Playoffs: Scouting Pacers-Knicks

Insider offers a breakdown of every playoff series using an expert combination of scouting from Amin Elhassan and advanced metrics from Bradford Doolittle to answer three crucial questions. Also included are predictions from the writers and the classic Log5 formula for determining matchup probabilities.

With the first round completed, we dust off an old rivalry in the Eastern Conference semifinals, as the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers square off in the postseason for the first time since 2000. Each team comes off series-clinching victories on the same day, so there is no rest advantage for either party.

Enter the ghosts of Reggie Miller's eight points in 8.9 seconds, Patrick Ewing's missed finger roll, Allan Houston's fourth-quarter explosion and Larry Johnson's four-point play. Today, however, there's a new cast of characters, an All-Star matchup on the wings, a rebounding battle in the paint and a classic clash of styles -- punishing physicality and defense with outside shooting and isolations.

Here's what to expect in the Indiana Pacers-New York Knicks semifinal playoff series:

Indiana Pacers (3) at New York Knicks (2)

Eastern Conference playoffs

Semifinal preview