Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton praised the New York Knicks for their championship run while making clear he hopes the teams meet again in the playoffs.
Haliburton spoke on the Zach Lowe Show about New York’s title, which ended a 53-year drought for the franchise. The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to claim the 2026 NBA championship.
“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,” Haliburton 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.”
New York posted a 16-3 record in the playoffs, the second-best winning percentage in a single postseason since the first round expanded to a best-of-seven format. The Knicks also finished with a point differential of plus-283, the highest in a single postseason in NBA history.
Their path included a six-game series win over the Atlanta Hawks, followed by sweeps of the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in the clinching Finals game and was named Finals MVP.
Haliburton watched the entire postseason from the sideline. He tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder and missed all of the 2025-26 season. The Pacers finished 19-63 without him.
The rivalry between the clubs intensified in recent years. In the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, Indiana won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden 130-109. The Pacers shot 67.1 percent from the field that night, the highest field-goal percentage by any team in an NBA playoff game.
Indiana then eliminated New York 4-2 in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. Pascal Siakam was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP after averaging 24.8 points in the series.
Haliburton addressed the ongoing competition between the teams.
“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,” he 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 returned to the court Oct. 7 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. He finished with seven points on 3-of-8 shooting, six assists, one steal and two blocks in 16 minutes as the Pacers won 123-112. It was his first NBA action in 472 days.
He entered training camp with no restrictions. Haliburton has added weight and now plays at approximately 200 pounds, roughly 25 pounds heavier than he was during the 2025 Finals.
Core returning players include Siakam, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard. The Pacers also brought in veterans Kelly Oubre Jr., Larry Nance Jr. and Ivica Zubac.
The teams will meet twice early in the 2026-27 regular season as part of NBA Cup group play. Indiana hosts New York on Nov. 13 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with the clubs meeting again Nov. 22 at Madison Square Garden.
Haliburton’s remarks highlight the stakes as the Knicks defend their title and the Pacers seek a return to contention after a season without their starting point guard.
