Eastern finals preview

Kelly Dwyer

21 May 2025 — 6 min read

NO. 3 KNICKS VS. NO. 4 PACERS

New York took two of three meetings from Indiana, winning once at home and once in Indianapolis and losing to the Pacers at home during a November matinee.

Of course, a lot has changed since November.

NEW YORK

C: Karl-Anthony Towns – Knick legend could be the first beneficiary of the growing benevolence toward bigs, with various Pacers called for all the fouls Alex Caruso committed against Denver. Averaged 30 and 12 on 70 percent True Shooting in three games against Indiana in the regular season, so, uh oh.
F: Josh Hart – had to sit and watch every insipid instance of Luke Kornet making plays for the Celtics in Game 5 and didn't lose his wits, rather Josh reminded Hart's self of what he was good at. Kornet didn't play poorly in Game 6, but Hart outshined the 7-footer. And without trying to make a statement, Hart still concluded the evening with look-at-me stats, 11 assists and 11 boards and 10 points.

Josh was born two months before the Pacers beat the Knicks 4-3 in the 1995 Eastern semifinals.

G/F: OG Anunoby – worked well offensively in two games against Indiana in the regular season, is too big for all of them.
G/F: Mikal Bridges – ability to score off broken plays could turn the series. Made half his shots against Indiana in the regular season. Will have his work cut out for him in transition, getting back while New York's All-Star point guard sticks the follow through.
PG: Jalen Brunson – 53/50/81 against the Pacers in the regular season, passed well and didn't turn it over. Knicks couldn't stop Indiana in three meetings, and vice versa.

Miles McBride somehow isn't on the Pacers, feels like he should be, he's a tweener guard who runs and shoots well and isn't ticked off when the coach keeps him on the pine for a little too long. Four turnovers in 75 minutes against the Pacers in the regular season, 7-11 on threes.

Precious Achiuwa only worked once against the Pacers in the regular season and frankly he's only here because it felt wrong to only list eight players. Or seven players plus Cameron Payne.

One of the great drags of the 2025 postseason is watching someone explain to his date why Mitchell Robinson was fouled 70 feet from the action and given free throws by the other team, intentionally. Mitch could be massive in this round, he can keep possessions alive without fouling and clear room for teammates offensively.

New York's ability to rile up the offensive boards will perk up against Indiana, but the Pacers are ready to close out on three-point chuckers, ready for that extra pass, ready to talk about what happens in transition.

The Knicks just trampled all over the defending champions, it isn't as if New York needs a fundamental reminder. Indiana tests a team's patience, though, encourages clubs try to get it all back offensively. New York can't do that, cannot think that way.

The Knicks' defense against Boston was stellar, the unit is improving as the season moves along. This is the series to deliver the biggest blow, nothing but capable closeouts and cleared rebounds.

Offense will show up, whenever.

INDIANA

C: Myles Turner – able to collect buckets (19 a game on 54/45/73) against New York, eight fouls in 62 minutes, hopefully the refs let Turner and KAT remain on the floor.
F: Pascal Siakam – popped 24 points on 18 attempts in a February to the Knicks, 3-6 from deep, capable of playing through contact in a series like this. Pascal was born one before the Pacers fell to New York in the 1994 Eastern finals, 4-3.
F: Aaron Nesmith – used to being the smallest wing searching for the bucket but the Knicks' size may prove especially tough for Nesmith. Aaron struggled with foul trouble in two regular season meetings with New York, 2-8 from the floor. Still trust him and every other Pacer to be on point in this series, sometimes 25-foot shots don't go in.
G: Andrew Nembhard – plays long, needs to hit his corner and transition threes. Born four months after the Pacers fell 4-2 to the Knicks in the 1999 Eastern finals.
PG: Tyrese Haliburton – born three months before the Pacers beat the Knicks 4-2 in the 2000 Eastern finals.

If Haliburton wants to be Reggie Miller, he needs to learn from Reg and pick his spots. Miller's best times (eight points in four seconds, 25 points in a quarter) came when his club was down to its last chance.

This is what Thomas Bryant can do to New York:

T.J. McConnell coughed it on over three times in 49 minutes against the Knicks this season. He was able to turn the corner on the Knicks and won't be blown away by Jalen Brunson trying to post him up.

Like T.J. McConnell hasn't been posted up before. It cracks me up when bigger guards try to post Brunson or T.J. McConnell up, like Jalen and T.J. haven't seen super-clever opposing coaches move bigger guards onto them since high school.

If anything, Brunson and McConnell are probably the best post defenders on the team. They're so used to 6-4 chumps thinking they have a chance against a 5-11 lower half that made it all the way to the NBA.

Obi Toppin will find opportunities to finish so many broken plays in this series. If he can find angles, an extra eight points without anything called for him, the Pacers are in business. Obi was born a month before the Pacers toppled the Knicks 4-1 in the 1998 Eastern semifinals.

Ben Sheppard sprung free against the Knicks in the regular season, his active legs could be the difference in a close game, especially if some of this nonsense heads to overtime.

Jarace Walker is still learning treat his minutes diligently, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle wants him around in big moments but Walker hasn't responded yet. Great touch and timing but takes bad shots.

Bennedict Mathurin performed quite well against OG Anunoby this season, starting or off the bench.

The Pacers don't need 38 points from Indiana's slippery swingman but they could use a few 10-point quarters, a little attitude, maybe a delay of game penalty.

WED, FRI, SUN, TUE, THU, SAT, MON

Noticed a few 'Thunder in six' predictions on Tuesday and while I agree with the ideal – OKC beating Minnesota four times in six tries – we really expect the Thunder to close out a series on the road?

That is in OKC, to be sure. It is also in the Thunder to close it out on the road in Game 4. Still, big ask.

In the East, however, I can see road wins all over the place. I can spot Indiana taking a Game 5 in New York, the Knicks taking Game 6 right back, both teams stealing a game on the road among the first four contests.

People like Josh Hart keep other people going. Admittedly, it is easier to inspire a team which only plays seven people. Which role player leads for Indiana?

Indiana has the legs, New York owns the extra date at home.

Pacers in seven

WESTERN GAME 1 REACTIONS

Minnesota tried to play favorite and failed, the Timberwolves aren't the favorite, they can't poke and prod and take their time. Julius Randle can't go without the ball in the second half, Anthony Edwards can't dabble like he has a game in Dallas the next night.

Rudy Gobert was nervous and it showed. Minnesota will play angry in Game 2 but that won't be enough, the team needs its sense of humor back, the light that turns on in transition, get in a few people's way and Ant has a three-pointer he likes.

This starts defensively, where Minnesota can compete. Problem is, as was proven again Tuesday night, one gnarly six-minute swing puts the Thunder on an 18-2 run.

Game 2 on Thursday in OKC at 8:42 PM Eastern on ESPN

NITE CRAWLER