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 

Saturday Slam: Stephen Curry has solidified himself as the greatest Warrior

 

                                             (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) 

Not that there was much doubt about who the greatest player in Golden State Warriors history was before this week, Stephen Curry passed Wilt Chamberlain on Monday night to become the all-time leading scorer in franchise history with 53 points in a 116-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Becoming the all-time leading scorer in franchise history is fitting for Curry as he has led the organization to three NBA championships and been the backbone of the organization for over a decade. The only thing that stood in his way in terms of solidifying himself as the greatest Warrior of all-time was the scoring record and now he has it. 

What makes Curry so amazing is his consistency and his ability to bring it night in, night out. He's not only the greatest player in Warriors history, he's arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history period. The only other players in NBA history who I think give him any sort of run are Reggie Miller and Ray Allen and I'd still pick Curry over both of those guys for best shooter ever. 

The reason why is Curry is such a lethal shooter off the dribble. Both Miller and Allen were at their best in catch and shoot scenarios, whereas Curry is lethal both in catch and shoot and off the dribble situations. If anything, he's even more dangerous off the dribble, which just makes his shooting all the more impressive. 

As one who likes to see basketball played at its highest level, it's truly a gift to have Stephen Curry still out there doing his thing, torching opponents from deep. He literally is the human flame thrower. Some of those shots he throws up are from another planet it seems. Hopefully he'll continue to dazzle us for a very long time. 

Touching quickly on where things sit for the Warriors, they are 28-28 at the moment and rookie big man James Wiseman is done for the year due to surgery on his knee. They are 9th in the Western Conference standings which means they are right in that sweep spot to make the play in tournament for the playoffs (top six teams in each conference make the playoffs, seeds 7-10 go to a play in tournament). So, they still have a shot to make the playoffs, but the odds of them doing any damage are low. Especially with Wiseman now out as well as Klay Thompson still sidelined. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here.