The Indiana Pacers will take on the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. It's the renewal of a rivalry that started back in the 90s. That's really when the rivalry was shown on a national stage. Every NBA fan knew that a Pacers/Knicks playoff game was must-see TV.
This rivalry forged new generations of fans on both sides. Kids grew up watching the Pacers and the Knicks battle in the playoffs and it created new fans. Count me as one of those fans. The 1990s is when I forged my Pacers fandom. This rivalry is one of the reasons why.
With the Pacers about to to face off against New York again, we take a look back at the illustrious history between these two teams. We will give you the three best playoff moments between these two teams in the playoffs from the Indiana pacers perspective.
The first moment on this list is the most playoff moment between these two franchises.
3. Roy Hibbert blocks Carmelo Anthony to help seal a series win for the Pacers in 2013
The most recent playoff series between these two teams happened back in 2013. Indiana was the number-one seed in the Eastern conference and had to take care of the Knicks in order to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. This was the last time Knick fans had title hopes.
In Game 6, the Pacers took on the Knicks in Indianapolis. With Indiana up 3-2, it was do or die for New York. They made it a really competitive game until the very end. They were led by Carmelo Anthony and he really did not want to go home that day.
But in the most important moment of the game, Anthony was turned away from the rim. Roy Hibbert met Melo at the summit with five and a half minutes left in the game and the Knicks up two. That block changed the momentum of the entire game and gave the Pacers the boost they needed. You can see the meeting between the two below:
If the Pacers win tonight, they will take on the Knicks. The last time they played in the playoffs, this happened. pic.twitter.com/3h85B1eU7T
— 8 Points, 9 Seconds (@8pts9secs) May 1, 2024
Hibbert would go on to have five blocks that night as the Pacers would be the Knicks and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. It was the last great moment that Melo had in his career and it was the last time the Knicks were truly relevant in the playoffs. Hibbert put an end to that.
We know that Indiana would go on to lose to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games that year. Still, this was another great moment that they had over the Knicks. That's what this current crop of Pacers have to live up to.
The next moment on this list is one of the many great moments that Reggie Miller had against the New York Knicks.