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The 10 Greatest NBA Conference Finals Series of All Time and Picks for Pacers-Knicks Game 5

Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar29/05/2025 - 10:47 am
(Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

The 2025 NBA playoffs have been a wild ride to this point, and we know the Oklahoma City Thunder are headed to the NBA Finals after eliminating the Timberwolves in Game 5 last night. But we’ll see if the Indiana Pacers can finish off the New York Knicks in Game 5 in what has already been one of the greatest NBA Conference Finals series of all time.

Yes, the basketball really has been that good in Pacers-Knicks:

  • Game 1: 8 ties, 14 lead changes (17-point fourth-quarter comeback by Pacers decided in overtime)
  • Game 2: 17 ties, 17 lead changes
  • Game 3: 9 ties, 10 lead changes (20-point comeback win by Knicks)
  • Game 4: 10 ties, 13 lead changes
  • Four-game total: 44 ties, 54 lead changes

By comparison, none of the games in Thunder-Timberwolves had 10 lead changes, and Game 3 (Minnesota’s 42-point blowout win) had a single tie and lead change.

The Eastern Conference Finals has already exceeded the hype we gave it, but its place in history depends on how much fight the Knicks have left in that unenviable position of being down 3-1, a spot where over 95% of teams lose the series. The historic impact of this series also depends on how well the Pacers do in the NBA Finals should they get there as this is one of the most improbable runs ever by a team in NBA history.

The Pacers were +6600 to win the title before the season started, and they were +8000 at the start of the playoffs. That latter number would make them the third-biggest underdog on record to reach the NBA Finals, and if they won there against OKC, that would be by far the biggest underdog to win a title since expansion in the 1970s.

But before we get into why this series has been so great and our Game 5 picks for Thursday night, let’s look back at the competition for the best Conference Finals series in NBA playoff history. This is a round that has formally been around since the 1970-71 season, and it wasn’t until 1984 when the league started allowing eight playoff teams per conference, as we are used to now.

The 10 Greatest NBA Conference Finals Series of All Time

With over 100 series to choose from since 1971, we narrowed our list down to the 10 best, leaning on series that lasted six or seven games with many close finishes, high stakes, and memorable moments.

We are going to present them in chronological order, but we will point out a series (hint: scroll down a hair) that has the strongest case for No. 1 all time.

1981 Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics Defeat 76ers 4-3

Before the 1980s turned into a battle between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers were a force to reckon with first in the Eastern Conference. A series that deserves way more respect than it gets historically is this 1981 epic that went the full seven games between a pair of 62-20 teams with the Celtics rallying from a 3-1 deficit.

The 76ers came back in the fourth quarter of Game 1 for a 105-104 win at Boston Garden. They also edged out the Celtics 107-105 in Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 lead. But behind a young Larry Bird, the Celtics won the next three competitive games by scores of 111-109, 100-98, and 91-90 in Game 7 in Boston.

I’d gladly watch an airing of this classic series on NBATV.

The Celtics went on to beat the Rockets in the NBA Finals, earning Bird his first NBA ring. But this ECF was insane for having a record five games decided by 1-2 points. The only other Conference Finals to have even three games decided by 1-2 points was 2009 Magic-Cavaliers.

This comeback set up a decade of success for Bird and the Celtics, and it’s still just one of four 3-1 comebacks to happen in the Conference Finals or Finals. John Hollinger of ESPN ranked this as the greatest playoff series in NBA history, and it definitely seems to have an argument for it. Probably the best non-Finals series of all time.

1987 Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics Defeat Pistons 4-3

Before Detroit’s “Bad Boys” Pistons won back-to-back titles, they had to deal with Bird and the Celtics in 1987 in another classic series. While Boston led 2-0, Detroit showed its offensive prowess by scoring 122 and 145 points in home wins to knot the series. Boston won a close Game 5 with a 108-107 final, a game known for Bird’s famous steal and dish to Dennis Johnson for the buzzer beater.

But Detroit was able to force Game 7 in Boston. In Game 7, Detroit led early, but the Celtics prevailed 117-114 behind a 37-point masterpiece by Bird.

1994 Eastern Conference Finals: Knicks Defeat Pacers 4-3

The Knicks and Pacers have been here before. 1994 was a great year for both teams as they enjoyed more of the spotlight with Michael Jordan leaving the Bulls for baseball. This series is probably most famous for Game 4 when Reggie Miller got into it with director Spike Lee, a Knicks superfan at courtside, and Miller went on to drop 25 points in the fourth quarter as part of a 39-point game to win it for Indiana.

That was the birth of Miller doing the “choke sign” that Tyrese Haliburton brought back in Game 1 this year.

That gave the Pacers a 3-2 lead, but people seem to forget the Knicks recovered to win the last two games and ultimately win the series. In Game 7, Patrick Ewing had a big dunk in the final 30 seconds of a 94-90 win for this great rivalry that was a big part of the 1990s.

1998 Eastern Conference Finals: Bulls Defeat Pacers 4-3

The Chicago Bulls were rarely pushed to Game 7 in the Michael Jordan era, but the Pacers made them work for it in 1998 when they were trying to finish off another three-peat and the end of an era in Chicago.

The Pacers fell behind 2-0 before tying the series at 2-2 in four games that were all decided by no more than 6 points. Chicago won big in Game 5 before losing a 92-89 game in Indiana in Game 6. But in Game 7, Jordan scored 28 points on 25 shots and it was just enough for an 88-83 victory.

Michael Jordan

2000 Western Conference Finals: Lakers Defeat Trail Blazers 4-3

The main thing to know about the three-peat the Lakers had in the Shaq/Kobe years in 2000-02 is that none of their NBA Finals series were classics or even worth watching. It was the Western Conference Finals that really pushed those teams and made them show their talent.

After a 67-win season in 1999-00, the Lakers were absolutely on the ropes at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2000 WCF. The Lakers trailed 75-60 in the fourth quarter before a magical 15-0 run to tie the game. Then it was Bryant’s lob to Shaq for the emphatic dunk in the final minute that put a bow on the comeback win for the Lakers.

2002 Western Conference Finals: Lakers Defeat Kings 4-3

Two years later, the Lakers’ three-peat bid was looking shaky as they trailed a top-seeded Sacramento team that won 61 games 3-2 after a 92-91 loss in Game 5. But the Lakers came through with a 106-102 win in Game 6 where Shaq (41) and Kobe (31) combined for 72 points.

They also had 28 free throw attempts as that game is among the most controversial in NBA history after disgraced referee Tim Donaghy made claims years later that the officials in that game – Donaghy was not one of them – made favorable calls to help the Lakers win to force Game 7. The Lakers took 40 free throws (27 in the fourth quarter alone) to 25 for Sacramento.

In Game 7 in Sacramento, Kobe and Shaq were dominant again but still needed overtime to win the series in a 112-106 final before they completed the three-peat against the Nets. We think of those teams cruising to three rings, but they were very much on the edge of elimination in the WCF in 2000 and 2002.

2007 Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers Defeat Pistons 4-2

This is the only series on our list that lasted six games instead of seven. But it was a great series and a significant one as we saw LeBron James become the phenom we know him to be. The Cavaliers fell behind 2-0 after losing 79-76 in both games, but they rallied off four straight wins to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

The first five games were all decided by 1-6 points, but it’s that Game 5 that goes down in history as James’ finest moment of carrying a team. In Detroit, against one of the league’s top defensive teams, James scored 25 straight points for the Cavaliers on his way to a 109-107 win in double overtime to take a 3-2 lead. His game-winning layup came with 2.2 seconds left.

The only reason this series may not go down as the best Conference Finals is because the Cavaliers pulled away so easily in the fourth quarter of Game 6 to win 98-82, denying us another close finish and another Game 7.

But that Game 5 was the moment where James earned his “King” title.

2016 Western Conference Finals: Warriors Defeat Thunder 4-3

After a historic regular season where the Warriors finished 73-9, they found themselves down 3-1 in the WCF to the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Kevin Durant. The Warriors were able to stave off elimination the next three games.

In Game 6 in OKC, the Warriors trailed 96-89 in the fourth quarter with 5:00 left. But Klay Thompson went nuclear with 41 points on 11-of-18 shooting from 3-point territory to help the Warriors win 108-101.

In Game 7, the Thunder led 45-33 with just over 2:00 left in the first half before the Warriors did their classic run at home in the third quarter before winning 96-88 to complete the 3-1 comeback.

Incredibly, the Warriors immediately became the next team to blow a 3-1 lead by doing so in the Finals against Cleveland, which led to Durant joining forces with the team. Only four 3-1 comebacks at these stages of the playoffs in history, and the 2016 Warriors were involved in the only two of them since 1982.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - FEBRUARY 15: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates a three point shot during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on February 15, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

2018 Western Conference Finals: Warriors Defeat Rockets 4-3

Hands down, the best Conference Finals ever in terms of both series being high quality was 2018.

Take your pick out of which one was better, but we’ll start in the West, where the Warriors were again in some trouble, even with Durant on their side now. They took a 2-1 lead with three straight blowouts in this series, but Houston won 95-92 in Game 4 to tie things before taking a 3-2 lead after a 98-94 win.

But at the end of that Game 5 win, Chris Paul suffered a hamstring injury that altered the course of the series for the top-seeded Rockets. Paul would miss Games 6 and 7, but Houston still had James Harden and two chances to win one game.

In Game 6, Houston led 39-22 after one quarter before imploding. The Warriors outscored Houston 64-25 after halftime to win 115-86 to force Game 7 in Houston.

Once again, Houston choked horribly after squandering a 54-43 halftime lead. The Rockets infamously missed 27 straight 3-point shots as the Warriors came back to win 101-92 and proceeded to repeat in the NBA Finals.

Between Paul’s injury and the unfathomable 27 straight misses, the Warriors’ luck was on full display that series:

2018 Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers Defeat Celtics 4-3

As for the ECF in 2018, it was almost a passing of the torch moment as LeBron James, who would leave for the Western Conference and the Lakers after this season, was playing in his final ECF with Cleveland. In trying to reach the Finals for the eighth year in a row, LeBron had to summon some of his best play ever to overcome the young Celtics, who were the No. 2 seed that year with a young Jayson Tatum, to Cleveland’s No. 4 seed.

The Celtics led 2-0 before Cleveland evened the series. Boston won Game 5, setting the stage for LeBron to shine when facing elimination. In Game 6, James was as good as he’s ever been with 46 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists in a 109-99 win.

The task was arguably tougher in Game 7 on the road when James saw his Cavaliers trailing a minute into the fourth quarter. He finished with 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists in an 87-79 road win to complete his eighth-straight trip to the NBA Finals.

CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 27: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on February 27, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Knicks vs. Pacers: Final Thoughts and Game 5 Betting Picks

Is it really selfish to want the Pacers and Knicks to keep playing when we have to wait until next Thursday for Game 1 of the NBA Finals? It’s been so great to this point.

If Pacers-Knicks were to end in Game 5 this Thursday night, I think you can legitimately make the claim that it’s the best Conference Finals series ever that didn’t go more than five games.

Even if Game 5 was an Indiana win, as long as it was another great game, I think you can fit it in this top 10 we just ran through of the greatest series in this round:

  • Game 1 featured one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history as the Pacers were down 14 points with 2:45 left, the only known playoff team to win in that situation. They were also down 9 points in the last minute, another history-making moment.
  • Aaron Nesmith’s unbelievable hot streak of 3-point shooting to key the comeback was also historic as he scored 20 points in a 5:00 span, the only player to do that in the second half of a playoff game in the play-by-play era.
  • Game 1 also went to overtime after that all-time great moment with Haliburton’s game-tying shot that he thought won the game, signaling the choke sign and call-back to Reggie Miller in 1994.
  • Game 2 was another well-played game with Pascal Siakam (39 points) and Jalen Brunson (36 points) putting on a show in a 114-109 finish.
  • Game 3 was the only defensive battle as the Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit for the third time this postseason (NBA record) with Karl-Anthony Towns having a 20-point fourth quarter to lead the comeback win.
  • Game 4 had the least compelling finish, but that was high-quality offense from both teams, and Haliburton made history with the first-ever playoff game of 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and no turnovers.

That’s one historic triple-double, a 20-point comeback, and an all-time great 17-point fourth-quarter comeback all in the span of four games. How many playoff series in NBA history give us thrills like this? It’s been fantastic.

But that Game 1 comeback is likely the reason we won’t get a 7-game series out of this one. The Knicks couldn’t afford to lose that game and still found a way.

But I won’t lie, my Game 5 picks are leaning towards the Knicks out of the selfish fact that I want at least another game in this series, even though it looks like Indiana is the better team. They just move the ball better and have a deeper roster than the Knicks.

Throw in an injury to KAT’s knee that has him questionable for Game 5, and it looks like a huge task for Brunson to overcome this.

But the Knicks are a 4-point favorite in Game 5 with a total of 223 points. I think I’d still take over 223 points as the best bet over the spread of this one. A potential limited night for KAT could actually help the pace of this one if the Knicks go small and try to keep up with the Pacers’ speed.

I made three parlays for Game 4, and the first one I did hit at +5962 odds, so you never know.

Here are some prop picks I like best for Game 5 (odds via FanDuel):

Tyrese Haliburton Over 9.5 Assists (-125): Again, his scoring can be inconsistent, but he’s had double-digit assists in 3-of-4 games this series, and his passing has just been fantastic. The Pacers have so many scoring options that it’d be a surprise if Haliburton didn’t finish with 10+ assists again.

Bennedict Mathurin 10+ Points (+235): The guy who scored 38 points in one game against the Knicks this year was burning me every night of this series until Game 4 when the sportsbook wasn’t even offering him lines. Of course, he scored 20 points in 12 minutes of that one. I think that woke him up, and I’d like him to hit 10 points in this one.

Karl-Anthony Towns Under 11.5 Rebounds (-132): We saw the knee injury in the game. Maybe he’s playing possum a bit, but I think that will limit his willingness to crash the boards all night. I’ll go under on the rebounds as Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart can always rack those up for the Knicks.

Jalen Brunson Over 30.5 Points (-106): He was disappointing after a huge first quarter in Game 4 as Brunson’s only basket in the fourth quarter came in the closing seconds of garbage time. With KAT not 100%, Brunson will have to deliver another 30-point game, if not 40 in this one to keep the season going.

OG Anunoby Over 16.5 Points (-130): He missed a lot of open 3s in the last game (1-for-7) and still scored 22 points. I’m tempted to take over 2.5 made 3s at +140 odds, but let’s just be safer about it and go over 16.5 points as the Knicks need all the scoring they can get against these Pacers.

Myles Turner Over 14.5 Points (-114): He’s been in foul trouble the last two games, but he’s flirted with this line in every game this series. I think you see Siakam and Haliburton drop a little from their scoring in Game 4, and Turner makes up for it by scoring at least 15 points.

This series has already been historic, one of the best Conference Finals ever, and here’s to hoping we aren’t about to see the final chapter of it.

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Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar29/05/2025 - 10:47 am