The Knicks-Pacers rivalry is simply awesome

 

                                             (Credit: Frank Franklin II/AP Photo) 

The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers are locked up in an intense Eastern Conference Finals right now. The Pacers are up 2-1 with one more game in Indiana on Tuesday before things go back to New York for Game 5. The Pacers will look to go up 3-1 and put all the pressure on the Knicks. The Knicks will look to even up the series 2-2 and get momentum back. 

Just three games in, the series already feels like an instant classic. Tyrese Haliburton's overtime forcing shot in Game 1 led to what is now being dubbed "Choke 2.0" after Haliburton re-enacted Reggie Miller's choke sign to Spike Lee from Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers went on to win Game 1 138-135 in overtime and while Haliburton's shot is the most iconic moment from that game, Aaron Nesmith's 30 points on 8/9 shooting from 3-point range cannot be forgotten. Nesmith looked like Miller did in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals in which he scored eight points in 8.9 seconds. 8 of 9 shooting from 3-point range; 8 points in 8.9 seconds. To quote Mark Twain, history doesn't repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme. 

While the Pacers delivered the first blow in this year's series, the Knicks bounced back in a big way to take Game 3 after being down 0-2. With Jalen Brunson in foul trouble Karl-Anthony Towns took over for the Knicks, finishing with 24 points and 15 rebounds to help them come back from 20 points down to win 106-100 on the road in Indiana. Towns played with a lot of passion and fire, showing that the Knicks care about this rivalry just as much as the Pacers do. 

When looking at this rivalry from the big picture, I think what makes it awesome is the combination of it being big market versus small market while also featuring two places that are rich in basketball history. It's Hoosiers versus Rucker Park. And then on top of that, both teams have had big time names. In the 90s, the Pacers had Reggie Miller and the Knicks had Patrick Ewing. This year, the Pacers have Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam while the Knicks have Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.  When you put those elements together, you have the potential for a lot of amazing basketball moments. 

Looking ahead to the rest of the series, while the Pacers remain the favorites at the moment, the Knicks still have a pulse. There's still plenty of basketball left and if history is any guide, there will be more twists and turns in this series before it gets decided. I for one can't wait to see how it all unfolds. 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter) @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Blue Sky: nbalorddotcom.bsky.social 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406 

Five things to look for in the Eastern Conference Finals: Knicks vs. Pacers

 

                                            (Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images) 

The Eastern Conference Finals begins this week between the 3rd seeded New York Knicks and 4th seeded Indiana Pacers. Game one will be on Wednesday at 5:00 PM PT on TNT/TruTV. Below are five things to look for in the series. 

#1. Can the Pacers slow down Jalen Brunson? Jalen Brunson is coming into the series averaging a ridiculous 28.8 points and 7.7 assists per game during the playoffs. He's really in the zone right now. Something to look for is whether or not the Pacers will be able to do a better job defending him than the Pistons and Celtics did. If not, the Knicks are going to be extremely tough to stop. 

#2. Can the Pacers' ball movement make the difference? The Pacers averaged 29.2 assists per game during the regular season, which is 3rd in the NBA while the Knicks averaged 27.5 points per game, which ranks 11th in the NBA. During the playoffs, the Pacers have taken it up a notch with 29.7 assists per game as Tyrese Haliburton's 9.3 assists per game during the playoffs leads the NBA. If the Pacers are going to win the series, their ball movement is going to have play a major role. 

#3. Will the Pacers' rest help them out at all? The Pacers come into this series with more rest having taken out the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games while the Knicks had to play a game six to dispatch of the Celtics. Getting a couple extra days to rest should certainly help the Pacers, but will it make any meaningful difference? Game one should tell us a lot. 

#4. Can the Knicks close the gap on the 3-ball? The Knicks are shooting 35.8% from 3-point range in the playoffs while the Pacers are shooting 40.6%. If the Knicks want to win the series, it would help them a lot if they could get more threes to fall while defending the Pacers from the perimeter. The Pacers are coming in with a lot of confidence in their 3-point shooting, so slowing them down in that department will be no easy task. 

#5. Will the rivalry feel rekindled? The Knicks and Pacers had a lot of battles in the 1990s and have formed one of the more iconic NBA rivalries. This series certainly has a chance to add an exciting chapter to it. The fans should be fired up on both sides. It certainly would be good for the NBA to have this be a competitive series given the history between these two teams. 

Prediction: The Pacers seem to have really taken things up a notch during the playoffs. I got them winning this series in six games. 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Blue Sky: @nbalorddotcom.bsky.social

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, YouTube, X (Twitter), & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406 

Five things to look for in the Western Conference Finals: Thunder vs. Timberwolves

 

                                             (Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images) 

This week, the Western Conference Finals begin with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder squaring off. Game one will be on Tuesday in OKC at 5:30 PM PT on ESPN/ESPN2. Below are five things to look for over the course of the series. 

#1. Who has the better series: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) or Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)? 

The top-seeded Thunder are led by guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 29.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game during the playoffs while the Timberwolves are led by guard Anthony Edwards, who is averaging 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game during the playoffs. The NBA is such a star driven league that series' are often decided by which star players play better. The Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Edwards matchup is going to be crucial to deciding the outcome. Both guys will need to bring their A-game for sure. 

#2. Which team will control the pace? The Thunder are 6th in the NBA in pace of play while the Timberwolves are 24th. The Thunder average 120.5 points per game which is 4th in the NBA while the Timberwolves are 13th in the NBA with 114.3 points per game. The Thunder like to get out and run it more while the Timberwolves play a slower game. If the Thunder can get out and run to their heart's desire, they should be in a good spot to win the series. If the Timberwolves are able to slow it down and play more to their pace, they'll have a real chance. Pace of play is going to be key given the contrasting styles between the two teams. 

#3. Who wins the battle in the paint? The Thunder have some big bodies inside with Chet Holmgren (15.0 points & 8.0 rebounds) and Isaiah Hartenstein (11.2 points & 10.7 rebounds) while the Timberwolves have Naz Reid (14.2 points & 6.0 rebounds) and Rudy Gobert (12.0 points & 10.9 rebounds). Whichever team wins the battle inside will give themselves an edge. It'll be fun to see how that shakes out. 

#4. How much will home court matter? The Thunder will have home court advantage and that could end up being a huge factor. Both teams have dropped only one game at home so far in the playoffs while also winning multiple games on the road. Given the fact that these teams have done so well on the road and both have dropped one game at home, one has to wonder how much of an impact home court advantage will make. It's usually a huge factor, but this could be a case where we see the road team find some success. 

#5. Will the Timberwolves' experience make a difference? The Timberwolves were in the Western Conference Finals last season and have made the playoffs four seasons in a row. The Thunder in contrast have made the playoffs two seasons in a row with this young nucleus and haven't been to the conference finals since 2015-16, back when they had a totally different team. It'll be interesting to see if the Timberwolves' experience will make a difference. On paper, they'll have an advantage in that department. But can they capitalize? That's the question. 

Prediction: I gotta roll with the Timberwolves in six games. I think that experience will make a real difference. 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406 

The Indiana Pacers are shifting into another gear

 

                                            (Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images/Reuters) 

The 4th seeded Indiana Pacers have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, taking out the top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games, closing out the series with a 114-105 victory on Tuesday, May 13th. Power forward Pascal Siakam (pictured above to the right) had a strong performance with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block while guard Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 31 points, six rebounds, eight assists, one block, and one steal. Small forward Aaron Nesmith also had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Just an all-around great team victory. 

The 4-1 series victory over the Cavaliers comes after a 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, making the Pacers 8-2 so far in the playoffs. Haliburton is leading the league in assists per game this postseason with 9.3 to go along with his 17.5 points per game while center Myles Turner's 2.5 blocks per game is leading the league in the postseason as well. Turner is putting in 16.5 points and grabbing 6.0 rebounds per game, so he's playing fantastic. When you have the NBA's top assist guy and top shot blocker on your team, you're going to be tough to stop.

During the playoffs, the Pacers are averaging 117.7 points per game while their opponents are averaging 112.2 points per game. That's an average margin of victory of +5.5, which is pretty solid. Especially when you consider they took out the top seed. Their three largest margins of victory have been a 117-98 (+19) home victory over the Bucks in game one, a 129-103 (+26) road victory over the Bucks in game four, and a 129-109 (+20) home victory over the Cavaliers in game four. Those are dominant wins. They also have a pair of one point victories over both teams, one of which came in overtime. So they've shown they can win close games as well. 

Looking ahead to the Eastern Conference Finals, whether it's the Knicks or Celtics that they play, the Pacers should be feeling confident right now. They've taken out the top seed in the East in the Cavaliers and a Milwaukee Bucks team that isn't that far removed from a championship. They're also getting a chance to rest up while the Knicks and Celtics still finish their series with game six coming up on Friday. Honestly, I don't think it's at all crazy to have the Pacers favored. They seem to be shifting into another gear and so far nobody has figured out how to slow them down. 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, YouTube, X (Twitter), & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406 

The Dallas Mavericks are in the driver's seat to land Cooper Flagg

 On Monday, the NBA had their Draft Lottery, which figures out the order that teams will draft. Picks 1-4 are determined by the lottery and then picks 5-14 are determined by record once the top four teams have been figured out. As you can see from the graphic above, the Dallas Mavericks won the top pick despite having 1.8% odds of doing so. The Spurs, 76ers, Hornets, Jazz, Wizards, Pelicans, Nets, Raptors, Rockets, Trail Blazers, Bulls, Hawks, and Spurs follow in that order. 

Of course, the Utah Jazz are the big losers in this given they came in with the league's worst record and had 14% odds of winning the top pick. Their strategy of tanking to get the top pick hasn't been going so good, but hey, getting the 5th overall pick still isn't a bad place to be picking all things considered. 

Going back to the Mavericks, by securing the top pick, this means they are now in the driver's seat to select Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, who is has been the consensus top pick in the draft for quite a while. Flagg had a fabulous freshman season in Durham, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game on 48.1% shooting from the field, 38.5% shooting from 3-point range, and 84.0% shooting from the foul line. Duke reached the Final Four, losing to Houston 70-67 in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. Flagg was obviously a major reason why they went so deep. 

Assuming they do indeed select Flagg, the Mavericks will be getting a new super star talent to replace Luka Doncic, who they traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis earlier this season. Given his skills and gifts at 6'9", 205 pounds, Flagg certainly has the potential to make Mavericks fans forget about Doncic rather quickly. 

Still, there will be a lot of pressure on Flagg to deliver the goods and be the new face of the franchise. While that pressure would be there no matter where he goes, he'll be under an even bigger magnifying glass in Dallas given the recent Doncic trade. He'll immediately get compared to Doncic and given how good Doncic is, those aren't easy shoes to fill. 

It certainly will be interesting to see how Flagg does in Dallas (assuming he goes there) and where the Mavericks are five years out. One thing is certainly true: By winning the lottery, the Mavericks have an opportunity to look really smart for trading Doncic even though everybody has to know they had no crystal ball. 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, YouTube, X (Twitter), & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406