It's an Eastern Conference finals matchup rooted in history as the Indiana Pacers face the New York Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday.
This is the ninth time the two teams have faced off in the postseason. That's tied for the most playoff series between opponents since their first meeting in 1993, according to ESPN Research. Four of those nine matchups, including this season, have come in the conference finals -- tied for the most meetings in the conference finals between opposing teams since conferences were established in 1970-71.
Last season, Indiana defeated New York in seven games of the Eastern Conference semifinals.