“Going to be a lot of smoke” - Tyrese Haliburton foreshadows intense rivalry in East Semi’s vs Knicks

The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers rivalry has the stage set as they meet again in the postseason after a decade. Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers will face New York in the second round of the playoffs. Will it be a revisit to the Pacers-Knicks intense rivalry of the 90s? Haliburton thinks so.

The Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers and the Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, respectively. The rivalry between these two teams was one of the biggest ever in NBA history. It involved players, celebrities and fans, marking some of the most intense moments in the game.

When Pacers guard Haliburton was asked about the matchup after a decade and if it would renew the 90s rivalry, he didn’t deny it.

“There's a lot of competition," Haliburton told Indy Star. "There's going to be a lot of smoke in there. Obviously, a lot of their former guys are coming to a ton of games. I'm sure we'll have a lot of our former guys coming to games too. There's no secret that that's a rivalry.”

The rivalry between both teams saw its zenith in the 1990s, with Reggie Miller, John Starks and Spike Lee at the forefront. The rivalry reached its height, with Starks headbutting Miller in 1993 in the first round of the playoffs.

Remember the famous Miller choke sign? He had made it toward Lee, a Knicks superfan, in Game 5 of the ECF in 1994.

Both teams have faced each other 41 times in the postseason. And New York has won only 19 games while leading the record in the regular season. Since 1993, the Pacers and Knicks have met each other seven times, with the Pacers leading the contest 4-3.

Can the new Pacers-Knicks second-round live up to the hype of their past rivalry?

Although history suggests an intense matchup between New York and Indiana, there are still questions if they can emulate the past. Regarding the rivalry between teams in the 1990s era and the modern NBA, the rivalry has a completely different face with stricter rules.

Moreover, other factors might undermine the new rivalry between the two teams. Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, now on opposing teams, were teammates a few months ago. Pacers' Haliburton and New York's Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have been teammates on Team USA and share a good relationship.

But that should encourage competition, as Haliburton insisted that the former players would be present at their second-round matches. Furthermore, the Pacers have demonstrated their ability to trash-talk opponents in their battle with the Bucks. And they won't hesitate to do it with another team.