In late 1992, during the early dominance of the Chicago Bulls, Donnie Walsh, then GM of the Indiana Pacers, was considering how to rebuild his team. He recalls the specific incident that sparked his vision.
More precisely, it was a play that knocked star guard Reggie Miller off his feet.
On December 30th, the Pacers hosted Pat Riley`s New York Knicks. Indiana ran a planned offensive play. Center Rik Smits had the ball at the top of the key. Miller moved to the elbow and then cut towards the basket, expecting a backdoor pass from Smits. The pass arrived, but Miller didn`t make it.
Before Miller, a future Hall of Famer, could reach the paint, Knicks enforcer Charles Oakley stepped up and met him with a shoulder. Miller fell hard to the court as the pass went out of bounds.
“Whoa!” exclaimed play-by-play announcer Marv Albert on the broadcast, the sound mixing with the Indiana crowd`s collective groan. The referees, perhaps startled by the intensity of Oakley`s hit, surprisingly didn`t call a foul. This entire sequence stayed with Walsh.
“The refs didn`t know how to react,” Walsh commented on the collision, for which Oakley was later fined $10,000 by the league office despite no foul call on the play. “Right at that moment, I decided: `This offseason, I`m getting two players exactly like Oak.` Players like that would instantly transform our team`s style.”
The additions of defensive guard Derrick McKey and physical power forward Antonio Davis achieved just that. As Walsh shifted the fast-paced Pacers to resemble the tough, defensive-minded Knicks more closely, the foundation for a fierce rivalry was laid.
Indiana and New York, facing each other again for the Eastern Conference title starting Wednesday, share a rich and highly dramatic playoff history. They faced off in three consecutive series from 1993 to 1995 and a total of six times between 1993 and 2000.
The rivalry was reignited significantly last year when the teams battled in the conference semifinals. Indiana ultimately won that series, eliminating the Knicks at Madison Square Garden with an exceptionally high shooting percentage in Game 7.
This upcoming series will be the ninth playoff encounter between these rivals. We`ve ranked the first eight previous matchups – memorable for moments like head-butts, celebrity interactions, dramatic comebacks, pivotal injuries, controversial calls resulting in four-point plays, and famous blocks – setting the scene for how this year`s series could add another worthy chapter.
1. 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals
This series featured one of Reggie Miller`s most legendary moments: scoring eight points in nine seconds in Game 1, as the Knicks collapsed, losing a six-point lead in the final 19 seconds at home. The Pacers took a 3-1 lead, but New York forced a Game 7. In that decisive game, Patrick Ewing missed a potential game-tying layup at the buzzer (after hitting a dramatic game-winning shot with 1.8 seconds left in Game 5).
By winning the series, Miller and the Pacers not only eliminated the Knicks on their home court but also ended the Pat Riley era in New York. Riley resigned 10 days later and controversially took over the Miami Heat (New York accused Miami of tampering, leading to a settlement where Miami sent $1 million and a first-round pick to New York).
2. 1994 Eastern Conference Finals
With Michael Jordan retired from basketball, a significant opportunity arose for both teams. They were tied heading into Game 5 of the conference finals.
New York held a double-digit lead for most of Game 5, a game where Miller was shooting poorly, providing material for Knicks fan and director Spike Lee to taunt him courtside. However, Miller ignited in the fourth quarter, glaring at Lee after each successful shot. Following one particularly deep three-pointer that gave Indiana the lead, Miller famously gestured to Lee by putting his hands around his own neck, implying the Knicks were choking.
Miller finished Game 5 with 39 points, including 25 points on just 10 shots in the fourth quarter, leading Indiana to a stunning comeback and a 3-2 series advantage. But New York responded, winning Game 6 on the road thanks to John Starks` 26 points. Patrick Ewing delivered an epic performance in Game 7 (24 points, 22 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks, and the game-winning putback dunk) to send the Knicks to the NBA Finals.
3. 1999 Eastern Conference Finals
The Knicks, featuring a new roster due to the lockout-shortened season (with Latrell Sprewell replacing Starks and Marcus Camby replacing Oakley), lost Patrick Ewing to a partially torn Achilles tendon in Game 2 (an injury he initially played through).
However, this series is primarily remembered for a controversial play in Game 3. With Indiana leading by three points with less than 12 seconds left at Madison Square Garden, Pacers coach Larry Brown instructed his team to defend the perimeter tightly to prevent a three-pointer. Knicks forward Larry Johnson received the inbound pass, pump-faked Antonio Davis to unbalance him, and launched a 24-foot shot. It went in, and official Jess Kersey simultaneously blew his whistle, calling a foul on Davis – a highly questionable call as there appeared to be minimal contact. (Kersey himself admitted a year later it was a mistake). Johnson completed the rare four-point play. The Knicks won Game 3 and eventually the series, advancing to face the Spurs in the Finals.
4. 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals
This series featured several significant moments in its early games, including a questionable kicked-ball violation late in Game 1 that disadvantaged the Pacers, and Andrew Nembhard`s clutch deep three-pointer that helped Indiana win Game 3 and stay competitive.
However, the defining moment was Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and the Pacers delivering a dominant Game 7 performance on the road, scoring 39 points in the first quarter alone. This strong start foreshadowed their performance: Indiana shot a playoff-record 67.1% from the field in a game where the injury-depleted Knicks lost even more players. OG Anunoby attempted to return from a hamstring injury but couldn`t move effectively and was quickly removed. Star guard Jalen Brunson broke his hand during the game. Key rotation players Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanovic were already out for the season. Given these circumstances and having lost Game 6 and 7 after leading 3-2, the remaining Knicks players are certainly seeking revenge, even if they don`t state it publicly.
5. 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals
The Pacers` top-ranked defense, anchored by Paul George and Roy Hibbert, troubled Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks throughout this six-game series. Specifically, the second-seeded New York team struggled to draw Hibbert away from the basket and couldn`t score easily in the paint.
The most memorable instance occurred with five minutes left in the series-clinching Game 6. The Knicks were up 92-90 when Anthony drove baseline past George for a one-handed dunk attempt. The 7-foot-2 Hibbert met him at the rim for a spectacular block. Hibbert reportedly has two posters of this block, arguably the most significant play of his career, in his home.
6. 2000 Eastern Conference Finals
Reggie Miller arguably delivered one of his best performances in their final playoff meeting. He hit multiple clutch shots that silenced the crowd and scored 34 points (including 5 of 7 from three-point range) at Madison Square Garden to eliminate the Knicks in six games. This series marked the final playoff encounter involving both Miller and Patrick Ewing, who were 34 and 37 respectively (Ewing missed Games 3 and 4 with a foot injury).
Indiana`s win sent the franchise to its first and only NBA Finals appearance, where they were defeated by Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O`Neal, Phil Jackson, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
7. 1993 Eastern Conference First Round
The 60-win Knicks had an opportunity to sweep Indiana in three games (the first round didn`t become a best-of-seven series until 2003). However, in the third quarter of Game 3, John Starks head-butted Reggie Miller while the Knicks were leading.
This action resulted in Starks` ejection, angry shoves from teammates Oakley and Ewing, and completely shifted the game`s momentum. The Pacers went on a 59-34 run to avoid elimination. Fortunately for Starks, the Knicks secured the series victory in Game 4.
8. 1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals
The 58-win Pacers, having added Chris Mullin and Jalen Rose the previous offseason, had a clear advantage in this series. The Knicks had been without Patrick Ewing for months after he suffered a devastating shattered shooting wrist in a fall against the Milwaukee Bucks just before Christmas.
Although New York managed to defeat Pat Riley`s Heat in the first round, they lost their opening game against Indiana.
Falling behind 1-0 spurred Ewing to intensely rehab, and he returned for Game 2, but he was clearly not in game shape and couldn`t make an immediate difference.
Indiana won the series in five games, utilizing their balanced attack (ranking fourth in offense and fifth in defense) to advance to a conference finals showdown with Michael Jordan and the “Last Dance” Chicago Bulls.
Where Will the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals Rank?
Seeking more drama? Look no further than this series. After Indiana`s seven-game victory in 2024, Tyrese Haliburton wore a sweater featuring an image of Reggie Miller making his famous choking gesture towards Spike Lee, instantly cementing himself as a villain at Madison Square Garden, similar to Trae Young.
Even WWE capitalized on the rivalry, staging a face-off between Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton during a wrestling event at the Garden. Brunson commented on the timing of the playoff rematch after the stunt, saying, “WWE, they were cooking when they did that.”
Brunson expressed great respect for Haliburton, who was chosen over him for the U.S. Olympic team that won gold last year. The two became teammates and acquainted during the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
If this series maintains the trend of wild, dramatic finishes seen by both teams this postseason, it has the potential to climb high on this ranking of the greatest Knicks-Pacers playoff matchups. Both teams have achieved two improbable 20-point comebacks in these playoffs (Indiana against the Bucks and Cavaliers, New York twice against the Celtics). Furthermore, both Haliburton and Brunson have been exceptional performers in clutch moments. Brunson leads all playoff players with 14 clutch baskets, while Haliburton leads the league with four clutch makes specifically in the final minute of games this postseason.
