Overview
- Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off at 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden, airing on TNT, as the Knicks face the Pacers in their ninth playoff meeting.
- The Knicks are making their first Conference Finals appearance in 25 years after defeating the defending champion Boston Celtics in six games.
- Indiana earned its second consecutive Conference Finals berth by upsetting the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games during the semifinals.
- Betting markets favor New York for Game 1, with a moneyline of -185 and a -4.5 point spread, reflecting the Knicks' strong regular-season performance over Indiana.
- Both teams enter the series with full-strength lineups, including key Knicks players Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby, who are active for tonight's game.