Source: Manny Millan / Getty
The Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks are once again going toe-to-toe in the NBA Playoffs, bringing back memories of one of the fiercest rivalries from the 1990’s.
During Monday’s edition of The Ride With JMV, John previewed Pacers-Knicks, while also looking back on the rivalry that was. Check that out below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
With that in mind, let’s look back at the history of the Pacers and Knicks in the NBA Playoffs, starting with the most recent time they faced each other and going back to when the rivalry truly began.
1. 2013 – Pacers Win 4-2
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The most recent playoff matchup between New York and Indiana saw the Pacers leap out to a 3-1 lead, before allowing the Knicks to take Game 5. Game 6 would be a tough, back-and-forth battle all the way until late in the 4th quarter. A timely Roy Hibbert block on Carmelo Anthony with the Pacers down 92-90, and a 16-7 run to close out the final five minutes, clinched the series for Indiana.
2. 2000 – Pacers Win 4-2
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The 2000 NBA Playoffs saw the Pacers finally get over the hump, and get some revenge, to make their first-ever NBA Finals appearance. The Pacers got off to a 2-0 series lead, before dropping the next two at Madison Square Garden. A get right game at the brand-new Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and 17 4th-quarter points in Game 6 from Reggie Miller later, the Pacers were Eastern Conference Champions.
3. 1999 – Knicks Win 4-2
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While the Pacers would come out on top in the new millennium, the last year in the old one saw New York emerge victorious in a stunning Eastern Conference Finals upset. The Knicks became the first 8-seed to make the Finals, and did so at the Pacers expense, knocking off the 2nd-seeded Pacers in 6 games. Game 3 featured Knicks forward Larry Johnson producing a 4-point play with 5 seconds left to give the Knicks the lead, and the win. The Pacers would tie the series in Game 4 but drop Games 5 and 6 as the Knicks completed the upset.
4. 1998 – Pacers Win 4-1
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The 3rd-seeded Pacers got a dominating series win over New York in the 1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Indiana would roar out to a 2-0 series lead, and while New York would take Game 3 when the series returned to the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden, the Pacers wouldn’t allow them to gain any more momentum. Reggie Miller would hit a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds left to force overtime in Game 5, which they would later win, before Indiana closed the series out with a 10-point victory in Game 6.
5. 1995 – Pacers Win 4-3
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The 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals featured perhaps the most well-known moment in Pacer history, when in Game 1, Reggie Miller scored 8 points in 9 seconds to give Indiana the lead, and ultimately the win. The Knicks would take the series to 7 games but would fall just short when Patrick Ewing missed a game-tying layup in the final seconds.
6. 1994 – Knicks Win 4-3
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While the Knicks would get the series win, one of the most memorable moments from this Eastern Conference Finals series was Reggie Miller getting into it with filmmaker Spike Lee and flashing the choke sign. Although the Knicks had given up a 2-0 series lead, they would find their footing when it mattered most, and beat Indiana in 7.
7. 1993 – Knicks Win 3-1
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The 1993 first round series between New York and Indiana featured a harbinger of what was to come. In Game 3, when Reggie Miller and John Starks of the Knicks were arguing, Starks would suddenly headbutt Miller and get ejected. The Knicks would take the first round series in 4, sparking a rivalry that would define a generation of Pacers basketball.
