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Irish Examiner
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Knicks and Pacers ready to renew rivalry with the winner going to the NBA Finals
Jalen Brunson held a steel chair. Tyrese Haliburton had brass knuckles. As the star point guards glared at each other in a WWE wrestling ring last summer in Madison Square Garden, it seemed a fitting next step in the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. It's already featured headbutts and chokes, so why not weapons? The teams go at it again starting Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Knicks' first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, with the winner of their ninth playoff matchup headed to the NBA Finals. 'It's obviously a storied rivalry between the two franchises, so to add another chapter to it is going to be a lot of fun,' Haliburton said. It sure was for Haliburton and the Pacers last year when the teams met in the second round. Indiana won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden against a Knicks team that was decimated by injuries, shooting an NBA playoff-record 67.1% from the field in a 130-109 romp. Haliburton scored 26 points and afterward wore a sweatshirt to his news conference with a picture of Reggie Miller making a choke signal toward Knicks fan Spike Lee on the sidelines during a playoff game three decades earlier. Haliburton returned to the Garden to troll New York fans again about a month later, attempting to interfere in a match on behalf of Logan Paul. Brunson, with a seat in the crowd near the ring, intervened and LA Knight pinned Paul. After the match, Brunson grabbed the chair and entered the ring to protect the winner when it appeared Paul and Haliburton had him surrounded. 'I'll be back! I'll be back!' Haliburton yelled toward fans after exiting the ring. Well, here he comes. 'It was obviously something that he wanted to do and the way he played last year in the playoffs, I mean, it was fitting,' Brunson said. 'And so, he played well in the Garden. Obviously Knicks fans and Pacers fans, they go back and forth. But I think he did a great job with it last year but now we're moving on.' A Knicks-Pacers series could be penciled into the spring schedule in the 1990s. The teams met six times in an eight-year span, starting with a 1993 series that included John Starks getting ejected for head-butting Miller. Indiana won the last one in that stretch, a victory in the 2000 East finals the most recent time the Knicks advanced this far. This time, it's a surprise. Cleveland and Boston ran away to the top two records in the East, but the Knicks ousted the defending champions and the Pacers blew away the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games to set up this matchup between the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. Things are different now. Brunson and Haliburton are friendly, having been teammates in 2023 on the U.S. team that played in the Basketball World Cup. But Miller will be in the arena, working the games as an analyst for TNT, so there will be a reminder of the way Knicks-Pacers used to be. 'There was definitely a sense of hatred for each other. So I think that makes a good rivalry,' Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. 'They have a history of finding a way to end each other's season, so it's up to us now to add our names into history and see what we do.' The post-season history The Pacers lead the series 5-3. When the teams have met in the East finals, the Knicks won in 1994 and 1999 — when they reached the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed — and the Pacers won in 2000. The 2024-25 history The Knicks went 2-1 against the Pacers, with all the meetings before the All-Star break. Towns had 30.3 points and 12 rebounds per game for the Knicks, who averaged 124 points on 53.9% shooting. A torrid Pace The Pacers were just 10-15 after a loss to Charlotte on Dec. 8. Counting the playoffs, they are 48-19 since. A June reunion? An NBA Finals matchup between the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves is a possibility after they made a blockbuster trade on the eve of the preseason. The Knicks acquired Towns by sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota. Towns, the Wolves' No. 1 pick in 2015, isn't thinking about that yet. 'We've got to get there first,' he said. 'I ain't going to worry about something that we're not there yet. Step by step.' AP News
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Knicks vs. Pacers set for Eastern Conference finals. Here's the full schedule for the series.
The New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers face off for Game 1 of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This is the Knicks' first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, and the winner of the series will head to the NBA Finals. "It's obviously a storied rivalry between the two franchises, so to add another chapter to it is going to be a lot of fun," Tyrese Haliburton said. It sure was for Haliburton and the Pacers last year when the teams met in the second round. Indiana won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden against a Knicks team that was decimated by injuries, shooting an NBA playoff-record 67.1% from the field in a 130-109 romp. Haliburton scored 26 points and afterward wore a sweatshirt to his news conference with a picture of Reggie Miller making a choke signal toward Knicks fan Spike Lee on the sidelines during a playoff game three decades earlier. "Obviously, Knicks fans and Pacers fans, they go back and forth. But I think he did a great job with it last year, but now we're moving on," Brunson said. The teams met six times in an eight-year span, starting with a 1993 series that included John Starks getting ejected for head-butting Miller. Indiana won the last one in that stretch, a victory in the 2000 East finals the most recent time the Knicks advanced this far. This time, it's a surprise. Cleveland and Boston ran away to the top two records in the East, but the Knicks ousted the defending champions and the Pacers blew away the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games to set up this matchup between the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. Things are different now. Brunson and Haliburton are friendly, having been teammates in 2023 on the U.S. team that played in the Basketball World Cup. But Miller will be in the arena, working the games as an analyst for TNT, so there will be a reminder of the way Knicks-Pacers used to be. "There was definitely a sense of hatred for each other. So I think that makes a good rivalry," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. "They have a history of finding a way to end each other's season, so it's up to us now to add our names into history and see what we do." Knicks vs. Pacers Eastern Conference finals schedule Game 1 at New York on Wednesday Game 2 at New York on Friday Game 3 at Indiana on Sunday Game 4 at Indiana on May 27 Game 5 at New York on May 29 (if necessary) Game 6 at Indiana on May 31 (if necessary) Game 7 at New York on June 2 (if necessary) Knicks watch party and ticket warning While there won't be an outdoor watch party for Game 1, fans can buy $10 tickets for a watch party inside Radio City Music Hall. Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul is warning people to be careful when buying tickets for the series. "As the Knicks continue their incredible run, I understand the excitement and pride fans across New York are feeling — it's electric," Hochul said in a statement Tuesday. "But I want to remind everyone: don't let that excitement make you a target. Be cautious when buying tickets and only use trusted sources. Scammers are out there, and we won't let them take advantage of our fans." Road to Eastern Conference finals New York knocked out Detroit in six games in the first round and then ended Boston's championship reign after one year by beating the Celtics in six in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pacers needed just five games to eliminate Milwaukee in the first round and top-seeded Cleveland in the second and lead all teams in the postseason in field goal shooting (50.1%), 3-point rate (40.6) and assists per game (29.7). Reigniting a rivalry A fierce playoff rivalry from the 1990s is back again and this time is a bit of a surprise, as the Knicks and Pacers finished well behind Cleveland and Boston in the Eastern Conference. This is the ninth matchup between the franchises, with Indiana leading 5-3. That includes the Pacers' victory in the 2000 Eastern Conference finals, the previous time the Knicks made it this far, and their win last year when they beat the Knicks in seven games in the second round. Jalen Brunson vs. Tyrese Haliburton Brunson vs. Haliburton is going to be a key matchup — but also Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard and T.J. McConnell. The two point guards are the headline names in the series but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned all those players as options to defend Brunson, who played for him in Dallas before blossoming into a superstar in New York. "Step by step" An NBA Finals matchup between the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves is a possibility after they made a blockbuster trade on the eve of the preseason. The Knicks acquired Towns by sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota. Towns, the Wolves' No. 1 pick in 2015, isn't thinking about that yet. "We've got to get there first," he said. "I ain't going to worry about something that we're not there yet. Step by step."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Knicks and Pacers set for Round 9 in their playoff rivalry, with the winner going to the NBA Finals
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Jalen Brunson held a steel chair. Tyrese Haliburton had brass knuckles. As the star point guards glared at each other in a WWE wrestling ring last summer in Madison Square Garden, it seemed a fitting next step in the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. It's already featured headbutts and chokes, so why not weapons? The teams go at it again starting Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Knicks' first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, with the winner of their ninth playoff matchup headed to the NBA Finals. 'It's obviously a storied rivalry between the two franchises, so to add another chapter to it is going to be a lot of fun," Haliburton said. It sure was for Haliburton and the Pacers last year when the teams met in the second round. Indiana won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden against a Knicks team that was decimated by injuries, shooting an NBA playoff-record 67.1% from the field in a 130-109 romp. Haliburton scored 26 points and afterward wore a sweatshirt to his news conference with a picture of Reggie Miller making a choke signal toward Knicks fan Spike Lee on the sidelines during a playoff game three decades earlier. Haliburton returned to the Garden to troll New York fans again about a month later, attempting to interfere in a match on behalf of Logan Paul. Brunson, with a seat in the crowd near the ring, intervened and LA Knight pinned Paul. After the match, Brunson grabbed the chair and entered the ring to protect the winner when it appeared Paul and Haliburton had him surrounded. 'I'll be back! I'll be back!' Haliburton yelled toward fans after exiting the ring. Well, here he comes. 'It was obviously something that he wanted to do and the way he played last year in the playoffs, I mean, it was fitting,' Brunson said. 'And so, he played well in the Garden. Obviously Knicks fans and Pacers fans, they go back and forth. But I think he did a great job with it last year but now we're moving on.' A Knicks-Pacers series could be penciled into the spring schedule in the 1990s. The teams met six times in an eight-year span, starting with a 1993 series that included John Starks getting ejected for head-butting Miller. Indiana won the last one in that stretch, a victory in the 2000 East finals the most recent time the Knicks advanced this far. This time, it's a surprise. Cleveland and Boston ran away to the top two records in the East, but the Knicks ousted the defending champions and the Pacers blew away the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games to set up this matchup between the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. Things are different now. Brunson and Haliburton are friendly, having been teammates in 2023 on the U.S. team that played in the Basketball World Cup. But Miller will be in the arena, working the games as an analyst for TNT, so there will be a reminder of the way Knicks-Pacers used to be. 'There was definitely a sense of hatred for each other. So I think that makes a good rivalry,' Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. 'They have a history of finding a way to end each other's season, so it's up to us now to add our names into history and see what we do.' The postseason history The Pacers lead the series 5-3. When the teams have met in the East finals, the Knicks won in 1994 and 1999 — when they reached the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed — and the Pacers won in 2000. The 2024-25 history The Knicks went 2-1 against the Pacers, with all the meetings before the All-Star break. Towns had 30.3 points and 12 rebounds per game for the Knicks, who averaged 124 points on 53.9% shooting. A torrid Pace The Pacers were just 10-15 after a loss to Charlotte on Dec. 8. Counting the playoffs, they are 48-19 since. A June reunion? An NBA Finals matchup between the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves is a possibility after they made a blockbuster trade on the eve of the preseason. The Knicks acquired Towns by sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota. Towns, the Wolves' No. 1 pick in 2015, isn't thinking about that yet. 'We've got to get there first,' he said. 'I ain't going to worry about something that we're not there yet. Step by step.' ___ AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA:
Fox Sports
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Knicks and Pacers set for Round 9 in their playoff rivalry, with the winner going to the NBA Finals
Associated Press GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Jalen Brunson held a steel chair. Tyrese Haliburton had brass knuckles. As the star point guards glared at each other in a WWE wrestling ring last summer in Madison Square Garden, it seemed a fitting next step in the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. It's already featured headbutts and chokes, so why not weapons? The teams go at it again starting Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Knicks' first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, with the winner of their ninth playoff matchup headed to the NBA Finals. 'It's obviously a storied rivalry between the two franchises, so to add another chapter to it is going to be a lot of fun," Haliburton said. It sure was for Haliburton and the Pacers last year when the teams met in the second round. Indiana won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden against a Knicks team that was decimated by injuries, shooting an NBA playoff-record 67.1% from the field in a 130-109 romp. Haliburton scored 26 points and afterward wore a sweatshirt to his news conference with a picture of Reggie Miller making a choke signal toward Knicks fan Spike Lee on the sidelines during a playoff game three decades earlier. Haliburton returned to the Garden to troll New York fans again about a month later, attempting to interfere in a match on behalf of Logan Paul. Brunson, with a seat in the crowd near the ring, intervened and LA Knight pinned Paul. After the match, Brunson grabbed the chair and entered the ring to protect the winner when it appeared Paul and Haliburton had him surrounded. 'I'll be back! I'll be back!' Haliburton yelled toward fans after exiting the ring. Well, here he comes. 'It was obviously something that he wanted to do and the way he played last year in the playoffs, I mean, it was fitting,' Brunson said. 'And so, he played well in the Garden. Obviously Knicks fans and Pacers fans, they go back and forth. But I think he did a great job with it last year but now we're moving on.' A Knicks-Pacers series could be penciled into the spring schedule in the 1990s. The teams met six times in an eight-year span, starting with a 1993 series that included John Starks getting ejected for head-butting Miller. Indiana won the last one in that stretch, a victory in the 2000 East finals the most recent time the Knicks advanced this far. This time, it's a surprise. Cleveland and Boston ran away to the top two records in the East, but the Knicks ousted the defending champions and the Pacers blew away the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games to set up this matchup between the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. Things are different now. Brunson and Haliburton are friendly, having been teammates in 2023 on the U.S. team that played in the Basketball World Cup. But Miller will be in the arena, working the games as an analyst for TNT, so there will be a reminder of the way Knicks-Pacers used to be. 'There was definitely a sense of hatred for each other. So I think that makes a good rivalry,' Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. 'They have a history of finding a way to end each other's season, so it's up to us now to add our names into history and see what we do.' The postseason history The Pacers lead the series 5-3. When the teams have met in the East finals, the Knicks won in 1994 and 1999 — when they reached the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed — and the Pacers won in 2000. The 2024-25 history The Knicks went 2-1 against the Pacers, with all the meetings before the All-Star break. Towns had 30.3 points and 12 rebounds per game for the Knicks, who averaged 124 points on 53.9% shooting. A torrid Pace The Pacers were just 10-15 after a loss to Charlotte on Dec. 8. Counting the playoffs, they are 48-19 since. A June reunion? An NBA Finals matchup between the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves is a possibility after they made a blockbuster trade on the eve of the preseason. The Knicks acquired Towns by sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota. Towns, the Wolves' No. 1 pick in 2015, isn't thinking about that yet. 'We've got to get there first,' he said. 'I ain't going to worry about something that we're not there yet. Step by step.' ___ AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA: recommended
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Knicks and Pacers set for Round 9 in their playoff rivalry, with the winner going to the NBA Finals
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Jalen Brunson held a steel chair. Tyrese Haliburton had brass knuckles. As the star point guards glared at each other in a WWE wrestling ring last summer in Madison Square Garden, it seemed a fitting next step in the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. It's already featured headbutts and chokes, so why not weapons? The teams go at it again starting Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Knicks' first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, with the winner of their ninth playoff matchup headed to the NBA Finals. 'It's obviously a storied rivalry between the two franchises, so to add another chapter to it is going to be a lot of fun,' Haliburton said. It sure was for Haliburton and the Pacers last year when the teams met in the second round. Indiana won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden against a Knicks team that was decimated by injuries, shooting an NBA playoff-record 67.1% from the field in a 130-109 romp. Haliburton scored 26 points and afterward wore a sweatshirt to his news conference with a picture of Reggie Miller making a choke signal toward Knicks fan Spike Lee on the sidelines during a playoff game three decades earlier. Haliburton returned to the Garden to troll New York fans again about a month later, attempting to interfere in a match on behalf of Logan Paul. Brunson, with a seat in the crowd near the ring, intervened and LA Knight pinned Paul. After the match, Brunson grabbed the chair and entered the ring to protect the winner when it appeared Paul and Haliburton had him surrounded. 'I'll be back! I'll be back!' Haliburton yelled toward fans after exiting the ring. Well, here he comes. 'It was obviously something that he wanted to do and the way he played last year in the playoffs, I mean, it was fitting,' Brunson said. 'And so, he played well in the Garden. Obviously Knicks fans and Pacers fans, they go back and forth. But I think he did a great job with it last year but now we're moving on.' A Knicks-Pacers series could be penciled into the spring schedule in the 1990s. The teams met six times in an eight-year span, starting with a 1993 series that included John Starks getting ejected for head-butting Miller. Indiana won the last one in that stretch, a victory in the 2000 East finals the most recent time the Knicks advanced this far. This time, it's a surprise. Cleveland and Boston ran away to the top two records in the East, but the Knicks ousted the defending champions and the Pacers blew away the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games to set up this matchup between the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. Things are different now. Brunson and Haliburton are friendly, having been teammates in 2023 on the U.S. team that played in the Basketball World Cup. But Miller will be in the arena, working the games as an analyst for TNT, so there will be a reminder of the way Knicks-Pacers used to be. 'There was definitely a sense of hatred for each other. So I think that makes a good rivalry,' Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. 'They have a history of finding a way to end each other's season, so it's up to us now to add our names into history and see what we do.' The postseason history The Pacers lead the series 5-3. When the teams have met in the East finals, the Knicks won in 1994 and 1999 — when they reached the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed — and the Pacers won in 2000. The 2024-25 history The Knicks went 2-1 against the Pacers, with all the meetings before the All-Star break. Towns had 30.3 points and 12 rebounds per game for the Knicks, who averaged 124 points on 53.9% shooting. A torrid Pace The Pacers were just 10-15 after a loss to Charlotte on Dec. 8. Counting the playoffs, they are 48-19 since. A June reunion? An NBA Finals matchup between the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves is a possibility after they made a blockbuster trade on the eve of the preseason. The Knicks acquired Towns by sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota. Towns, the Wolves' No. 1 pick in 2015, isn't thinking about that yet. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'We've got to get there first,' he said. 'I ain't going to worry about something that we're not there yet. Step by step.' ___ AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA:
