Old-school rivals New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers meet again in the NBA playoffs | News, sports, jobs

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (right) is defended by Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during the first half on Feb. 10 in New York. (AP file photo)

NEW YORK – As the New York Knicks advanced in the playoffs each year, they almost always faced the Indiana Pacers.

As the teams renew their playoff rivalry in the Eastern Conference semifinals tonight, it's easy to think back to the fierce duels of the 1990s. While the match may be old-fashioned, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are preparing for an opponent that plays a new style.

Tyrese Haliburton leads the NBA's highest-scoring offense, with Indiana putting up numbers that make games in past Knicks-Pacers contests seem like a different sport and not just another century.

“I think whenever you have the original teams from back in the day, there will always be some sort of history.” Brunson said. “But you have two good teams that play very, I don’t want to say different, but they play their own style of basketball. And so it's going to be a tough question as to who's going to go out there, who's going to want it more and who's going to try to get it.”

Brunson led the No. 2 seed Knicks past Philadelphia in the first round, sending the Knicks to the East semifinals in consecutive seasons for the first time in nine straight games between 1992 and 2000.

He scored 40 or more points in the last three games, becoming only the seventh player in NBA history to score three consecutive 40-point games in the playoffs.

The league's fourth-leading scorer in the regular season outscores all players in the postseason with 35.5 per game.

Indiana's great players perform as a team. The Pacers led the league with 123.3 points per game, the sixth-highest in league history, and were also leaders in field goal percentage and assists. They reached 140 points 11 times, an NBA record.

The sixth-seeded Pacers haven't slowed down much in the playoffs. They averaged 113 in defeating No. 3 Milwaukee and hit at least 120 in all four wins during the six-game series.

The Knicks and Pacers met three times in a row from 1993 to 1995 – winning in Game 7 in the last two – then again from 1998 to 2000, the last two of which came in the Eastern Conference Finals. Indiana won the last meeting, ousting the No. 2 seed Knicks in the 2013 East semifinals.

Neither team ever reached 120 points in any of the 41 games.

“It’s just a very intense duel, that’s really the simple truth about it.” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “There's been a lot going on with Reggie Miller for five or six years and I know there was another duel in 2013. We have to be very resilient and very stick together.”

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THIS SEASON

Indiana went 2-1 against New York and was right at its season average with 123.3 points per game, including 140 in a win on Dec. 30 when the Knicks were shorthanded after a trade. Brunson averaged 35.7 points.

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BRUNSON VS. HALIBURTON

The point guards were USA teammates last summer and played in the Basketball World Cup, then had their best NBA seasons. Both were All-Stars, with Haliburton the Eastern Conference starter in its home arena and on pace to lead the league with 10.9 assists per game.

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EX-RAPTOR VS. EX-RAPTOR

Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby were Toronto's starters to start the season before the forwards were swapped. Anunoby went to the Knicks in December and Siakam went to Indiana in January. The Knicks are 24-5 with Anunoby in the lineup and could need him now to defend his former teammate, who opened the playoffs with consecutive games of at least 35 points and 10 rebounds.

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BRUNSON VS. CARLISLE

Brunson began his career in Dallas with Carlisle, who praised his former player's character and said they had three great years together. Brunson was asked if he had extra motivation after an ESPN podcast mentioned his frustration with only getting 10 minutes of playing time in a Game 7 loss to the Clippers in 2021.

“Honestly, I said that last time, you’re in the playoffs now, there’s no extra motivation.” Brunson said. “It is what it is, the past is the past. Rick, he welcomed me into this league and helped me become the player and he helped me develop from day one. A coach has to make decisions that suit his team. Whatever happened, happened and we’ll move on from there.”

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Obi's chance

Obi Toppin was the Knicks' first-round pick in 2020 and became a fan favorite despite rarely getting extended playing time behind All-Star Julius Randle. He scored a career playoff-high 21 points off the bench in the decisive win over Milwaukee and is now returning to his original NBA home.

“They are one of the most physical teams in the league” said Toppin. “They've had this identity for many years and we have to come in there and bring that physicality and play our style of basketball and I think we'll be good at that.”

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AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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