The Knicks looked every bit like legitimate title contenders in their decisive Game 6 victory over the Boston Celtics. And if that version of New York shows up again in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers,

The NBA's conference finalists don't have the deepest playoff history, but some do have recent familiarity with this stage of the playoffs.

It's Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder for a spot in the NBA Finals.

If teams want to compete in the modern-day NBA, they need to have a robust system of scouting and analytics ready to capitalize on every tactic and trend. Still, a team's triumphs and struggles can't be explained by data alone. Sometimes, reading the vibes and energy of the cosmos can help fill the gaps.

Getting inside Madison Square Garden for of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals will cost you. Here are Game 1 ticket prices.

The audience for the 2025 NBA Playoffs on ESPN platforms ( ESPN and ABC) is up 12% from last year, according to Nielsen. Through the Conference Semifinals (22 games), ESPN is averaging 4,883,000 viewers, making it the second-most watched NBA Playoffs since 2011.

Edwards is coming off eliminating LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler in back-to-back series. After struggling to find consistency without Karl-Anthony Towns, the Timberwolves figured things out at the right moment, going from a No. 7 regular-season finish to the conference finals.

The Memphis Grizzlies aren't in the NBA playoffs, but fans have plenty of reason to pay attention, with Mike Conley Jr. and Cam Payne still in it.