Oftentimes, history has a way of amplifying the present. There are many instances in sports where the past is used to add drama and context to an otherwise stale contest. We need a hook, and a good narrative is a tried and true method the media uses to inject some flavor into the proceedings.
There are even some postseason matchups that lack the desired amount of charm and appeal. League and television networks trust their advertising departments to dip deep into the vault for that big selling point. In the build-up to the Indiana Pacers‘ NBA Playoffs series versus the New York Knicks, history has been a prominent theme.
Images of Reggie Miller performing the choke sign at Spike Lee, Patrick Ewing’s tip-dunk to catapult the Knicks into the 1994 NBA Finals, Ewing’s missed finger roll, Larry Johnson’s remarkable four-point play and Roy Hibbert’s block on Carmelo Anthony are appearing vividly in the minds of both fan bases once again. Who are we kidding? They never forgot those moments.
This underrated rivalry should be rich enough to draw eyeballs. But this second-round showdown can also stand on its own. While the past must be celebrated, Reggie Miller and Patrick Ewing do not need to be mentioned to drum up excitement. The 2024 versions of these franchises are filled with intriguing modern-day storylines.
We are specifically going to focus on the Pacers today. They are an understandable underdog, with their infamous defense invariably serving as the “but” in every conversation about their ceiling. Though, Indiana also has plenty of strengths working in its favor.
Let’s break down some of them in our bold predictions for the Pacers-Knicks series.
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Pacers’ defense plays well enough to limit everyone but Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson is quickly leaving his imprint on one of the NBA’s oldest franchises. He bounced back after early struggles versus the Philadelphia 76ers and was absolutely dazzling in the final four games of the series, scoring 40 points or more in three of them. His offensive dominance is probably not going to stop against the team that allowed the highest opponents’ field goal percentage in the league this season, per NBA.com
Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle likely knows this, too. He will ask Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard to slow Brunson down as best they can, but the key to his team finding success in this series is neutralizing the “other guys.” The Knicks’ supporting cast perfectly fits the identity of the city and franchise and has been particularly impactful this postseason.
Even if the stats are not eye-popping, talents like Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein consistently make winning plays. Donte DiVincenzo can ignite from 3-point range on any given night, just as he did in New York’s Game 6 win versus Philly. One also cannot lose track of breakout bench spark plug Miles McBride. This group is by no means one-dimensional.
But it is on the Pacers to make that the case over the course of this series. Those aforementioned role players, along with two-way force OG Anunoby, will all seize a moment or two. I believe, however, that Indy will prevent the Knickerbockers from having a reliable No. 2 option.
Putting the onus on Jalen Brunson to carry the offense can turn this face-off into a war of attrition. The Pacers are not going to automatically transform into the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons, but they have the personnel to mitigate damage. And despite contrary opinion, that could be enough.
Obi Toppin enacts some revenge vs. Knicks
Limiting New York’s “other guys” is just one aspect of Indiana’s winning blueprint. Carlisle’s supporting cast has to rise to the grand occasion as well. We have already highlighted the importance of Nesmith and Nembhard, but there is another secondary contributor who can be a definite difference-maker, someone with extra incentive to spoil the Knicks’ good time.
Obi Toppin’s tenure in the Big Apple appeared doomed from the start. With Julius Randle already on the roster, he struggled to earn a decent workload and did not come close to living up to the potential he flashed as 2019-20 AP National Player of the Year. So, his exit was inevitable.
It has also been a blessing for him. Toppin is in the midst of a career year, averaging 10.3 points on a sweltering 57.3 shooting percentage in 21.1 minutes per game in his first season with the Pacers. He posted 21 points and eight rebounds in the team’s series-clinching win against the Milwaukee Bucks last Thursday.
Toppin is surely grateful to land in a spot where he could carve out a meaningful role for himself, but he does not have to show the Knicks any gratitude on the court during this series. He should use his time with them as extra fuel.
To jump back to the rivalry narrative that has everyone nostalgic, the former No. 8 overall pick could be the 2024 Pacers’ Mark Jackson– the former Knick who gives the squad a crucial boost.
Pacers take the Knicks to a Game 7
My gut tells me this is the year the Knickerbockers end the drought and finally return to the Eastern Conference Finals. They have the superstar and defensive toughness to edge out a younger group like the Pacers. Though, they will have to punch their ticket in a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.
Indiana’s smooth and lethal offense will find a way to inflict considerable pain on the defense. It starts with playmaking extraordinaire Tyrese Haliburton. The assists leader (10.9) and All-Star leads a team that shoots an NBA-best 50.7 percent from the floor. Injuries appeared to halt his meteoric rise in the first-half of the season and could factor into Monday night’s Game 1.
If Haliburton stays healthy, though, he should be a nuisance to his opponent. It has been discussed before and will be again throughout the series, but the fact that the Knicks passed on selecting the 24-year-old in the 2020 NBA Draft (took Obi Toppin instead) even though they needed a point guard is probably not something that Haliburton has forgotten.
He and his teammates would be wise to tap into all of those old wounds. We are all focused on the past with this matchup, so why should the players not follow suit? Intensity can make a fine concealer for the Pacers’ blemishes. Most importantly, it can help earn them a Game 7 tip-off time.
And if that happens, anything goes.
