Knicks' Walt Frazier flashes his 1970s championship rings as he predicts New York to take down Pacers in 6-games
The last time the New York Knicks won a title was in the early 1970s, with team legends like Walt Frazier and Willis Reed. During that era, the team won two titles (1970 and 1973). In the 50 years since then, they've been to the NBA Finals only twice.
This time, Frazier thinks the Knicks are destined for another deep run. The two-time champion showed off his two championship rings while talking about this season's New York squad.
The NY legend sang the team's praises before giving his prediction for how their series against the Indiana Pacers is going to pan out.
"I like the defense, I like the teamwork, the camaraderie," Frazier said. "Ironically, this reminds when I used to play with Earl 'the Pearl' and the Bullets. They were offense and we were defense. Contrasting styles, makes for a good boxing match. Knicks got to bring the defense and hang in there but I like that the Knicks are the better rebounding team."
Frazier praised the team's resilience, which they displayed against the Philadelphia 76ers. He also compared Julius Randle's presence to Willis Reed's.
Later on, Frazier was asked how long the series was going to go, and he claimed that this NY team would win it in six.
Under Tom Thibodeau, this New York squad is top five in rebounding throughout the regular season with 45.2 boards per game. Meanwhile, the Pacers are 28th with 41.5 per game.
Thibs' squad is also better defensively. They are ninth in the league in that regard, with a rating of 112.4, while the Pacers are 24th with 117.6. However, the Pacers are the better offensive team with a rating of 120.5 compared to New York's 117.3.
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How did the Knicks do against the Indiana Pacers in the 2023-24 regular season?
The New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers only played in three games during the regular season. In that three-game series, the Pacers were able to maintain their edge, winning the series 2-1.
In their first game, which was held on Dec. 30, Indiana displayed their offensive prowess, winning 140-126. Four players scored 20 points or more led by Myles Turner's 28, followed by Aaron Nesmith with 25, Tyrese Haliburton with 22 and Bennedict Mathurin with 20.
That offensive display negated the 38 points from Donte DiVincenzo and the 28 that Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle both dropped.
In their next game, Thibs' defense took away the Pacers' offense. The team only scored a total of 105 led by Jalen Smith's 20, while their opponents dropped 108 behind Brunson's 40.
The tide turned toward Indiana's favor once more in their final regular-season matchup as Haliburton went for a 22-point and-12 assist on the way to a 125-111 victory.