NBA history is next to incomplete without the rivalry across the entire Pacers vs Knicks timeline. The playoff battles and close finishes are the ones shaping the Eastern Conference drama year after year.
Doesn’t matter if you want the playoff history, records or clutch performances, this is your complete guide to Pacers vs Knicks history.
Table of Contents
History of Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers was founded in 1967, after which built their NBA identity through hard hustling their blue-collar jobs to stay dedicated to their passion to score big and which they delivered.
It was Reggie Miller, whose era brought the franchise to national spotlight. This happened during the ‘90s playoff runs against New York.
The modern era of Indiana Pacers has the stars soaring high like those of Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Bennedict Mathurin. They are consistently pushing for the Eastern Conference Finals to appear and win.
The main Indiana’s signature is deep shooting. The defense, super-duper gritty.
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History of New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are among the oldest franchises of the NBA. Their stage is the Madison Square Garden.
Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest. Then you got Allan Houston and Charles Oakley. This is the legacy of hard-nosed basketball.
The recent seasons are Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The rising star is Quentin Grimes. He’s the one behind the revival of the Knicks’ playoff culture, and all the recent rival clashes with the Pacers from Indiana.
Top Matches Between Pacers and Knicks
It’s eight times that the Pacers and Knicks have met for the NBA Playoffs. Since 1993 the rivalry between the two has been the folklore in basketball.
| Year | Series Type | Outcome | Pacers Wins | Knicks Wins |
| 1993 | Eastern Conf. Finals | Knicks advanced | — | — |
| 1994 | Eastern Conf. Finals | Knicks advanced | — | — |
| 1995 | Eastern Semifinals | Knicks advanced | 3 | 4 |
| 1998 | Eastern Semifinals | Pacers advanced | 4 | 1 |
| 1999 | Eastern Conf. Finals | Knicks advanced | 2 | 4 |
| 2000 | Eastern Conf. Finals | Pacers advanced | 4 | 2 |
| 2013 | Eastern Semifinals | Pacers advanced | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | Eastern Conf. Finals | Ongoing (latest: Pacers lead) | 3+ | 2+ |
All-Time Classic Rivalry Moments in the Pacers and Knicks Timeline
The Eastern Semis of 1995: Miller’s 8 points in 9 seconds was the turning point for Knicks to know what the Pacers are capable of. It was his buzzer beater stunt that finally got the coining of the Finger Roll Game.
Playoff Series of 1998: The Knicks and Pacers battles have been intense. The games to eliminate were the late three or physical play.
Finals Run in 1999: Knicks became the first eight seed to reach the NBA Finals after beating Indiana. You had Larry Johnson’s 4-point play that got into the history books of basketball as it secured Knick’s spot in the series.
ECF of 2000: Pacers had a good breakthrough in reaching the NBA Finals after conquering New York in six games.
The Playoff Showdown of 2025: Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson are the stars of Pacers who outscored Knicks in Game 1 OT. Haliburton scored a really rare 32-point with 15 assist and 12-rebound triple double in Game 4. But Knicks could win Game 3 and 5 with the clutch performances of Town and Bruson.
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Iconic Game Highlights of Knicks vs Pacers
| Date | Game & Series | Moment/Highlight | Player |
| May 7, 1995 | ECF (Game 1) | 8 points in 9 seconds comeback | Reggie Miller |
| May 12, 1999 | ECF (Game 3) | Larry Johnson 4-point play | Larry Johnson |
| May 19, 2025 | ECF (Game 1) | Haliburton forces OT, Nesmith hits 6 threes | Haliburton/Nesmith |
| May 19, 2025 | ECF (Game 1) | Brunson scores 45 points in instant OT classic | Jalen Brunson |
| May 23, 2025 | ECF (Game 2) | Pascal Siakam scores 39, Pacers go up 2–0 | Pascal Siakam |
| May 25, 2025 | ECF (Game 3) | Towns scores 20 in 4th quarter as Knicks stage comeback | Karl-Anthony Towns |
| May 27, 2025 | ECF (Game 4) | Haliburton achieves 32-15-12 triple double with no turnovers | Tyrese Haliburton |
| May 29, 2025 | ECF (Game 5) | Knicks dominate from wire to wire, Brunson 32 points | Jalen Brunson |
Recent Head-to-Head Table of Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks
The head-to-head table favours the Pacers over the Knicks.
| Season | Series | Pacers Wins | Knicks Wins | Outcome |
| 2025 | ECF | 3 | 2 | Ongoing |
| 2020 | Regular Season | 2 | 2 | Tied |
| 2013 | ECF | 4 | 2 | Pacers advanced |
| 2000 | ECF | 4 | 2 | Pacers advanced |
| 1999 | ECF | 2 | 4 | Knicks advanced |
| 1995 | Semifinals | 3 | 4 | Knicks advanced |
Team Rankings and Recent Performances
Pacers and Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals this year in 2025. Indiana led the series but New York pulled off some comebacks that were quite dramatic.
Brunson recorded 30-plus points in 10 of the playoff games. Haliburton and Siakam have averaged double-doubles.
New York Knicks are in the top 5 seeds for consecutive seasons. Then with Pacers now boasting a staggering 6–1 road record in 2025 playoffs. Duly with historic wins at MSG and Indy.
Match Analysis and Future Prospects of Knicks vs Pacers
Do see how strategy works for the two.
Tactical Approaches and Key Players
The strategy of Pacers is 3-point shooting coupled with offense in transition. Haliburton, Siakam, and Mathurin lead the team.
The pick-and-roll sets is the common tactic of the Knicks. Then you’d see isolation scoring and physical rebounding. Grimes is on perimeter defense
These two have clutch performances as they begin to adapt to each other mid-series. There are momentum shifts in the playoff runs too.
Fan Engagement of Knicks vs Pacers
Both cities have dedicated NBA fanbases.
The rivalry is alive through social media. The arena celebrations are there too.
There’s a lot of digital interaction with memes, replays, and live threads spikes during every playoff series.
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Future Fixtures and Expectations
Pacer v Knicks are going to do the showdowns again in the upcoming NBA seasons. They are aiming for the Finals. The new ones are shaping new chapters and every game is a high-stakes one.
Conclusion
The Pacers vs Knicks timeline with eight games has shown drama, records and new magic that NBA fans love to see everywhere.
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FAQs
Who has the all-time edge in playoffs?
Pacers, with five series wins to Knicks’ three.
Most famous moment?
Miller’s “8 points in 9 seconds” game in 1995.
Key players in recent series?
Brunson, Towns (Knicks); Haliburton, Siakam, Mathurin (Pacers).
Fan traditions?
MSG chants, Indiana’s three-point celebrations, historic court beefs.
Next Pacers vs Knicks game?
Follow NBA.com for schedules—highly anticipated every season.