Basketball is funny. You can have two teams across the country that never think about each other, but put the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers in a room together? It’s basically an immediate invitation for a 1990s-style brawl, even in 2026.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter if it’s a random Tuesday in December or a high-stakes playoff game. When these two meet, the energy shifts. People still talk about Reggie Miller and Spike Lee, but if you’ve been watching lately, you know the new chapter is just as chaotic.
The Most Recent Knicks vs Pacers Match: A Heartbreaker at the Fieldhouse
The last time these two stepped onto the hardwood was December 18, 2025. It was one of those games where you’re pretty sure neither coach slept for two days afterward. The Knicks walked into Gainbridge Fieldhouse short-handed—no Karl-Anthony Towns, no Mitchell Robinson—and it looked like they were going to get run out of the building early. They fell into a 16-point hole almost immediately.
But New York does that thing they do. They grind.
Jalen Brunson, who is essentially the heartbeat of Manhattan at this point, decided he wasn't losing. He dropped 25 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer with just 4.4 seconds left on the clock. Then OG Anunoby, playing against his former teammates, snatched the inbounds pass to seal a 114-113 victory.
The Pacers were devastated. Andrew Nembhard played out of his mind with 31 points, but it wasn't enough to stop New York's seven-game winning streak.
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It was a classic "Knicks vs Pacers match" scenario: physical, loud, and decided by a single mistake in the final seconds.
Breaking Down the Box Score
If you're a stat nerd, the numbers from that December thriller tell a wild story:
- Jalen Brunson: 25 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST. He just controls the tempo like a metronome.
- Andrew Nembhard: 31 PTS (12-of-19 shooting). He was the only reason Indiana stayed in it.
- The Rookie Factor: Tyler Kolek had career highs in points (16) and assists (11). Seeing a rookie step up in a rivalry game like this is rare.
- Efficiency: Indiana shot 55% from two-point range, but New York killed them from deep, hitting 40% of their threes compared to Indiana's 33%.
Why This Rivalry Is Reborn
We have to talk about the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals.
Most people outside of New York and Indy forgot how much these fanbases hate each other until that series. It went six games, and it was brutal. The Pacers eventually took it 4-2, ending the Knicks' best season in 25 years. Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton basically became public enemies in the five boroughs.
Siakam, specifically, won the Larry Bird Trophy as the ECF MVP. Watching a Pacer hoist a trophy named after a Pacer legend while standing on the Knicks' logo? That stays with a team.
The Knicks entered the 2025-26 season with a massive chip on their shoulder. Adding Karl-Anthony Towns was supposed to be the "Pacers-killer" move, but injuries have made this season a bit of a jigsaw puzzle for Tom Thibodeau.
The Tyrese Haliburton Situation
You can't discuss a Knicks vs Pacers match right now without mentioning Haliburton's health. He’s been sidelined with a torn Achilles since the 2025 Finals. Recent reports from mid-January 2026 show him back on the court for light practice, and Pacers fans are losing their minds with excitement.
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Indiana has struggled without him, sitting at a rough 9-31 record recently. They’re a completely different team when he’s not orchestrating the offense. Without him, the rivalry loses a bit of its "chess match" feel and becomes more of a "slugfest."
Tactical Masterclass: What to Watch For
When these teams play, the schemes are fascinating. Thibodeau wants to slow the game down, rebound every miss, and live at the free-throw line. Rick Carlisle, on the other hand, wants the Pacers to play like they're in a track meet.
The Glass Battle
Even without their primary centers in the last game, the Knicks managed to stay competitive on the boards. If New York wins the rebounding battle, they usually win the game. It’s that simple.
Turnovers and Pressure
In the 2025 playoffs, Indiana’s ball pressure forced 17 turnovers in the clinching game. They play a "relentless" style that tests whether Brunson can handle 48 minutes of someone breathing down his neck.
The Bench Depth
The emergence of guys like Tyler Kolek for the Knicks and Bennedict Mathurin for the Pacers has changed the dynamic. It's no longer just a star-vs-star matchup. It’s about whose rotation can survive the "non-Brunson" or "non-Siakam" minutes.
What's Next for the Knicks and Pacers?
Looking ahead, we’ve got some massive dates circled on the calendar.
The next meeting is scheduled for February 10, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. You can bet the Garden crowd is going to be ruthless. Then they play back-to-back games in March (the 13th in Indy and the 17th in NY). These late-season games will likely determine seeding—or in Indiana's case, whether they can claw back into play-in contention if Haliburton returns.
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Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Watch the Injury Reports: If KAT and Haliburton are both active for the February 10th game, the betting lines will shift dramatically.
- Focus on the First Quarter: In their last three matchups, the team that led after 12 minutes won the game. Neither team has been great at overcoming double-digit deficits against each other lately.
- Keep an eye on Rick Carlisle: He's currently sitting on 999 career wins. He needs one more to hit the 1,000 mark. Doing it against the Knicks at the Garden would be peak NBA drama.
The Knicks vs Pacers match is more than just a game; it's a legacy of headbutts, choke signs, and last-second heaves that has survived for nearly 50 years. Whether you're wearing blue and orange or gold and blue, you know better than to turn the TV off before the final buzzer.