2025 Eastern Conference Finals schedule set; Pacers open on the road May 21
The Indiana Pacers advanced to the East Finals for the second straight year and awaits the winner of Celtics–Knicks. The full schedule is out.
The Indiana Pacers took care of business, closing out their semifinal series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games on Tuesday night.
Now, they wait.
For the second consecutive year, the Pacers are back in the Eastern Conference Finals — but their next opponent is still to be determined. It will be either the Boston Celtics or New York Knicks, the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively.
Because the Celtics extended their series with a win on Wednesday, forcing a Game 6, the start of the conference finals has been pushed back to Wednesday, May 21. That gives the Pacers a full week between games — valuable time to recover and prepare.
The team is taking Wednesday and Thursday off for rest. Still, players are expected to come into the facility for preventative work with the athletic training staff, massage therapy, film review, and light shooting. Just because they’re “off” doesn’t mean they’re idle.
It’s crucial for the Pacers to use this break wisely — balancing recovery with enough on-court work to stay sharp, while avoiding unnecessary stress on lingering injuries. That preparation continues behind the scenes.
Here’s the full schedule for the best-of-seven series:
The key takeaway is that there’s never more than one day between games, they are playing every other day. Not ideal.
Additionally, every game airs on TNT — the final season of the NBA on the network. Therefore, Pacers Hall of Famer Reggie Miller will be the game analyst.
All games can also be heard on 1) the Pacers Radio Network and 2) ESPN Radio.
🏁 The Indy Double
Mark your calendars for a monumental weekend in Indianapolis. The city is about to put on a show.
On Sunday, May 25, the green flag drops at 12:45 p.m. ET for the 109th Indianapolis 500. It’ll air nationally on FOX.
But you better pace yourself … because Game 3 of the conference finals will be that night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse: 8 p.m. ET.
And that’s just part of the madness.
One day earlier, on Saturday, former Pacers center Scot Pollard will serve as the Grand Marshal for the annual 500 Festival Parade. Then, the Fever host the New York Liberty — the reigning WNBA Champions — at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
So in a matter of 31 hours:
Fever vs Liberty on CBS
Indy 500 on FOX
Pacers on TNT
And if you haven’t booked your downtown hotel room yet? You’re probably too late.