We all remember how things went down in the playoffs between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers in the 2024 playoffs. Even though Jalen Brunson‘s Knicks were up 3-2 after game 5, Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers flipped the script by taking the series in Game 7. With Brunson sidelined by a broken hand in the third quarter of game 7, the Knicks could argue that they were not at their full strength heading into the most crucial part of the game.

On top of that, the Pacers set a playoff record by shooting over 67% from the field in their Game 7 win, with Haliburton dropping 27 points to close it out against the Knicks. He was talking mad trash during that game too. Imagine talking smack to the Knicks on their turf. Wild, right? But the young buck didn’t stop there. After the win, Haliburton pulled up to the post-game press conference rocking a hoodie with a pic of Reggie Miller’s infamous “choke” gesture on it. The gesture became infamous after the 1994 game at Madison Square Garden, where Reggie Miller scored 25 points in the fourth quarter during a comeback victory by the Pacers.

The rivalry between Brunson and Haliburton flared up again when they had a stare-down at the WWE SmackDown event in Madison Square Garden. It all kicked off when Logan Paul brought out Tyrese Haliburton during the “Money in the Bank” qualifying match against LA Knight and Santos Escobar. The Pacers star walked up to Brunson and stared him down, trying to throw him off. But with Brunson already backed by the Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden, he was not fazed at all.

As the match went on, Haliburton, who was chilling courtside, grabbed brass knuckles and started clanging them on the steel stairs. Just as he was about to hand it to Logan Paul, Brunson leaped into the arena to step up. The two players were about to get up in each other’s faces when the officials stepped in to break it up. They kept staring at each other while the crowd was going wild with ‘MVP‘ chants for Jalen Brunson.

With all this heat between them, fans can’t wait for the Knicks’ home opener against the Pacers at the garden on October 25! But the Knicks lost some of their defensive grit after trading Isiah Hartenstien, one of the league’s top offensive rebounders, to the Oklahoma City Thunder, whom the Knicks will be facing next year.

JJ Reddick’s thoughts on Isiah Hartenstein as we await his return

After playing for the New York Knicks from 2022 to 2024, the forward signed a three-year $87 million deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Remember the series against the 76ers when Hartenstein, a 7-foot center, showed off his sick floaters? His floaters were straight-up unguardable. He won the Knicks Game 2 by skying over Embiid for a clutch offensive board and then swatted Maxey on the final play.

In addition to this, JJ Reddick, head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, had high praise for the Oklahoma City Thunder forward. “He was one of the best players in the NBA,” Reddick said. “There’s certainly, you know defensive EPM, defensive win shares post-January, like there’s certainly advanced stats that would back up my argument.”

Hartenstein’s game is slick. His passing for a big is on point, he contests at the rim like a pro, and he is a brick wall when setting screens. “Watch the game and tell me that guy is not one of the best players in the NBA right now,” Reddick added.

When the Oklahoma City Thunder face the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 10, 2024, the center will be returning to his former team’s home court. What are your thoughts on this matchup?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.