New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers
The Knicks were unable to even the score, losing 130-121 to the Pacers in Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. Down 1-3, New York are one loss away from elimination, and Indiana can secure their tickets to the NBA Finals by winning Game 5 at Madison Square Garden tomorrow.
A 1-3 deficit seems impossible to come back from, but a handful of teams have done it before, and the Knicks aim to be one of them. However, given the way the Pacers have played, even if they lose Game 5, qualifying for the Finals and winning the Eastern Conference crown seems inevitable.
The winner of this series will face the Thunder, who took care of business against the Timberwolves in five games earlier today. As of this writing, Oklahoma City, led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are the prohibitive favorites to win the 2025 NBA championship.
Talking Points
Towns probable to play for the Knicks
The Knicks gave Karl-Anthony Towns the questionable tag ahead of Game 5, and the team hopes to have him at full strength. The five-time NBA All-Star is one of the team’s most impactful players, averaging 25.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 52.4 percent shooting from the field this series.
Towns hurt his knee late in Game 4 after banging knees with Aaron Nesmith with less than two minutes left in Game 4. He immediately grabbed his leg and writhed in pain, though he was able to finish the contest.
Whether he’s 100 percent fit or not in Game 5, Towns seems determined to play, which is a positive sign for New York. The Dominican international said during the postgame press conference that he’ll give it his all tomorrow.
“I’m not thinking about (my knee) right now. It’s disappointing when you don’t get a win and we didn’t do enough to get the job done tonight,” Towns said. “We just keep fighting. This is going to be a testament to our whole playoff run. Now we have to be in the biggest fight of our life and of our season.”
The Knicks will also need more from Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart, especially on the defensive end, similar to what they did in Game 3.
Haliburton continues to spearhead the Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton continues to shine this postseason, as he hit a rare stat line last Tuesday. The two-time NBA All-Star produced 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, four steals, and five three-pointers on 11-for-23 shooting from the field without turning the ball over.
After the game, Haliburton said he was inspired by the presence of his dad, John, who was banned from watching live games, and his good friend Triple H, boss of the WWE Network.
Haliburton picked apart the Knicks’ sloppy defense, as the team shot 51.1 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three-point land. Besides Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, and Myles Turner added 30, 20, 16, and 13 points.
History
Only 13 NBA teams have come back from a 1-3 series deficit, and the Knicks aim to be the 14th team. The most recent club to achieve such a feat were the Nuggets in the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Clippers.
90s kids grew up with the Knicks-Pacers rivalry, as these two teams faced off six times in the NBA playoffs from 1993 to 2000. Reggie Miller, a central figure for the Pacers back then, currently works as an analyst while covering the series for TNT.
New York haven’t defeated Indiana in a playoff series since the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals, where they won in six games. When these two teams squared off last year, the Pacers won 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with Game 7 held at Madison Square Garden.
What are the odds?
The NBA 2025 odds predict the Knicks will make a valiant stand before ultimately losing the series to the Pacers, though the game will likely be another close one. New York are pegged at 1.58 to win in the money line, while the Pacers are at 2.42. The hosts are also backed in the Asian Handicap market with -5.50 at 2.21 being the highest offer.
SBOTOP basketball fans can expect new NBA 2025 highlights from these two sides, making alternative bets like Over 222.00 at 1.86, Over 222.50 at 1.93, Over 223.00 at 1.96, and Over 223.50 at 2.02 viable. You can also add Last Scoring Method – Free Throw at 1.90 to your parlay, especially if things get tight down the stretch.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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