Darren & Vic’s Playoff Playbook: Previewing the Conference Finals

Published: Wednesday, May 21, 2025

by Darren Worrell and Victor Lisboa

There is no doubt that this year’s NBA Playoffs have been one to watch and when you thought you could have predicted the outcome of these series, each team has continued to surprise fans all over the world. Now, in this edition of Darren & Vic’s Playoff playbook, we will preview both of the Conference Finals.

Eastern Conference Finals: Indiana Pacers (4) vs New York Knicks (3) 

It’s rather safe to say that these playoffs have been unpredictably exciting, as most analysts and experts couldn’t have imagined this matchup. As we currently stand only, one 60+ win team remains (OKC), while the Wolves had 49 wins this year, and the Knicks only won one more game than the 50-32 Pacers. 

This series rekindles an old school rivalry, as these teams have matched up in the playoffs six times since 1993, and eight in total. The Knicks went to the Finals in 1999 and the Pacers in 2000 after they each met in the Conference Finals, but neither were able to take home the Larry’ O Brien. 

The Knicks were battle tested in round one, playing a young and physical Detroit Pistons team, in which every victory outside of game one came by single digits, usually in a fourth quarter run. New York would follow this up by shocking the world by taking down the reigning champs, the Boston Celtics, in six games.

The Pacers played a Bucks team with MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, which they won in five games, and then made easy work of the 64-win Cavaliers in the second round, also winning in five. However, if you paid attention to the regular season, this shouldn’t be too surprising. 

The Knicks have the NBAs Most Clutch Player in their superstar point guard, Jalen Brunson. He’s continued that trend this postseason, averaging 10.2 ppg in the 4th quarter. Brunson scored 102 4th quarter points in the first 10 games of the playoffs, breaking Kobe Bryant’s previous record. 

The Pacers on the other hand went 20-9 after the all-star break, which was 5th best, and they have had a top seven offense all season long. The Pacers are a fast-paced, high-scoring team that will space the floor out, and shoot the ball quickly and efficiently, which will likely force the Knicks to have consistent shot-making.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle utilizes a deeper bench and rotation than New York, which will likely be a strategy to wear the Knicks down. The Knicks have played arguably the best defense of the playoffs and it is likely they will use their forwards to defend Tyrese Haliburton, who can provide a more convenient matchup for the bigger guard, to limit his options in the open floor. 

The Knicks will also focus on making sure Andrew Nembhard doesn’t get hot early and that Aaron Nesmith can’t find a rhythm because when they’re on, the Pacers are a very difficult matchup. 

With Reggie Miller calling TNTs final series ever, and Spike Lee surely to be chirping from the sidelines again, the pre-written WWE script of the enticing Brunson-Haliburton matchup is one of the most anticipated ECF matchups in recent memory.

Western Conference Finals: Minnesota Timberwolves (6) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (1) 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s new MVP, is doing everything he can to keep this magical Thunder season alive. He’s led this young OKC squad all year, and now he’s just a few wins away from the NBA Finals. 

However, standing in his way is none other than Anthony Edwards. The young phenom has been sensational, proving that when LeBron eventually retires, the league is still in good hands. Edwards already eliminated a loaded Lakers team in five games, a team that had both Luka Dončić and LeBron James. 

Then, he knocked out the Warriors in five as well, which was a team led by the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry, and one of the most clutch playoff performers in Jimmy Butler. 

You can talk about Ant all day, but this Timberwolves squad is a legit dark horse. Their defense has been elite, and on any given night, someone unexpectedly steps up. Jaden McDaniels has been a major bright spot, especially against Los Angeles where he dropped 30 twice. He takes pride in guarding the best player every night, and that’s exactly why he’s so valuable. 

Julius Randle is another name that deserves more love. He has been the most consistent player for Minnesota this postseason, and without him, the Wolves wouldn’t be in this position. The bench has stepped up too, holding it down when the starters sit.

As for Shai, he’s been one of the most consistent players not just this postseason, but all year. He led the league with 32.7 points per game and scored 2,484 points total, which is also the most in the league. He is the heart and soul of this Thunder team, but let’s not act like he’s doing it alone. 

This squad may be young, but everyone knows their role, and that’s why they’ve made it this far. In the first round, OKC swept the Memphis Grizzlies 4-0. But the game that really stood out? Game 3 when they came back from a 29-point deficit in the second half to win. 

In the second round, they faced a tough Denver Nuggets team and went the distance in seven games, but they closed it out and earned their spot in the Conference Finals. 

The Thunder may have a 1-0 series lead, but trying to predict how this will play out is nearly impossible. Both teams are hungry, talented, and ready for the moment, so make sure to stay tuned to see how this series, as well as the Eastern Conference Finals unfolds.

Darren Worrell can be reached at darren.worrell@student.shu.edu.

Victor Lisboa can be reached at victor.lisboa@student.shu.edu.

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