The Pacers-Knicks playoff rivalry will be rekindled tonight at Madison Square Garden.

Why it matters: The best-of-seven series that tips off in just hours is the big one for the Eastern Conference, with the winner advancing to the NBA Finals to face either the Timberwolves or Thunder.

The big picture: A Pacers triumph would suddenly give sports fans from around the globe another reason to book a trip to the Circle City this summer after the Indianapolis 500 and before July's WNBA All-Star Game.

What they're saying: Pacers All-Star Pascal Siakam said it will be important to acknowledge the significance of the series without getting overwhelmed by the noise.

• "Be present in the moment and worry about us," he said after practice Tuesday. "History is always gonna write itself at the end of the day. You can't worry about that. You've got to worry about us wanting to get better every game."

State of play: While many pundits and Cleveland-born, Central Indiana-based local news reporters incorrectly predicted a different final pairing, Pacers vs. Knicks is must-see TV that brings together two of the nation's most passionate basketball cities.

Flashback: Indiana has a 5-3 all-time record against New York in the playoffs.

• The rivalry hit its peak in the late '90s, when the teams played each other six times in the postseason from 1993 to 2000.
• That era also gave birth to the epic Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee beef.
• Last year, the Pacers sent the Knicks home from the Eastern Conference semifinals in seven games.

What's next: Tipoff is tonight at 8pm on TNT, TruTV and Max.

If you go

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield holds the famed Pagoda, the pits, garages, a whole other racetrack, a golf course, and, on race day, the state's busiest emergency room.

Why it matters: About 350,000 people will be packed into IMS on Sunday and several hundred of them are expected to need medical attention.

What they're saying: "One, maybe two days a year, we will be the busiest emergency department in the state, depending on how hot Carb Day is," Tracy Ballard, clinic operations manager for the IMS infield care center and IndyCar, told Axios.

• How many patients they see is weather dependent, Ballard said, with heat being the biggest factor. It usually ranges between 100 and 300 over 12 hours on race day.
• "We see everything that a normal emergency department would see," she said. "We see cuts, scrapes, bruises … folks that have maybe celebrated a little too much with alcohol."
• They also see fans with more serious conditions, like a stroke or cardiac arrest.
• Plus: There are 14 first aid stations throughout the track.

Zoom in: The center is equipped to deal with any situation the track may throw at drivers racing open-wheel, open cockpit cars at 230-plus mph.

• That includes X-rays, ultrasound and, during the Month of May and Brickyard 400 NASCAR race, whole blood for transfusion.
• On race day, a neurologist, orthopedic surgeon, trauma surgeon and optometrist are on site — just in case.

See inside

🌭 Oscar Mayer will run the inaugural "Wienie 500" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday. There are apparently six wienermobiles and they'll all be in Indy to race two full laps around the famed 2.5-mile oval track.

• The race will be streamed live on the FOX Sports app and across @INDYCARonFOX social accounts at 2pm.

🌱 Indy Parks opened a new environmental center and playground at Grassy Creek Park on the city's far east side. (Mirror Indy)

🚔 Butler University is planning a six-story building for its Christian Theological Seminary property to house a parking garage and new campus police headquarters. (IBJ)

As you're leaving the track this weekend, you may notice the face of Julia Reagan smiling down on you from a billboard on 16th street, just east of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Driving the news: Reagan, who died last year at the age of 81, has turned into an internet obsession and her billboards are raising discussions about how we memorialize — and commodify — the dead in the internet age.

• While many find them to be a touching tribute to a loved one, some online critics say they've morphed into "a viral marketing endeavor."

Catch up quick: William "Bill" Reagan, founder of the state's largest billboard company, Reagan Outdoor Advertising, erected more than 300 billboards last year in cities where his business operates, honoring his wife of almost 60 years, KSL NewsRadio reported last July.

• "I never really had a chance to say goodbye to her," Bill told KSL NewsRadio at the time. "Now, she's right on the board so I can say goodbye every time I see one."

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The Indianapolis 500 isn't just a big weekend for race fans. It's a chance for music lovers to kick off the summer with a hot show.

Why it matters: The 2025 Carb Day, Legends Day and Snake Pit concert lineups mash EDM, classic rock, pop-punk, contemporary country and more into three events.

Zoom in: Bret Michaels and The All-American Rejects headline Carb Day. Gates open at 2pm Friday for the 4pm show. Tickets start at $45.

• Midland will headline the Legends Day Concert at the Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park, 7pm Saturday. Tickets start at $49.
• Rob Gronkowski will be grand marshal of the Snake Pit at IMS with Illenium, Sammy Virji, Two Friends, Kayzo and Oliver Heldens performing. Gates open at 7am and the music starts at 8am. General admission wristbands start at $85.

Go deeper: Here is a 30-track Spotify playlist featuring the artists supplying the soundtrack for the massive 109th running.