Last Updated on July 17, 2024 by Mathew Diekhake
The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks have one of the more extensive playoff histories in the NBA. Here are the highlights of the matchups of these two Eastern Conference competitors:
1. 1993 First Round: The Pacers and Knicks played each other in the first round of the 1993 Eastern Conference NBA playoffs. The Knicks were favorites, having finished at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with 60 regular season wins. The Pacers had the 8th seed and a 41-win regular season. The Knicks were too strong and beat the Pacers 4–2.
2. 1994 Eastern Conference Finals: The Knicks and Pacers met in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers finished the regular season 5th in the Eastern Conference standings with 47 wins while the Knicks finished second with 57 wins. The Pacers were closer to competing with the Knicks this time. In a dramatic 7 game series, it was the Knicks that advanced to the Finals.
3. 1995 First Round: The Pacers managed to finish ahead of the Knicks in the regular season this time. The Pacers finished second in the East with 52 wins while the Knicks finished third with 55 wins. It was third time lucky for the Pacers as they beat the Knicks 3–1 to advance to the conference semifinals.
4. 1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals: After playing each other three years in a row in the playoffs, it wasn’t until 1998 that the Pacers and Knicks met again, this time in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pacers finished third in the Eastern Conference with 58 wins while the Knicks finished 7th with 43 wins. The Pacers won the series 4–1. Reggie Miller was outstanding in game 5 when he gave the Pacers 25 fourth-quarter points.
The Knicks and Pacers had an intense 90s rivalry. The Pacers don’t have as large of a fanbase as the Knicks, but they were one of the original teams that came from the ABA to the NBA and as such have loyal fans.