The latest rendition of "Hicks versus Knicks" is set to tip off Thursday when the Indiana Pacers travel to The Big Apple to take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Fans of these teams will likely never forget the days when Reggie Miller would take on Patrick Ewing in what were always tightly-contested series with plenty of drama.
One constant from then is Spike Lee's courtside presence, which will likely get plenty of screen time in this series.
Tyrese Haliburton
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton handles the basketball against the New York Knicks.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Ex-NBA Player Reveals key reason Pacers will defeat Knicks
This Eastern Conference Finals has the chance to be a great one, even if you're not a fan of either of the teams. There's enough lore and storylines from both the past and the present to keep us entertained.
As far as who is going to win the series, former NBA player DeMarcus Cousins believes he knows the answer.
"The full-court pressure will eventually wear on Jalen Brunson. The fact Thibs has such a short lineup plays a huge impact in this series...eventually they'll wear down with the Pacers' pressure," said Cousins.
This will be the ninth time the Pacers and the Knicks have battled in the playoffs and the fourth time they have met with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.
The Pacers hold the historic edge, having taken 5-3.
The last time the Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals was in 2000, when they fell to the Pacers. The Pacers went on to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals.