Knicks vs. Pacers Eastern Conference Finals Preview and Prediction.

 New York is trying to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999...

The No. 3 seed New York Knicks will face the No. 4 Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs...

After a 25-year hiatus, the Knicks are on the brink of an NBA Finals appearance, with the Indiana Pacers as their only obstacle.

After defeating the proud Boston Celtics in six games, some might feel confident against an Indiana team that defeated the injured Knicks in seven games last year.

But this isn't the same Knicks team. And while their roster is the same, it's not the same Pacers team either. Let's get to the historic matchup...

Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) shoots over Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Halliburton...

New York won 2-1 against Indiana in the regular season, with the two teams trading goals against each other. While we can't rely too heavily on those games to predict postseason outcomes, there are still some insights to be gleaned.

First, the Knicks need to win this series on defense. They've scored over 120 points in all three games against the Pacers and have some clear advantages on the offensive side. But it remains to be seen how much they can slow the Pacers down on the other end.

The Knicks are the favorites to win the Eastern Conference Finals. Brad Penner- Imagine Images...

Start with their engine Tyrese Halliburton, who is averaging 17.5 points and 9.3 assists this postseason. His natural rival is Mikal Bridges, who has the speed and length needed to play with Halliburton's size and skill.

But the Pacers will struggle to beat New York's favorite matchups and will choose to target their "weak spots," Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The Celtics tried and failed with the same strategy, but the Pacers undoubtedly have a deeper rotation of threats.

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Then there's Pascal Siakam, who is currently a mid-post monster, averaging 19 points on 55 percent shooting in the playoffs. He's a tough cover for smaller wings like Josh Hart and Ozzie Anunnaki, and can punish them on the offensive glass. So it'll be interesting to see if head coach Tom Thibodeau employs Towns over him for a while.

The Knicks have a reason to go back to the defensive approach they used against the Celtics. This is another team that thrives on advantage creation, ball movement and open threes.

Against them, they can be forced into an iso-hunt, which has proven to be a tough solution. With this plan, Indiana is likely to be much more efficient than Boston in off-ball action, slips, and other areas.

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Last year, they had some success using offensive coverage to force Halliburton to give up and start big plays. While Siakam and Myles Turner can jump on you for 20 points, it will take a team effort similar to what the Knicks brought against Boston.

The Knicks will have to be prepared for this. The Pacers are much faster, much deeper, and have been relatively healthy through two short series than the Celtics.

If Brunson and Towns can get their efforts back on track and Thibodeau can stick to his plan, the Knicks will be in good shape. But their offense has struggled in the playoffs, and they will have to be at their best to play shot-for-shot against Indiana.

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The Pacers have the second-highest offensive rating after this season, and their defense has improved a lot from last year. Fortunately, the Knicks have two huge problems to deal with defensively.

First, Brunson, in full playoff mode, was fit when he faced the Pacers last year. There's no single answer for him, but expect a lot of Aaron Nesmiths and Andrew Namebirds to try to annoy him with size.

Indiana got burned trying to draw too much attention to him, so maybe they gave Brunson a chance in this series and left the rest out? It'll be tough to keep Towns as their second weapon.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau talks with center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and guards Josh Hart (3) and forward OG Anunoby (8)...

Towns has owned this matchup all year, averaging 30.3 points and 12 rebounds in those three games. Turner can't play an effective defensive role, as they'll have to work harder to guard Towns, as they have the mobility to do so and can hurt him if he's out of position.

Despite all that depth, Indiana lacks backup big positions, and its wings are much less suited to guarding Towns than Boston's.

The Pacers still have a chance to follow that strategy, but the Knicks have gotten used to it and will be able to find opportunities to capitalize on the opportunities Towns and Hart have.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) shoots the ball while Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) defends...

New York has a chance to win this series, and Mitchell Robinson will have to wait a few more minutes to do it.

They also need Bridges and Anunoby to maintain confidence in their rim attacks and short-game attacks, as they can poke holes in this Pacers defense.

👉Knicks vs. Pacers Preview Eastern Conference Finals: Prediction, Analysis, Keys To Victory

When the Knicks seem like they can't do anything late this season, it's strange to say they have to win this series and advance to the NBA Finals. The Pacers aren't talented, and they'll have a tough series, but the Knicks' talent and coaching are enough to outlast them.

👉Knicks vs Pacers is Going to Be an INSANE Conference Finals