Well, we couldn’t escape it for long. The long-awaited rematch between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks has finally arrived, and the stakes are as high as you can get for only the second game of the regular season. Despite only 159 days passing since their last matchup, these games always have years of hatred and vitriol behind them, especially between the fans. However, some recent bad blood is still relatively fresh in the water as we approach the first game of the 2024-25 NBA season in Madison Square Garden. Let’s talk about it.
The Knicks and Pacers have a storied rivalry dating back to the 1990s, defined by classic battles between Reggie Miller and Patrick Ewing as the two teams face each other six times in the postseason in an 8-year stretch. Their last playoff encounter before 2024 was notable when Roy Hibbert blocked Carmelo Anthony’s dunk in Game 6 of the 2013 Conference Semifinals, denying the Knicks their first Conference Finals appearance since 2000.
Fast forward over a decade, and the Knicks and Pacers were locked in a draining seven-game series marked by injuries and failed comebacks. Despite missing key players and losing All-Star Jalen Brunson, the Knicks pushed the series to seven games, partly due to Indiana’s struggles to close out games—a weakness that led to their undoing in the next round against Boston. After a grueling seven-game series that included career-defining moments and performances from Tyrese Haliburton channeling the ghost of Reggie Miller, Myles Turner, and Andrew Nembhard, the Pacers eventually shut out the Knicks’ playoff hopes with a historic shooting performance in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, stunning Mike Breen, Stephen A. Smith, Spike Lee, and the rest of the New York faithful and sending the biggest market in the NBA home disappointed.
“When you win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, you’ve made history,” said coach Rick Carlisle after the game. “It’s very, very difficult to do. This is the most raucous crowd in the NBA.”
The Knicks made significant moves over the summer. Despite losing top big man Isaiah Hartenstein, they pulled off a significant trade, sending Bojan Bogdanovic and several draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges. They also drafted Tyler Kolek in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Finally, they finished the offseason with a shocking blockbuster trade, sending longtime Knick Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns, solidifying their lineup and positioning themselves as a top contender in the East.
In contrast, the Pacers focused on internal development and continuity. They re-signed Pascal Siakam to a four-year deal. They extended the contract of breakout playoff guard Andrew Nembhard, solidifying their starting backcourt of Tyrese Haliburton and Nembhard for at least four years. They also re-signed power forward Obi Toppin and extended TJ McConnell, both crucial bench pieces to their Conference Finals run. A short-term contract for James Wiseman and a draft day trade for Kansas freshman Johnny Furphy indicate the Pacers are sticking with a formula that brought them close to a 3-1 lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“We want to build on what we did last year,” Carlisle said. “There will be an awful lot of attention paid to the defensive end. From All-Star to the end of the season last year, we were 18th in defense. We believe we can get better. Defense has to be a constant if you want to win a championship.”
Before this game, the Knicks and Pacers played their first games of the season with vastly different results. The Knicks had the honor of tipping off the NBA season on the road against Boston, during which they were humiliated to the tone of a 23-point blowout and the Celtics tying an NBA record for the most three-pointers made in an NBA game. As for the Pacers, they fared far better in their season opener, also on the road. Against a new-look Detroit Pistons squad, Tyrese Haliburton and company clawed back from a double-digit lead to escape Detroit with a six-point win and a 1-0 start.
There is no doubt the Knicks will not only be thinking about revenge for the recent playoff series loss but also desire to prove themselves after being humiliated by the Celtics on opening night. With a roster featuring two bonafide All-Stars in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as supporting pieces such as newly acquired Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, preseason expectations for the Knicks were higher than they have been in decades, surpassing even the Carmelo Anthony-led teams of the 2010s. A win over their most heated rival in their home opener on ESPN, with their very own Mike Breen on the call.
“A big challenge,” Jalen Brunson said after Thursday’s practice. “It’s a team we lost to last year. I mean, they have our number. So we’ve just got to be ready to go. You can always say ‘what if,’ but they won and we’ve got to live with that. We’ve got to move forward.”
For the Pacers, this game is about establishing credibility. Despite their Conference Finals appearance and strong playoff run, knocking out rivals Milwaukee and New York along the way, they’ve been dismissed as a threat in the East, with many favoring teams like New York, Philadelphia, Orlando, Cleveland, and Miami over them. Questions also persist about Tyrese Haliburton’s recovery from injury and his limited Team USA experience. A win against their rival would help silence these doubts and potentially boost the Pacers’ standing as the season progresses. Following one of the greatest playoff shooting performances, both at the iconic Garden, a victory would be a powerful statement for Haliburton and the Pacers and a sign to the rest of the league that they are not to be taken lightly.
“The response and the view on us as a group, after having success last year and that kind of being looked at, as a little bit of like a fluke in some people’s minds is, I think, a big motivation and irritation,” Haliburton said at Media Day. “So I think for us as a group, I think we have a ton of guys who, you know, have chips on their shoulders for different reasons. Everybody’s been doubted one way or another. I think that everybody has different motivations, and I think that this just adds chips on our shoulders to everybody as a group, and I think that’s the exciting part because I think that’s why there was so much success and hunger last year, and that doesn’t change going into this year because we know what we’re capable of. We’ve always known what we’re capable of, and we don’t need to talk about it. We’ll just be it this year.”
Long story short, the Knicks will fight for recognition and acknowledgment among the NBA’s elite and a measure of revenge after being humiliated on their home floor to end their season only 160 days ago. In contrast, the Pacers will fight for any level of recognition and assure the rest of the league that they are not a fluke team and can beat the Knicks any time they want, including at Madison Square Garden.
If you were stressed out during Thursday’s matchup against Detroit, you might want to fasten your seatbelts for this one. Pacers. Knicks. ESPN. The world’s most famous arena. It doesn’t get any bigger than this.
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