris Mullin
Christopher Paul Mullin (born July 30, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player, executive and coach. He is a five time NBA All-Star and four time All-NBA Team member. He is also two-time Olympic Gold medalist and a two-time ...
(18 points, 5 steals). Indiana clinched the series with a 99–88 win in Game 5 despite a great performance from Knicks guard
Allan Houston.
1999 Eastern Conference finals
In the lockout shortened
1998–99 NBA season
The 1998–99 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Due to the lockout, the regular season was reduced to 50 games for each team, and began on February 5, 1999. The 1999 NBA All-Star Game, which was to be ...
, the Knicks had a disappointing regular season, despite having a healthy Ewing and the controversial additions of talented guard
Latrell Sprewell and
Marcus Camby
Marcus Dion Camby (born March 22, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player who played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading ...
, who were acquired in trades for crowd favorites Starks and Oakley, respectively. However, New York snuck into the playoffs as the eighth seed with a record. The Pacers finished as the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a record and were considered by many to be the favorites to win the Eastern Conference with the breakup of the Bulls. The 8th-seeded Knicks were able to knock off 1st seeded Miami for the 2nd year in a row after Allan Houston made the game-winning shot in Game 5 that bounced off the front rim, off the backboard, and in with 0.8 seconds left. This was only the second time in NBA history that a #8 seed beat a #1 seed in the first round. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Knicks stunned the Hawks, sweeping them 4–0. Meanwhile, the Pacers were on a roll in the playoffs, sweeping the Bucks and 76ers.
The Knicks won Game 1 on the road 93–90 behind strong performances from Ewing, Sprewell, Houston, and Larry Johnson. The Pacers settled for a split at Market Square Arena, beating New York 88–86 in Game 2. However, the bigger loss for the Knicks appeared to be the loss of Ewing to an Achilles' tendon injury. He was out for the rest of the playoffs. However, with the series heading back to New York, the Knicks played inspired basketball. New York won Game 3 92–91 behind strong performances from Johnson (26 points, 8 rebounds) and Camby (21 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals). It was Johnson's 4-point play, on a foul called on Antonio Davis, that ended up as the game-winner. The Pacers shook off the loss to win Game 4 at Madison Square Garden 90–78 to even the series back up at 2. With the series going back to Indiana for Game 5 without Ewing, New York's
Cinderella run appeared to be over. But the Knicks played inspired in Game 5 and won 101–94 at Market Square Arena despite a 30-point performance from Miller, to take a 3–2 lead with a chance to clinch in New York. New York was anchored by strong performances from Sprewell (29 points) and Camby (21 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks). The Knicks suffered yet another blow in Game 6, with Larry Johnson going down with an injury early in the first half. But Allan Houston's 32 points, coupled with one of the worst postseason performances of Miller's career (He scored only 8 points on 3-of-18 shooting), helped New York beat Indiana 90–82 to clinch the series 4–2. With their victory, the Knicks became the first eighth seed to reach the
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
before falling short against the San Antonio Spurs in 5 games.
2000 Eastern Conference finals
The Pacers finished the regular season 56–26 and clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers were pushed to the limit in the first round by the Bucks, led by
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
. In the decisive Game 5,
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...
tied his career playoff high by scoring 41 points to win the series. After beating
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson ( ; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as both a shooting guard and point guard. As an NBA rook ...
's 76ers in the second round in six games, the Pacers once again reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks, the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, swept the Raptors in three. The Knicks were once again matched up against Miami, and won the series in seven.
The Pacers, having home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference Playoffs, won the first two games against the Knicks in their first year at the newly constructed Conseco Fieldhouse, now named
Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Returning to New York, the Knicks evened up the series at 2 by winning the following 2 at the Garden. The Pacers won the next game at home, and then Game 6 (in what would be Ewing's last game as a Knick) in New York 93–80 behind Reggie Miller's game-high 34 points, (5–7 from downtown). Miller scored 17 in the fourth (3–3 from downtown) as the Pacers advanced to the
2000 NBA Finals
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conferen ...
for the first time in franchise history. The Pacers would eventually lose to the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
in six games led by superstars
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
and
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
.
2013 Eastern Conference semifinals
The Knicks had major struggles after the Ewing era. They did not win a single playoff series from 2001 to 2012. Meanwhile, the Pacers remained competitive even as Reggie Miller neared retirement, but struggled after he retired, making the playoffs only once between 2005 and 2010.
The Knicks and Pacers rebuilt their teams and returned to the playoffs in
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
. The Knicks were now led by high-scoring
Carmelo Anthony,
J.R. Smith,
Raymond Felton, and
Tyson Chandler, while the Pacers, led by
Paul George,
David West and
Roy Hibbert, relied on their trademark defense-first philosophy in returning to the playoffs. It took some time before both teams regained the elite status they enjoyed in the 1990s.
On May 3, 2013, the Knicks beat the
Celtics on the road and won the first round series 4–2 while Indiana beat the
Hawks
Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica.
The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and othe ...
on the road to win their series 4–2. The Pacers took Game 1 in New York 102–95, but the Knicks regrouped themselves in Game 2 and blew out Indiana 105–79. In Game 3,
Amar'e Stoudemire
Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire (born November 16, 1982) is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NB ...
returned from knee surgery but couldn't help the Knicks as they lost 82–71. The Pacers won Game 4 in Indianapolis 93–82 to take a 3–1 series lead, but New York took Game 5 85–75 to stay alive. In Game 6, the Pacers went on an 11–3 run late to take the lead for good and win 106–99 to eliminate New York and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the eventual NBA champions
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
in 7.
2024 Eastern Conference semifinals
Coming into this series, all-star
Julius Randle of the Knicks and
Rising Stars MVP
Bennedict Mathurin of the Pacers both missed the entirety of the
2024 NBA Playoffs
The 2024 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2023–24 season. The playoffs began on April 20 and concluded on June 17 with the Boston Celtics winning the 2024 NBA Finals over the Dallas Mav ...
due to season-ending injuries during the
regular season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of S ...
. The Knicks finished their
2023–24 season 50–32, good enough for the 2nd seed in the East, while the Pacers ended their
2023–24 season 47–35, holding the 6th seed. In the first round, the Knicks defeated
Joel Embiid
Joel Hans Embiid ( ; born 16 March 1994) is a Cameroonian and American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks men's ...
,
Tyrese Maxey, and the
76ers in 6 games, while the Pacers defeated the
Bucks in six games.
Despite starting forward
Julius Randle missing the series due to injury, the Knicks jumped out to a series lead after winning game one at home, after a series of controversial officiating decisions in the final minute. They also won game two, in which they further lost starter
OG Anunoby to injury until game seven. The Pacers responded by winning games three and four at home, before the teams traded home wins in games five and six. The Pacers won the series with a historic offensive performance in game seven, winning the series 4–3 after routing the Knicks 130–109.
As for the Knicks in
2023–24, they were given the fan nickname the "Nova Knicks" due to several players from the
2016 Villanova Wildcats national championship team playing for them –
Jalen Brunson,
Donte DiVincenzo,
Josh Hart and
Ryan Arcidiacono (before being traded during the season) all played with the Knicks during that season.
2025 Eastern Conference finals
The Knicks and Pacers met again in the
2025 NBA playoffs, both reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for a berth to the
2025 NBA Finals
The 2025 NBA Finals is the ongoing championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2024–25 NBA season, 2024–25 season and conclusion to 2025 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven series is being played bet ...
. This is the second straight year the two teams met in the postseason and the first rematch in a Conference Final since the
2000 NBA playoffs which saw the Pacers reach the
2000 NBA Finals
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conferen ...
.
In
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, following their playoff loss to the Pacers, the Knicks lost free agents
Isaiah Hartenstein and
Alec Burks. In response, the Knicks acquired
Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), nicknamed “KAT”, and “The Big Bodega”, is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college baske ...
from the
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
in exchange for
Julius Randle,
Donte DiVincenzo and a first round pick. The Knicks also acquired former
Villanova Wildcat Mikal Bridges from the
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
in a package surrounding
Bojan Bogdanović,
Shake Milton, and five future first-round picks, plus a first-round pick swap. The trade reunited Bridges with his former Villanova teammates
Jalen Brunson and
Josh Hart. The group had been given the nickname the "Villanova Knicks" or "Nova Knicks" the previous season, with DiVincenzo having previously been the third member. To improve their bench, New York signed
Cameron Payne,
P. J. Tucker,
Landry Shamet and acquired
Delon Wright.
In game one, the Pacers orchestrated their third improbable comeback this playoffs, with a stunning 138–135 comeback win against the Knicks in Game 1. The Knicks led by 14 points with 2:51 minutes left, but
Aaron Nesmith kept the Pacers in the game with a flurry of 3-pointers, becoming the first player in NBA history to make six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. Still with a slim lead,
Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), nicknamed “KAT”, and “The Big Bodega”, is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college baske ...
and
OG Anunoby proceeded to go 1-for-2 each at the free throw line with less than 15 seconds left. After Anunoby's free throw make with 7.1 seconds left to put the Knicks up two,
Tyrese Haliburton dribbled the ball up the court, attacked the rim, dribbled back out toward the 3-point line and fired up the jumper over
Mitchell Robinson. The ball bounced high above the shot clock and miraculously went in. Haliburton did a choke signal towards the crowd, harking back to Pacers Hall of Famer
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...
's choke sign at
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...
while leading an Indiana comeback in Game 5 of the
1994 Eastern Conference Finals (Miller was also in attendance at the game for
TNT
Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...
doing
color commentary). While the Pacers rushed towards Haliburton in celebration thinking they had won the game, officials reviewed the last play and Haliburton's foot was on the 3-point line, which took the game to overtime. In total, the fourth quarter took 49 minutes in real time to play. In addition, the Pacers outscored the Knicks 20–6 from 2:51 in the fourth quarter until regulation. In OT, the trading of baskets continued between the teams, but a reviewed
Jalen Brunson turnover and a two
Obi Toppin
Obadiah Richard Toppin Jr. ( ; born March 4, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A power forward, he played college basketball for the Dayton Flyers men's bask ...
dunks gave the Pacers the slight three point edge. With 10.1 seconds left, Brunson and Towns missed threes that would have tied the game, thus giving Indiana the win. Haliburton (31 points, 11 assists) and Nesmith (30 points, 8-for-9 from three) starred in the Pacers victory. The Knicks, who had a 99.7% chance of winning the game deep in the fourth quarter, were led by Brunson (45 points, 15-for-25 from the floor) and Towns (35 points, 11-for-17 from the floor, 12 rebounds).
Following an unbelievable comeback by the Pacers the previous game, neither team led by more than 10 points in Game 2. However, Indiana saw a huge performance by
Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam ( ; born 2 April 1994) is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Team, All-NBA selection, he won an NBA champ ...
, who finished with 39 points on 15-23 shooting, including 16 in the 1st quarter. Despite
Tyrese Haliburton contributing just 14 points on 5-16 shooting, he finished with a near triple-double with 8 rebounds and 11 assists. For New York,
Jalen Brunson led the way with 36 points and 11 assists, but missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer as the Knicks failed to complete a late rally.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), nicknamed “KAT”, and “The Big Bodega”, is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college baske ...
finished with 20 points and 7 rebounds, but was a team-low -20 in +/- and sat most of the fourth quarter. With this win, Indiana also took a 2–0 series lead on the road for the 2nd straight series, improving their road record to 6–1. Meanwhile, the Knicks dropped to a 3–5 record at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
in these playoffs.
Game 3 was held in Indianapolis on May 25, 2025, the same day as the
Indy 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
. The Knicks, trailing by 16 midway through the third quarter and still down 10 entering the fourth, with the dreaded 3–0 deficit looming, authored a comeback of their own to get back into the series with a 106–100 win on the road.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), nicknamed “KAT”, and “The Big Bodega”, is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college baske ...
dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 20 of his 24 points in the quarter.
During Game 4 in Indiana, the Pacers won 130–121, with Tyrese Haliburton leading the Pacers with a 32 point, 15 assist and 12 rebound triple double, joining only
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played ...
and
Nikola Jokić
Nikola Jokić ( ; sr-Cyrl, Никола Јокић ; born February 19, 1995) is a Serbian professional basketball player who is a Center (basketball), center for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the ...
as the only players in NBA history to post 30 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a playoff game. Haluburton also had no turnovers, becoming the first player in NBA history to put up such a scoreline with no turnovers. Pascal Siakam also contributed 30 points to the win. Former Knick
Obi Toppin
Obadiah Richard Toppin Jr. ( ; born March 4, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A power forward, he played college basketball for the Dayton Flyers men's bask ...
hit a game-clinching three with 46 seconds left to seal the deal against his former team.
The Knicks dominated Game 5 back at Madison Square Garden, with a 111–94 win. The Pacers never led the game, with the Knicks leading the entire game, starting 18 seconds into the game. Jalen Brunson put up 32 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns put up 24 points. .
The Pacers once again hosted Game 6 back in Indianapolis. The game remained close throughout the first half, with the Pacers leading 58-54 at the half. However, the Pacers dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks 34–23. The Pacers went on to win 125-108, with Siakam having 31 points, and Haliburton putting up 21, including 11 in the fourth quarter. For his efforts Siakam was awarded
Eastern Conference Finals MVP. The Pacers won the series in 6 games, advancing to the
2025 NBA Finals
The 2025 NBA Finals is the ongoing championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2024–25 NBA season, 2024–25 season and conclusion to 2025 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven series is being played bet ...
for the first time since
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
and for just the second time in franchise history.
Following their playoff loss to the Pacers, the Knicks announced on June 3, 2025, head coach
Tom Thibodeau was fired after leading the franchise to consecutive 50 win seasons including four playoff berths and
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
Coach of the Year.
The series was also notable for being the last NBA games broadcast by
TNT
Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...
after 36 years.
Aftermath
1994–2000: NBA Finals appearances & iconic moments
The Knicks reached the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999, losing in seven games to the Rockets and five games to the Spurs, respectively. The defeat in 1994 denied New York the distinction of having both NBA and
NHL championships in the same year, as
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
hosted the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years following their win over the Canucks in Game 7 of the
1994 Stanley Cup Finals while the series was in New York. (The Rockets had home court advantage during the 1994 Finals.) The Pacers finally reached the
2000 NBA Finals
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conferen ...
by defeating the Knicks in the
2000 Eastern Conference Finals, eventually losing to the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
in six games.
The playoff battles between these two franchises led to some of the greatest moments in NBA playoff history, such as
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...
's 25 fourth quarter points in Game 5 of the
1994 Eastern Conference Finals, Miller's 8 points in the last 18.7 seconds to win Game 1 of the
1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, and
Larry Johnson's 4-point play in the waning seconds of Game 3 of the
1999 Eastern Conference Finals. Despite the animosity between the two teams,
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...
was featured in a cameo in the 1998 film ''
He Got Game'', directed by
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...
. During Miller's final game at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
, the crowd began to chant Miller's name, while Miller and Lee embraced at the game's end.
In
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, the Pacers addressed their need for a
point guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game.
A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...
by acquiring former Knick
Mark Jackson from the
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
in exchange for
Pooh Richardson,
Malik Sealy
Malik Sealy (February 1, 1970 – May 20, 2000) was an American professional basketball player, active from 1992 until his death in an automobile accident at the age of 30. Posthumously inducted into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, Sealy ...
, and the draft rights to
Eric Piatkowski. With the Pacers, he teamed with
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...
,
Rik Smits,
Antonio Davis and
Dale Davis for five out of the next six seasons to make the Indiana Pacers a contender. Jackson was traded to the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
before the
1996–97 NBA season
The 1996–97 NBA season was the 51st season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league used this season to celebrate its 50th anniversary, which included the unveiling of the league's list of its 50 greatest players. This particu ...
started in exchange for rising star
Jalen Rose
Jalen Anthony Rose (born January 30, 1973) is an American sports analyst and former professional basketball player. In college, he was a member of the University of Michigan Michigan Wolverines, Wolverines' "Fab Five (University of Michigan), Fa ...
. After falling out of playoff contention, and looking to re-energize the team's on-court performance, Pacers' president
Donnie Walsh traded again for Jackson and
LaSalle Thompson at the trade deadline, giving up
Vincent Askew,
Eddie Johnson and second round picks in
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
and
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
. The return of Jackson sparked the Pacers, but they still missed the playoffs for the only time in the last decade and a half. Jackson would eventually appear in his only NBA Finals as the Pacers' starting point guard in
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, when they lost to the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
in six games. Shortly after, Jackson returned to the Knicks in
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
and helped them reach the playoffs as a starter before retiring in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
.
2000–2010: Restructuring eras
In
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, the Pacers hired
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
legend
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III ( ; born April 30, 1961), also known as "Zeke", is an American former professional basketball player who is head coach of the Saginaw Soul of the Basketball Super League, and also an analyst for NBA TV and Fox Sports. H ...
as head coach on July 20, 2000. He succeeded
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
, who previously coached the Pacers to the
2000 NBA Finals
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conferen ...
. Thomas would serve as head coach until
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
before being hired by the Knicks as president of basketball operations on December 22, 2003. In
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, Thomas became the head coach of the Knicks for two seasons before stepping down in
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
.
In
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
, the Knicks hired Pacers legend
Herb Williams as an assistant coach. He would serve on the Knicks coaching staff until
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, before joining the
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Confer ...
from
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
to
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
. From
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
to
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
, Williams averaged double figures in all seven of his full seasons as a Pacer, including a career-best 19.9 points per game in
1985–86. He remains among the Pacers' top ten career leaders in rebounds (4,494), blocks (1,094), and games played (577). In
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
, he was signed by the Knicks, where he spent seven years backing up
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American basketball coach and former professional player who is a basketball ambassador for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played most o ...
. The Knicks made the
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
and
1999 NBA Finals
The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs took on the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks f ...
, with Williams serving as a team leader.
In
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, the
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
traded former key Pacer player
Antonio Davis along with
Eddy Curry to the Knicks for
Michael Sweetney
Michael Damien Sweetney (born October 25, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He is now the assistant coach of the Yeshiva University Men's basketball team and head coach of the girls varsity basketball team at New York's ...
,
Tim Thomas and
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine LaJuane Jacksun (né Jackson; born December 11, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter and bassist. He is known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of the ...
. Through 36 games with the Knicks, Davis averaged 5.0 points with 4.8 rebounds a game before being traded to the
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
for former Pacers star and teammate
Jalen Rose
Jalen Anthony Rose (born January 30, 1973) is an American sports analyst and former professional basketball player. In college, he was a member of the University of Michigan Michigan Wolverines, Wolverines' "Fab Five (University of Michigan), Fa ...
, a first-round draft pick, and an undisclosed sum of cash (believed to be around $3 million). This trade reunited Rose with
Larry Brown, his coach for one year with the Pacers. The motivation behind this trade was apparently to free up cap space (Rose earned close to $16 million a year) and to allow the Raptors to acquire an experienced center who could relieve some of
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh (born March 24, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. A Texas Mr. Basketball in high school, he played one season of college basketball for Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball, Georgia Tech ...
's rebounding duties. Rose would leave the Knicks months later to join the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
in pursuit of an NBA Championship during their
2006–07 season before retiring the year after.
In
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, the Knicks acquired former Pacer
Fred Jones, along with
Zach Randolph
Zachary McKenley Randolph (born July 16, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Z-Bo", the 2-time NBA All-Star played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball, Michigan State Spartans bef ...
and
Dan Dickau from the
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
in exchange for
Channing Frye and
Steve Francis. As a member of the Pacers in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, Jones won the
NBA Slam Dunk Contest
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest (officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend.
The contest was conceived of and started by the American Basketball Associat ...
, beating out two-time champion
Jason Richardson, but did not compete in the contest again. The trade reunited Jones with Knicks head coach
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III ( ; born April 30, 1961), also known as "Zeke", is an American former professional basketball player who is head coach of the Saginaw Soul of the Basketball Super League, and also an analyst for NBA TV and Fox Sports. H ...
, the man who selected him in the
2002 NBA Draft
The 2002 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2002, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. In this draft, National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting 57 amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, ...
by the Pacers. The Knicks did not re-sign him after the year.
Later, in
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, the Knicks also acquired former Pacer
Al Harrington in exchange for
Jamal Crawford.
In his two seasons with the Knicks, Harrington played the best basketball of his career, but did not reach the playoffs in either season. In 140 games (66 starts), he averaged 19.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 32.7 minutes per game.
2010–2023: Regaining relevancy
Following their
2013 series, promising Knicks rookie,
Chris Copeland
Christopher Stephen Copeland (born March 17, 1984) nicknamed "The X-Factor" is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Early life
Copeland was born in Orange, New ...
, received a two-year, $6.1 million offer sheet from the Pacers. The Knicks declined to match the offer, and Copeland signed with the Pacers on July 14. Copeland's production dropped off dramatically with the Pacers in
2013–14 as he averaged just 3.7 points and 6.5 minutes in 41 games, playing behind
Paul George,
Danny Granger and
Evan Turner
Evan Marcel Turner (born October 27, 1988) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He was most recently an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted second overall ...
as Indiana lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
"
Big Three" (
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
,
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. ( or , born January 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player who is currently the co-owner of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. He is also currently the host of the American a ...
and
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh (born March 24, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. A Texas Mr. Basketball in high school, he played one season of college basketball for Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball, Georgia Tech ...
). Copeland would go on to have a larger role with the Pacers in
2014–15 due to several injuries to star players. For the Knicks in
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, they acquired former Pacer star
Metta World Peace
Metta Sandiford-Artest (born Ronald William Artest Jr., November 13, 1979), previously legally named Metta World Peace, is an American former professional basketball player who played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Un ...
.
In
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
and
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
, the Pacers signed former Knicks centers
Jordan Hill and
Kevin Séraphin in back–to–back seasons. Hill and Séraphin served as backups to
Myles Turner, helping Indiana reach the
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
and
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
playoffs.
In
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, former Pacer
Jarrett Jack signed with the Knicks. The same offseason, with the Knicks looking to rebuild, the team traded away star
Carmelo Anthony in exchange for
Doug McDermott,
Enes Kanter and a 2018 second-round pick. McDermott played 55 games for the Knicks, averaging 7.2 points, before being moved to the
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
. Months later, McDermott signed with the Pacers on July 6, 2018, and received an increased role, helping the Pacers reach the
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
and
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
playoffs. He experienced his best season in the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
in
2020–21, averaging 13.6 points and 3.3 rebounds on 53.2% shooting with the Pacers. In
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, McDermott would return to the Pacers in a trade surrounding
Buddy Hield, helping them reach the
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
Eastern Conference Finals.
In
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, the Knicks traded away star
Kristaps Porziņģis
Kristaps Porziņģis (; born 2 August 1995) is a Latvian professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Unicorn" for his ability to make plays and shoot 3-pointers as a Center ...
alongside
Trey Burke
Alfonso Clark "Trey" Burke III (born November 12, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for Leones de Ponce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines where in the 2012–1 ...
,
Courtney Lee and
Tim Hardaway Jr. to the
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
in exchange for
Wesley Matthews,
Dennis Smith Jr.,
DeAndre Jordan
Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. (born July 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball ...
, an unprotected
2021 first-round draft pick, and an additional top-ten protected
2023 first round draft pick. After playing only 2 games with the Knicks,
Wesley Matthews was waived and immediately signed with the Pacers for the remainder of the year, joining former Knicks fan-favorite
Kyle O'Quinn in Indiana. Matthews served as a starter for Indiana in all 23 games, averaging 10.9 points on 36.9% three-point shooting, helping the team reach the
2019 playoffs in the absence of
Victor Oladipo due to injury. In
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, the following season, the Pacers signed former Knick
Justin Holiday, uniting him with his younger brother
Aaron
According to the Old Testament of the Bible, Aaron ( or ) was an Israelite prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Information about Aaron comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament ...
. In the
2024 NBA Finals
The 2024 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2023–24 NBA season, 2023–24 season and conclusion to 2024 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. In the best-of-seven playoffs series, the Eastern ...
, their older brother
Jrue Holiday won his second championship alongside former Knick,
Porziņģis on the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
.
2023–present: New eras
In
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
, the Pacers acquired
Obi Toppin
Obadiah Richard Toppin Jr. ( ; born March 4, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A power forward, he played college basketball for the Dayton Flyers men's bask ...
, the 8th overall pick in the
2020 NBA draft, from the Knicks in exchange for 2 future second–round picks. On the Pacers, Toppin joined
Jalen Smith,
Tyrese Haliburton,
Aaron Nesmith,
Jordan Nwora, and later
James Wiseman, all selected in the
2020 NBA draft. The same season, in
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, the Knicks acquired former Pacers
Bojan Bogdanović and
Duane Washington Jr.. The Knicks and Pacers would again meet in the
2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals, with the Pacers winning a historic game seven in New York.
Related media and events
The 1994 and 1995 series were the subject of 2010's ''Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks''. Directed by Dan Klores, it is one of the
original
Originality is the aspect of created or invented works that distinguish them from reproductions, clones, forgeries, or substantially derivative works. The modern idea of originality is according to some scholars tied to Romanticism, by a notion t ...
ESPN ''
30 for 30
''30 for 30'' is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series und ...
'' documentaries.
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
also referenced the rivalry. On June 28, 2024 after the 2024 series and the conclusion of the season,
Logan Paul
Logan Alexander Paul (born April 1, 1995) is an American influencer, professional wrestler, Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, boxing, boxer, and actor. He has over 23 million subscribers on his YouTube channel ''Logan Paul Vlogs'' and has ranked ...
in a heel role brought out Tyrese Haliburton for his Money in the Bank qualifier match on ''Smackdown'' at Madison Square Garden against
LA Knight and
Santos Escobar. Jalen Brunson was watching in the front row and confronted Haliburton, including with a folded steel chair, when Haliburton threatened to pass Paul brass knuckles and received MVP chants for it. When the Knicks and Pacers were confirmed to face each other in the following year's Eastern Conference Finals, WWE Hall of Famer and Chief Content Officer
Paul "Triple H" Levesque remarked in a tweet, "It's almost like we wrote it…" in response to an official ESPN tweet referencing the
WrestleMania X-Seven poster showing Haliburton, Brunson and Madison Square Garden in place of
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson and later Steven James Williams; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, producer and retired Professional wrestling, profes ...
,
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and the Astrodome.
Season-by-season results
, -
,
, Tie
,
, Tie,
, Tie,
, Tie
, As part of the merger with the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
(ABA), the Indiana Pacers join the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) and are placed in the
Western Conference and the
Midwest Division.
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, Tie
,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style="" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, Tie
, Pacers are moved to the
Eastern Conference and the
Central Division.
On February 20, 1980, Pacers beat the Knicks 131–86, their largest victory against the Knicks with a 45–point differential.
, -
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Pacers
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Pacers
,
, -
,
, Tie
,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Pacers
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, Tie
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, Knicks win 11 home games in a row against the Pacers.
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Knicks
, On December 20, 1988, Knicks beat the Pacers Knicks 141–113, their most points scored in a game against the Pacers.
Knicks record their first season series sweep against the Pacers and finish with a winning record at Indiana for the first time.
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
, -
,
, Tie
,
, Tie,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
, One game was played on
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., and often referred to shorthand as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the third Monday of January each year. King was the chief spokespers ...
.
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"
,
1993 Eastern Conference First Round
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
, 1st postseason series.
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"
,
1994 Eastern Conference Finals
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, 2nd postseason series.
Knicks win 11 home games in a row against the Pacers.
Knicks go on to lose
1994 NBA Finals
The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1993–94 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Houston Rockets played the Eastern Conference cham ...
.
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"
,
1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, 3rd postseason series.
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"
,
1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, 4th postseason series.
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"
,
1999 Eastern Conference Finals
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Knicks
, 5th postseason series.
Final games Pacers played at
Market Square Arena.
Knicks go on to lose
1999 NBA Finals
The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs took on the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks f ...
.
, -
,
, Tie
,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, Pacers open
Conseco Fieldhouse (now known as
Gainbridge Fieldhouse).
One game was played on
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
.
, -
, - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"
,
2000 Eastern Conference Finals
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, 6th postseason series.
Pacers go on to lose
2000 NBA Finals
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conferen ...
.
, -
,
, Tie
,
, Tie,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, Pacers finish with the best record in the league (61–21).
, -
,
, Tie
,
, Tie,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, Tie
,
, Tie,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
, Pacers finish with a winning record in New York for the first time since the
1980 season.
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, Pacers record their first season series sweep against the Knicks.
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Knicks
, Knicks win the season series for the first time since the
1996 season and finish with a winning record at Indiana in the regular season for the first time since the
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
.
, -
,
, Tie
,
, Tie,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
, On January 3, 2010, Knicks beat the Pacers 132–89, their largest victory against the Pacers with a 43–point differential.
, -
, -
,
, Tie
,
, Tie,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
, Knicks record their 100th win against the Pacers.
Knicks finish with a winning record at home against the Pacers for the first time since the
2001 season.
, -
,
, Tie
,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"
,
2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, 7th postseason series.
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, Pacers record their 100th win against the Knicks.
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
, Pacers win 12 home games in a row against the Knicks.
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie
,
, -
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, Tie
,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Knicks
, On April 9, 2023, Pacers beat the Knicks 141–136, their most points scored in a game against the Knicks.
, -
,
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, Pacers lose the inaugural
2023 NBA Cup.
, - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"
,
2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Knicks
, 8th postseason series.
, -
,
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, Tie,
, style=";" , Knicks
,
, - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"
,
2025 Eastern Conference Finals
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, Tie
, 9th postseason series.
Pacers advance to the
2025 NBA Finals
The 2025 NBA Finals is the ongoing championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2024–25 NBA season, 2024–25 season and conclusion to 2025 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven series is being played bet ...
.
, -
, Regular season games
, style=";" , Knicks
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
,
, -
, Postseason games
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
,
, -
, Postseason series
, style=";" , Pacers
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, style=";" , Pacers,
, Eastern Conference First Round:
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
Eastern Conference Semifinals:
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
,
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
,
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
Eastern Conference Finals:
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
,
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
,
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
,
2025
So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
, -
, Regular and postseason
, style=";" , Tie
, style=";" ,
, style=";" , Knicks,
, style=";" , Pacers,
,
, -
Individual Records
Top Scorers (Regular Season)
Per Game (Regular Season, min. 10 GP)
#
Bernard King
Bernard King (born December 4, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player at the small forward position in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 14 seasons with the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warrior ...
(NYK) – 26.8 (14 GP)
#
Carmelo Anthony (NYK) – 24.7 (18 GP)
#
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American basketball coach and former professional player who is a basketball ambassador for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played most o ...
(NYK) – 23.1 (57 GP)
#
Chuck Person (IND) – 21.8 (26 GP)
#
RJ Barrett (NYK) – 21.6 (12 GP)
Top Scorers (NBA Playoffs)
Per Game (Playoffs)
#
Jalen Brunson (NYK) – 30.2 (13 GP)
#
Carmelo Anthony (NYK) – 28.5 (6 GP)
#
Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), nicknamed “KAT”, and “The Big Bodega”, is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college baske ...
(NYK) – 24.8 (6 GP)
#
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...
(IND) – 23.1 (35 GP)
#
Donte DiVincenzo (NYK) – 22.7 (7 GP)
#
Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam ( ; born 2 April 1994) is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Team, All-NBA selection, he won an NBA champ ...
(IND) – 22.2 (13 GP)
#
Tyrese Haliburton (IND) – 21.2 (13 GP)
References
* ''Winning Time: Reggie Miller v. the New York Knicks''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knicks-Pacers rivalry
NBA rivalries
Indiana Pacers
New York Knicks