Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers took down the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals before the eventual 2026 NBA champions won the title the next year.
However, the Knicks never faced the Pacers in their 2026 NBA title conquest since Haliburton was on the sideline for the entirety of the 2025-2026 NBA season.
Now that Haliburton is healthy again, the Pacers star has a bold message to the defending champion Knicks.
Tyrese Haliburton’s Message To The New York Knicks
Talking on the Zach Lowe show, Haliburton congratulated the Knicks for winning last year’s championship, but he is looking forward to again facing them in the playoffs down the line.
“I don’t want to take away from the run because, like you’re saying, it was amazing to watch what they were doing, especially after they lost that Atlanta game,” the returning Pacers superstar said. “Everything from then on was complete dominance. Kudos to them. It was an amazing run.
“I hope that we get to play them again, we get to play in the playoffs, because I want to play the best teams.”
“It was amazing to watch what they were doing… like complete dominance, kudos to them, it was an amazing run. I hope that we get to play them again, because I want to play the best teams.”
The rivalry between the Pacers and Knicks has been spectacularly reignited over the last three years.
The resurgence began during the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, where an injury-plagued New York team pushed Indiana to a full seven games. In Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, Haliburton and the Pacers silenced the home crowd by shooting an NBA-playoff record 67.1% from the field to secure a 130-109 blowout victory.
The animosity escalated in the 2025 postseason when the two franchises met for a consecutive year, this time in the Eastern Conference Finals. The series was packed with drama, highlighted by Haliburton replicating Miller’s choke celebration on the court after a clutch game-tying bucket in Game 1. Indiana conquered New York for the second straight postseason to advance to the NBA Finals.
Facing The Knicks Excites Tyrese Haliburton
Now, Haliburton is looking forward to seeing the New York crowd once again in Madison Square Garden on top of other great teams in the league.
“Of course, obviously, I want to get to the playoffs and do all these things. I want to play the Knicks, of course, because they’re a really good basketball team. And I think a rivalry with the Knicks, like, yes, the Pacers-Knicks is always going to be a thing,” Haliburton said.
“And I think rivalries are all for, like, storyline purposes and stuff. I’m looking forward to playing against all these good teams. I would love to play the Knicks in the playoffs again. That calls for good basketball.”
Haliburton made his long-awaited return on Oct. 7, against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Hilton Coliseum, marking his first NBA action in 472 days.
Haliburton entered training camp with no restrictions, noting that he was fatigued after his initial rotation but moved well, changed direction, and drove to the basket.
Haliburton said he bulked up to approximately 200 pounds to build a stronger frame for the upcoming season.
Pascal Siakam returns as a primary running mate for Haliburton, alongside returning role players like Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard. The team also now has veterans Kelly Oubre Jr., Larry Nance Jr., and Ivica Zubac.
Tyrese Haliburton Delivers Bold Message For Defending Champion Knicks