Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks Game 1 Picks and Predictions

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We’ve got a throwback showdown on deck for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals as the Indiana Pacers head to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks. These two franchises have history — and bad blood — dating back decades, and it got reignited last postseason when Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers sent the Knicks packing.

Fast forward to now, and it’s honestly wild these teams even made it this far. Indiana, the 4-seed, just steamrolled the 1-seed Cavs in five. Meanwhile, the Knicks shocked a lot of people by taking out the defending champ Celtics in six.

Game 1 tips off Wednesday night at MSG, and this series already has storylines galore. Haliburton torched the Knicks last year and had his petty moment after Game 7, rocking a Reggie Miller “choke” hoodie while trolling Spike Lee in the postgame. Then, he and Jalen Brunson went face-to-face again — in a WWE ring, no less. So yeah, there’s beef.

Brunson knows it, too. He’s been vocal about how well Haliburton played last postseason — but he’s locked in on this series now. Knicks head coach Thibs echoed that same mindset: wipe the slate clean. It’s a new series, new matchups, and everything resets.

During the regular season, New York took 2 of 3 off Indiana, with Karl-Anthony Towns putting up monster numbers — over 30 points and 12 boards a night. But his outside shooting has fallen off a cliff recently, hitting just 3 of 19 from deep vs. Boston.

Don’t sleep on Indiana’s weapons either. In their lone win over the Knicks this year, Bennedict Mathurin went off for 38 points and dropped seven threes. Haliburton added 35 points and 14 dimes. That’s the thing with this Pacers squad — they’re deep, they share the ball, and they don’t rely on just one guy to take over.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said it best: playoff series aren’t always won with highlight stats. It’s the hustle plays, the loose balls, the effort — and Indiana’s got dogs who are ready to scrap.