The Unmatched Intensity of Pacers vs. Knicks
Ask any longtime basketball fan to name the fiercest NBA rivalries, and Pacers vs. Knicks nearly always comes up—often right at the top. Since their first postseason encounter way back in 1977, these two Eastern powerhouses have written more wild chapters than most teams see in a lifetime. Things really caught fire in the 1990s, taking on a whole new level of competition, drama, and, let’s be honest, some straight-up bad blood between the cities of New York and Indianapolis.
The regular season could never quite match the atmosphere of the playoffs when these teams squared off. Between 1993 and 2000, they met six times in the postseason, with every series packed full of hard fouls, last-second heroics, and the kind of intense pressure that turns role players into legends. Madison Square Garden and Market Square Arena became cauldrons, with fans and players feeding off each other's nerves and adrenaline. The total playoff score? The Pacers narrowly lead 26-22, highlighting just how evenly matched these battles have always been.
Reggie Miller’s 8-Point Miracle and the Rivalry’s Defining Moments
No one personified this rivalry better than Reggie Miller. In May 1995, Miller delivered one of the most mind-boggling performances ever seen on a basketball court—8 points in 9 seconds, single-handedly flipping Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Knicks fans still shudder at the memory. With his signature choke sign and unwavering swagger, Miller gave the Pacers an edge that extended far beyond the stat sheet, and his rivalry with Knicks superfan Spike Lee turned every trip to New York into must-see TV.
But the Pacers didn’t own all the spotlight. The 1999 Eastern Conference Finals gave Knicks fans their own historic moments. New York, limping through the playoffs as the eighth seed and missing captain Patrick Ewing after a brutal Achilles injury, somehow willed their way past Indiana in six games. Larry Johnson’s now-legendary four-point play in Game 3 sent the Garden into a frenzy, while Allan Houston dropped 32 in Game 6 to seal the series. The Knicks’ underdog run all the way to the NBA Finals remains a badge of honor for New Yorkers, partly because it came by overcoming their Pacers vs. Knicks foes.
Now, with the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals serving as the ninth postseason collision between these two teams—and the fourth time it's happened at the conference finals stage—the old wounds and wild memories are bubbling up again. Fans on both sides are digging out vintage jerseys, reliving highlights on social media, and rehashing old arguments about who won the psychological war. It’s clear: some rivalries never lose their edge. No matter who advances to the Finals, Pacers vs. Knicks will always mean something extra—both on the court and to the cities that live and breathe this feud.