The New York Knicks (18*-7) visit the Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face the Indiana Pacers (6-20) tonight. Our triumphant heroes are riding a six-game winning streak after capturing the NBA Cup on Tuesday. The Knicks have won ten of their last twelve games and have been cooking on both ends of the floor. Indiana, meanwhile, is lumped at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, having dropped six of their last ten tries.
When these teams last met, on May 31, Indiana closed out the Eastern Conference Finals with a 125–108 game six win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Pascal Siakam led the way with 31 points and earned conference finals MVP honors, while Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points and 13 dimes. For New York, OG Anunoby had 24 points, Karl-Anthony Towns posted a 22-14 double-double, and Jalen Brunson added 19 and seven assists.
I can’t watch this, but you might:
The Hoosiers rank first for defending the arc and fifth for blocks (thanks to center Jay Huff’s 2.5 per game). Otherwise, their Basketball-Reference.com stats aren’t pretty. They score 110.2 PPG (29th) on .430 FG% (30th) and .329 3P% (27th), with an eFG% .497 (30th).
The Knicks will be without Miles McBride and Landry Shamet, while Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson are all listed as game-time decisions. After winning the NBA Cup on Tuesday, this will be the first game of a back-to-back. Coach Mike Brown might give his sore starters a breather tonight, so they’ll be fresh for tomorrow’s tougher game at home against Philly.
Indiana remains shorthanded as well. Haliburton is out for the season, and Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, and Ben Sheppard are all OUT tonight. Siakam has carried the scoring load at 23.8 points per game, while Andrew Nembhard has taken on increased playmaking responsibility in Haliburton’s absence. Alongside Nembhard, Mathurin, Siakam, and Huff, look for Ethan Thompson to start at shooting guard. Thompson was signed on a two-way deal on November 30 and has played just six games with the club, averaging 5.5 points and shooting 37% from deep.
This won’t be the game of the week. ESPN.com likes the Knickerbockers at 72%. Sounds good. For the good guys, fatigue could be a factor—a Cup hangover, real hangovers, and travel—and as mentioned above, Brown might choose to give our Champions** a break tonight. Mathurin roasted the Knicks for career-highs when they last played. Nevertheless, the Pacers are so banged up that they’re signing starters off the street. Look for the Knicks to be a step slow tonight, reserving some fuel for tomorrow’s tilt, but pulling away in the end to win by 12. And Kolek drops 20!
Teams: New York Knicks (18*-7) at Indiana Pacers (6-20)
Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.
** The Cup counts in our book.
