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The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers are meeting once again in the NBA playoffs, and this time, there is a Finals berth on the line. The Knicks kept their season alive Thursday night, winning Game 5 at Madison Square Garden with 32 points from Jalen Brunson and a strong defensive showing.

The Pacers got here by knocking out both the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Indiana beat the Knicks in the second round last season to make the Eastern Conference finals, where they got swept by the Celtics. 

If Pacers can't close out Knicks in Game 6, what do odds say about their Game 7 chances in New York?
Brad Botkin
If Pacers can't close out Knicks in Game 6, what do odds say about their Game 7 chances in New York?

The Knicks are in the East finals for the first time since 2000 after knocking out the reigning champion Boston Celtics in the second round in six games. The Knicks also ousted the Detroit Pistons in six games in the first round, and Brunson has been phenomenal throughout the playoffs.

The Pacers have not been to the NBA Finals since 2000, when they beat the Knicks in the East finals to get there. The Knicks have not been to the NBA Finals since 1999 ... and, of course, they beat the Pacers in the East finals to get there.

Below is the complete schedule for the Eastern Conference finals.

Eastern Conference finals schedule

All times Eastern

Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 (OT) 
Game 2: Pacers 114, Knicks 109 
Game 3: Pacers 106, Knicks 100 
Game 4: Pacers 130, Knicks 121
Game 5: Knicks 111, Pacers 94 -- Indiana leads 3-2
Game 6: Saturday, May 31 | Knicks vs. Pacers | 8 p.m., TNT/Max
*Game 7: Monday, June 2 | Pacers vs. Knicks | 8 p.m., TNT/Max

Knicks vs. Pacers odds

Odds via FanDuel

  • Series odds: Pacers -370, Knicks +295
  • Game 6 odds: Pacers -3.5, O/U 220

Knicks vs. Pacers: Game 6 best bet

As a general rule, team-wide offense becomes harder and harder to come by as a playoff series progresses. Your opponent becomes familiar with your tendencies and play calls. At that point, individual scoring ability becomes paramount. Obviously, this has been present for the Knicks all series. Their offense is built around the individual brilliance of Jalen Brunson. But I want to point to something that's happened for Indiana as the series has progressed: Bennedict Mathurin scored nine points in Game 1. He scored two combined in Games 2 and 3. And now he's scored 43 total in Games 4 and 5. New York's defense is starting to get a bit more comfortable with Indiana's pace and passing. A lot of the easy buckets they found early in the series are starting to get harder. So Maturhin's ability to generate his own offense has become more important than ever, and I expect it to remain important in Game 6. Mathurin played 24 minutes in Game 5, his most of the series, and I think he'll be a key bench piece in Game 6 as well. The Pick: Mathurin Over 9.5 Points