Why the Knicks can’t let dreams of a Celtics duel distract them from their unfinished business with the Pacers

For the young, it has been the ride of their lives. For the rest, it has been a return to a past life, when the Knicks were the greatest show in New York, uniting the city like no other team can.

After watching the Knicks leave Game 5 against the Pacers with a 30-point win and control of the conference semifinal series, it is natural to look ahead. Even with this shorthanded squad, everything felt possible again. Even the most thrilling season in a quarter-century can still elevate astronomically.

The Celtics await in the Eastern Conference Finals, ready to reignite a rivalry that’s sat dormant for too long. It has been 11 years since the Knicks and Celtics met in the postseason. It has been 40 years since they battled beyond the first round. It has been 50 years since they fought for a place in the NBA Finals.

It would be an epic and intense matchup with incredible home-and-away atmospheres, pitting Boston’s talent against New York’s toughness, and giving Jalen Brunson the chance to improve upon his brilliant impression of Bernard King, who once willed the overmatched Knicks to a Game 7 against the eventual NBA champs in 1984.