Famous sports podcaster Bill Simmons believes there could be some conspiracy-related similarities between the current Knicks-Pacers series in the Eastern Conference Finals and the infamous Lakers-Kings Western Conference Finals in 2002.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have already secured their spot in the NBA Finals, while the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks continue their hard-fought series for the remaining berth.
Free throws this season
Indiana Pacers
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For both franchises, it would mark a return to the Finals after more than two decades of waiting.
With the Pacers currently leading the series 3-2, they appear to be the favorites to emerge from the East.
However, from a ratings perspective, a Knicks Finals appearance would likely be a major win for the NBA. The national interest in a Finals featuring a New York team, would be significantly higher.
As Game 6 looms in Indianapolis, where the Pacers could clinch the series, renowned sports podcaster Bill Simmons is urging fans not to count the Knicks out just yet.
He drew a controversial parallel to the 2002 Western Conference Finals, when the Sacramento Kings held a 3-2 series lead over the Los Angeles Lakers—only for a highly disputed Game 6, filled with questionable officiating, to swing momentum in favor of the bigger-market Lakers. The Lakers went on to win the series and eventually the championship.
"If Indiana wins one more game, we’ll have an Indiana vs. Oklahoma City Finals," Simmons said on the Bill Simmons podcast.
"But if the Knicks pull this off, it’s Knicks in the Finals. And when you look at national ratings and interest, things get a lot more exciting when there’s a New York team involved."
"Let me take you back to 2002. Game 6: Sacramento vs. the Lakers, in Sacramento. If the Kings had won, we’d have seen a Sacramento–New Jersey Finals. But David Stern was basically like, 'Not on my watch.' And it didn’t happen," he recalled the infamous 2002 series.
"So be careful going into Game 6, especially if you're wagering. We’ve talked about that 2002 game for years. I'm just saying," Simmons concluded.
Game 6 between the Knicks and Pacers tips off this Saturday in Indianapolis, with a trip to the NBA Finals hanging in the balance.
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