It’s been a while since the band of this name was popular and relevant. Back when the Knicks and Pacers were regular combatants in the NBA playoffs. In three of the last six NBA seasons that began in the ’90s these rivals squared off in some thrilling series. And last spring they met once again, although Indiana took full advantage of an injury-depleted New York squad to begin what pessimistic fans fear was a second half-century championship drought.
They will face off once again beginning tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden, this time with a trip to the NBA Finals at stake. But if you’re truly seeking playoff rarity, then get set for the Western Conference version which tips off tonight at OKC’s Paycom Center. Between both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder they have exactly six prior appearances in the NBA’s third round–with only one of those being victorious, a 2012 Thunder conquering of San Antonio that made them an eventual sacrificial lamb for the LeBron James-infused Miami Heat.
This assures us that we will eventually get a first-time matchup in this year’s Finals–not that that is any big whoop. In fact, that’s been the case for the past six Finals, with two first-ever combatants–the 2019 Toronto Raptors and the 2023 Denver Nuggets–winning their maiden voyages. Which bodes well for the T-Wolves should they get that far.
But in order to do so, they will have to upset the league’s top team this year, battle-tested after a surprisingly close seven-game gauntlet against those Nugs. And the Thunder have a little bit more history to reverse. In their prior incarnation as the Seattle Supersonics, they were chattle for the first of the three components of Michael Jordan’s second threepeat in 1996 and battled the Washington Bullets in consecutive years at the end of the 1970s, gaining revenge in 1979 after Washington won their lone trophy the prior year.
And the fact that there’s a chance that two relative virgins will eventually battle for this year’s honors makes this year’s battles all the more exciting. Prior to those 90s battles, you’d have to go back to the early 1970s when these franchises actually won titles–two for the Knicks out of three showdowns with the Jerry West Lakers; three for the Pacers between 1972 and 1975–in the ABA.
Get your popcorn–or whatever you might want to gnaw on–ready!
Courage…