Category: Sports News

This Eastern Conference Finals brings some deep history, going back to Reggie Miller taunting Spike Lee and Patrick Ewing dominating games (but missing a clutch finger roll). But there's also history from a year ago, when the Pacers beat the Knicks in the second round in seven games. Will history repeat itself?

When does the Knicks vs. the Celtics begin?

New York travels to Indianapolis for Game 1 of the series on Wednesday, May 21, at 8 p.m. Eastern. The series goes almost every other day the rest of the way.

New York vs. Boston Playoffs Schedule 2025

All times are Eastern (* = if necessary)
Game 1: Pacers vs. Knicks; Wednesday, May 21 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 2: Pacers vs. Knicks; Friday, May 23 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 3: Knicks vs. Pacers; Sunday, May 25 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 4: Knicks vs. Pacers; Tuesday, May 27 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 5: Pacers vs. Knicks; Thursday, May 29 (8 p.m., TNT)*
Game 6: Knicks vs. Pacers; Saturday, May 31 (8 p.m., TNT)*
Game 7: Pacers vs. Knicks; Monday, June 2 (8 p.m., TNT)*

Players to watch

Myles Turner

Turner's had a pretty good postseason thus far, averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.8 three-pointers per game, shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 80.4 percent from the foul line. However, Karl-Anthony Towns will be a more difficult matchup for the Pacers center than Brook Lopez (Milwaukee) or Jarrett Allen (Cleveland) were in the first two rounds. On one hand, it must be acknowledged that Indiana has been one of the NBA's best teams since the calendar turned to 2025. However, they had no answer for Towns in the teams' three meetings, two of which occurred in 2024. In the lone 2025 meeting, Towns went for 40 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three three-pointers, shooting 14-of-23 from the field. If the Pacers are to win this series, Turner will have to hold serve with Towns.
—Raphielle Johnson, Rotoworld basketball analyst

Bennedict Mathurin

In a matchup between two teams with loaded starting lineups, depth should end up being a big factor. Bennedict Mathurin had a lot of success against New York during the regular season, and his instant offense could be the difference for Indiana. In three games against the Knicks this year, Mathurin averaged 25.3 points per game, which led all Pacers players. Through the first two rounds of the playoffs, Indiana has shot an absurd (and likely unsustainable) 50.1 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent on three-pointers. Mathurin had some strong performances against Milwaukee and Cleveland, but he also had some games where he didn't provide much. Having him at his best on offense will open things up for Indiana against a tough New York defense that has the fifth-best defensive rating in the playoffs.
—Noah Rubin, Rotoworld basketball analyst

Keys to watch for in New York vs. Indiana

1) Pace

It's simplistic to say the Pacers want to run and the Knicks want to slow the game down — Indiana was top 10 in the league in offense started in transition in the regular season, New York was bottom 10 — but not totally accurate. In the playoffs, especially as teams have geared up to slow the Pacers in transition, the two teams have had about the same amount of offense started on the break.

The Knicks are actually at their best on offense when they force turnovers (or get stops) then get out and run, but they need to be selective with that in this series — if it's a track meet, Indy will win.

Pace, however, is more than running — Indiana is quicker in the halfcourt and uses that to get shots. Haliburton collapses defenses and finds the open man, but Indiana cuts and moves the ball far faster than the Knicks, and that will test New York's defense (both the Celtics and Pistons offenses are more station-to-station, the Pacers are a new kind of test). While New York moves the ball, its offense is more Brunson (and sometimes Towns) based, they can pound the ball a lot. If the Pacers get the ball flying around in the halfcourt and get clean looks because of that, it's a huge advantage.

2) Which team defends the paint better?

Both the Knicks and the Pacers were top-10 in the NBA in chasing teams off the 3-point line this season, but the cost came in allowing points in the paint (both teams were in the bottom half of the league in that stat, but the Pacers were 26th and much worse).

Whichever team does a better job of taking away those easy looks inside on drives (or in transition) will have a considerable advantage.

This is where Mitchel Robinson comes in. He didn't play in any of the meetings between these teams in the regular season and he has been the playoff X-factor for New York and will continue to be so in this series.

Rebounding is a part of the battle in the paint. Indiana has struggled on the glass in the playoffs while the Robinson-led Knicks have been beasts. Indiana has to focus on keeping New York off the glass and getting easy putback buckets.

3) Which team thrives in the clutch?

Comebacks and clutch plays could well decide this series — and both teams have thrived in them these playoffs.

New York was down 20 to Boston on the road in each of the first two games of the last series and came back to win. Indiana has three comebacks of at least 19 points to win this postseason.

Jalen Brunson has done this:

While Tyrese Haliburton has done this:

Multiple games in this series are going to come down to the wire, and it's going to be spectacular.
—Kurt Helin, NBC Sports lead NBA writer

Predictions

Jay Croucher (NBC Sports Lead Betting Analyst): Pacers in 6

From January 1 to regular season end, Indiana had the 5th-best net rating in the NBA, and a +11.5 net rating when Haliburton and Siakam shared the court. The Pacers might be a juggernaut hiding in plain sight. Indiana's pace and ball movement stand in contrast to New York's relative lack of creativity on offense.

Drew Dinsick (NBC Sports Betting Analyst): Pacers in 6

My series price is dead even, and the most likely outcome by my numbers is Pacers 4-2 (at 17%). Pacers plus the points in Game 1 is also a bet for me. Pacers have the best offensive player in the series with Haliburton (narrowly edges Brunson with a 99th percentile oEPM) and they have the two best defensive players with Nembhard and Siakam (95th and 91st percentile dEPM, respectively). I give the coaching edge to Indiana as well.

Brad Thomas (NBC Sports Betting Analyst): Pacers in 7

There's no reason to continue to doubt the Pacers. The Bucks did it, as well as the Cavaliers. Now they have the "overrated" moniker as their motto. Doubt them if you want but this is a crazy talented team.

Their biggest knock all season was their inability to play defense. However, the last month and a half of the season they were one of the best defensive units in the NBA.

They are a lethal offense with a floor general who gets others going and can find his own shot.

That's not a knock on the Knicks. It just feels like a massive let down after knocking off the defending NBA Champs. The price on the Pacers to win the East is too good to pass up.

Kurt Helin (NBC Sports lead NBA writer): Knicks in 7

This series is a coin flip. I came very close to picking the Pacers in 6, and that legitimately could happen — Indiana has more depth and more versatility than New York, and a coach in Rick Carlisle who knows how to exploit that. What is underrated about the Pacers is not Haliburton but their defense.

The Knicks bring size and a little more physicality, and in this postseason, that has generally won out. I think it will here, with Towns and Robinson being the keys that get New York back to the NBA Finals for the first time since Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" topped the charts.

Opening weekend in the WNBA has come and gone with eight matchups taking place in the first three days of the regular season.

History was made with the first WNBA regular season game ever being played at the Chase Center for Valkyries vs. Sparks and the Liberty watched their first-ever championship banner hit the Barclays Center rafters.

But history couldn’t occur without also some major drama. All of the talk in WNBA circles right now is the aftermath of the Fever’s home opener against rival the Sky where Caitlin Clark committed a take foul on Angel Reese and as a result the WNBA opened an investigation into hate comments within Indiana’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse toward Reese. This all comes just days after the league announced their new campaign “No Space for Hate” a platform meant to target instances like these.

Once again the WNBA is enduring narratives questioning the league’s physicality following the flagrant foul from Clark and Reese’s subsequent reaction. Former WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike hopped onto ESPN’s First Take to explain that hate shouldn’t be tolerated in basketball and that the flagrant foul was a part of the game.

She explained that she saw tension between the Liberty’s Jonquel Jones and Chelsea Gray of the Aces in New York and then technicals flew in Connecticut after Washington’s Shakira Austin and Connecticut's Kariata Diaby were battling for position.

”This happens in the WNBA,” she said. “The WNBA is what a lot of people celebrate the NBA for embracing right now. It’s a physical league. This had gasoline because it had two megastar players, household names, but my number one theory is if the players are unbothered we should be too.”

In addition to drama, there was some injury news that rocked the league within its first few days of play. Sparks wing Rae Burrell lasted 41 seconds in the Sparks first game of the season before going down with an injury where she couldn’t put a lot of weight on her right knee. The Sparks expect Burrell to miss anywhere from six-to-eight weeks. So she’ll be out for a couple of months. Also, the Phoenix Mercury announced that franchise face Kahleah Copper got a left knee arthroscopy and gave her a four-to-six week timetable to return to basketball activities. Phoenix’s center Natasha Mack injured her back and will also be out for two-to-three weeks.

Anyway, the league's first weekend also produced a ton of impressive rookie performances especially coming from Washington duo in forward KiKi Iriafin and wing Sonia Citron. In two regular season games, Iriafin has established herself as the Mystics’ second option to Brittney Sykes. And Citron has had a slew of welcome to the league moments, but that hasn’t gotten her too rattled. In two games she averaged 17 points, 2.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds, shooting 64.7 % from the field and 40 % from three equating to 25 fantasy points.

Speaking of the Mystics, they shockingly remain 2-0 heading into the first full week of play. Will that continue?

WNBA Player News

Check out Rotoworld’s newly-launched WNBA Player News section, the best place to keep up to date with transactions, injuries, and game results around the W this season!

Here are five matchups to watch in the WNBA’s first full week of regular season play:

Atlanta Dream @ Indiana Fever

(Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV)

This is the first of two games in a home-and-home series between the Dream and the Fever. Atlanta is looking to bounce back after a 94-90 loss to the Washington Mystics where Atlanta struggled to defend and allowed Washington to shoot 50.8 % from the field. Head coach Karl Smesko explained postgame that in training camp his focus was more on the offense and he wasn’t surprised that his team’s defense struggled. I highlight this first matchup because I’ll be really curious to see how Brittney Griner matches up against Aliyah Boston, a matchup Boston has historically struggled with because of Griner’s strength, size and length. While Indiana’s defense was lauded for how it played against the Chicago Sky, it’s worth remembering the backcourt personnel the Fever were defending. A strength of Atlanta’s are their more dynamic guards in Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray who are better one-on-one shot creators than Chicago’s Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot.

Dallas Wings @ Minnesota Lynx

(Wednesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)

Paige Bueckers will return to home state Minnesota to play her first game as a pro in the arena she grew up going to against the team she grew up watching. While the Lynx won this first matchup on Friday handily 99-84 after a competitive three quarters, Bueckers will look to show out against her personal home crowd in Minneapolis. I’ll be curious to see what adjustments first-year head coach Chris Koclanes makes to counter the Lynx’s aggressive ball-pressure which is what Koclanes thought hindered the pace of the Wings’ offense. While the sample size is limited, after two games played, the Lynx are the third worst rebounding team in the league. What does Dallas do to take advantage? But also even if Bueckers comes out with a more dominant stat line, Wednesday night is the Lynx’s home opener. Sure the Minnesota crowd will welcome back Bueckers, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be rooting for her.

Golden State Valkyries @ Los Angeles Sparks

(Friday, May 23 at 10 p.m. ET on ION)

Not only are the Valkyries the first WNBA expansion franchise to play in 17 seasons, but they also give the W its first same state matchup since the Sacramento Monarchs folded in 2009. On opening night these two teams played in San Francisco and the Sparks won 84-67 pretty decisively on the back of new franchise player Kelsey Plum who had a historic night scoring 37 points (11-of-19 shooting), two rebounds, six assists, five steals and four three-pointers in her Sparks debut. How does Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase attempt to neutralize Plum who she coached for years in Las Vegas as an assistant? Nakase, an Anaheim native and UCLA alumna, will return home to LA for her very first game coaching at the helm. To defeat the Sparks in this second matchup, the Valkyries will have to get out more in transition as in game one they only had nine fast break points to the Sparks’ 17.

Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm

(Friday, May 23 at 10 p.m. ET on ION)

While this matchup will be on at the exact same time as Valkyries vs. Sparks, I recommend watching both on multiview. The Storm were smacked 81-59 by the Mercury in the season opener on Saturday. How will Seattle respond to that in their home opener against the same team on Friday? Storm head coach Noelle Quinn explained that she believed her team didn’t get downhill enough in that first game against the Mercury, and didn’t put themselves in position to get shots at the rim. Phoenix appeared fine without Copper as superstars Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally took the brunt of the scoring load. The only other double-digit scorer for Phoenix was undrafted rookie guard Lexie Held who had 11 points (4-of-9 shooting), two rebounds, three assists and a three-pointer in her WNBA debut. Will that be enough for Phoenix in Game 2 against the Storm? We’ll have to watch to find out.

New York Liberty @ Indiana Fever

(Saturday, May 24 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS)

New York and Indiana had strong opening weekend debuts against their natural rivals in Las Vegas and Chicago. With two of the strongest schemers in the league in New York’s Sandy Brondello and Indiana’s Stephanie White going up against each other, this is bound to be a high level basketball game. Brondello has coached both new Fever acquisitions in DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard. And White helped create a scheme that neutralized Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu during multiple WNBA semifinal games during her tenure in Connecticut coaching the Sun. A matchup to watch will be following how Natasha Cloud defends Clark and how the Liberty use their length to their advantage to stop Indiana’s second most reliable option in Kelsey Mitchell. Expect Leonie Fiebich to take on this assignment. Another matchup to pay attention to will be Jonquel Jones vs. Aliyah Boston, two very physical centers who have previously frustrated each other with physicality and frustration over who’s getting calls and who’s not. Expect this game to be physical with a ton of threes taken. That’s how some of the best WNBA games are meant to be.