Josh Hart Jokes WWE Wrote Knicks-Pacers ECF Script
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
At the end of the regular season, it seemed that nobody saw the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers facing off in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics seemed like they were going to dominate the 2025 NBA Playoffs, much like they had done during the season.
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Now, the Knicks and Pacers are ready to battle in an epic series, and it seems that nobody predicted this coming.
PACERS 🆚 KNICKS IN THE ECF!
A playoff rematch with a trip to the Finals on the line 👀 pic.twitter.com/Uayd9rbIVt — ESPN (@espn) May 17, 2025
Well, nobody except WWE.
This first started garnering attention when ESPN shared a graphic that had the exact same font as WrestleMania X-Seven, what many WWE fans consider the greatest WrestleMania of all-time.
ESPN with the Wrestlemania X-Seven inspired graphic for the Pacers vs. Knicks ECF Showdown.#NBAPlayoffs https://t.co/H4rJKGFuky pic.twitter.com/HFIR2pSS6m — Jon Allred (@AllredtheGiant) May 17, 2025
Additionally, it seems that WWE has booked this match up from the start.
On June 28, 2024, Haliburton was about to interfere on behalf of Logan Paul. However, Brunson jumped over the barricade to stop the two-time NBA All-Star from getting involved, leading to LA Knight winning.
The duo would then face off in the ring, although no blows were actually thrown.
"It's almost like we wrote it..." WWE head of creative Triple H said on social media. And it seems like one Knicks player agrees.
NDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 10: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles against Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 10, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
NDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 10: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles against Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 10, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana.Speaking to reporters, Knicks shooting guard Josh Hart looked at Haliburton and Brunson's history, complimenting WWE on their writing.
"WWE writes a great script," Hart said smiling. "There's gonna be a lot of guys that's going to be trying to get on WWE this summer"
"WWE writes a great script. There's gonna be a lot of guys that's going to be trying to get on WWE this summer" 😂
Josh Hart talks about the matchup between Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson: pic.twitter.com/2eV345Dpgn — Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 19, 2025
"[Brunson and Haliburton] are two of the best point guards, not just in the East, but in the league," Hart continued.
"It's gonna be fun. They both have two different playing styles. JB is more of a scoring guard and Tyrese runs that offense, gets guys involved, pushes the pace, those kinds of things."
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Hart is completely correct about how good Brunson and Haliburton are. In the playoffs, Brunson has averaged 28.8 points, 7.7 assists, and 3.9 total rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Haliburton has averaged 17.5 points, 9.3 assists, 5.5 total rebounds, 0.9 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game.
No matter what, with these two players leading the charge, it's clear that fans are in for an epic series.
Still, it seems that Triple H is still more focused on the wrestling side of things.
My phone hasn't stopped buzzing since Friday. #SummerSlam is coming to @MetLifeStadium in August… https://t.co/C8bId2qRDQ — Triple H (@TripleH) May 19, 2025
"My phone hasn't stopped buzzing since Friday," Triple H teased. "SummerSlam is coming to MetLife Stadium in August..."
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