The New York Knicks are set to take on the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night in a highly-anticipated matchup.
The teams go at it in 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,” Pacers star 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.
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 Knicks went 2-1 against the Pacers this season.
The winner of the Eastern Conference finals will play the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.
What time do the Knicks play tonight?
Game 1 between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers is set for 8 p.m. Eastern.
What channel is the Knicks game on tonight?
The Knicks vs. Pacers Eastern Conference finals will be available on TNT.
Where is Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals being held?
Game 1 will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York.
WAKE UP, NEW YORK. IT’S GAME DAY.
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 21, 2025
Who are the projected starters for Game 1?
The projected starters, according to nba.com:
Pacers:
G – Tyrese Haliburton
G – Andrew Nembhard
F – Aaron Nesmith
F – Pascal Siakam
C – Myles Turner
Knicks:
G – Jalen Brunson
G – Josh Hart
F – Mikal Bridges
F – OG Anunoby
C – Karl-Anthony Towns
Who is on the injury report for Game 1?
According to nba.com, the Pacers’ Isaiah Jackson is out with a torn right Achilles tendon. No one on the Knicks is listed on the injury report.
When is Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals?
Game 2 will be held on Friday, May 23.