NEW YORK (AP) — Preview capsule on the Indiana-New York Eastern Conference finals series that starts Wednesday:

No. 4 Indiana Pacers (50-32, 8-2) vs. No. 3 New York Knicks (51-31, 8-4)

Season series: Knicks, 2-1.

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Schedule: Game 1 at New York on Wednesday, Game 2 at New York on Friday, Game 3 at Indiana on Sunday, Game 4 at Indiana on May 27, Game 5 at New York on May 29 (if necessary), Game 6 at Indiana on May 31 (if necessary), Game 7 at New York on June 2 (if necessary).

How they got here: New York knocked out Detroit in six games in the first round and then ended Boston’s championship reign after one year by beating the Celtics in six in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pacers needed just five games to eliminate Milwaukee in the first round and top-seeded Cleveland in the second and lead all teams in the postseason in field goal shooting (50.1%), 3-point rate (40.6) and assists per game (29.7).

Storyline: A fierce playoff rivalry from the 1990s is back again and this time is a bit of a surprise, as the Knicks and Pacers finished well behind Cleveland and Boston in the Eastern Conference. This is the ninth matchup between the franchises, with Indiana leading 5-3. That includes the Pacers’ victory in the 2000 Eastern Conference finals, the previous time the Knicks made it this far, and their win last year when they beat the Knicks in seven games in the second round.

Key matchup: Jalen Brunson vs. Tyrese Haliburton — but also Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard and T.J. McConnell. The two point guards are the headline names in the series but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned all those players as options to defend Brunson, who played for him in Dallas before blossoming into a superstar in New York.

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X-factors: As always, it’s health. The Pacers mostly avoided Damian Lillard in the first round and pounced on a wounded Cavs team that dealt with injuries to Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter. The Knicks finished off the Celtics after Jayson Tatum was lost to a ruptured Achilles tendon, and with Kristaps Porzingis a shell of himself the entire series because of a virus. Brunson and OG Anunoby couldn’t finish Game 7 last year because of injuries and Josh Hart struggled through it because of an abdominal strain, after other key Knicks had already been lost. The Pacers are deep and maybe could withstand an injury. The Knicks aren’t and need all their starters to be available.

Prediction: Indiana’s offense might be on too much of a roll to slow down four times. Pacers in 6.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Colorado State wing Nique Clifford is predicted to be drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 23rd overall pick in ESPN’s latest Mock Draft.

Clifford was a super senior for Colorado State, averaging 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 49.6 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three.

The 23-year-old is NBA-ready and would be a plug-and-play player for a contending team like the Pacers.

Indiana is in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season and has found great success with its core. Tyrese Haliburton has led the way for the Pacers, and they could be even better by adding Clifford on a rookie contract.

Under the current CBA, contending teams need a deep rotation. To accomplish that, they need to find value in players on rookie deals.

Clifford doesn’t have as much potential as some of the other prospects, as he will be 24 before his rookie debut, but he is NBA-ready and could be a contributing player for the Pacers right away.

The former Colorado State Ram may be an older prospect, but he has interest from NBA teams and could be a mid to late first-round pick.

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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Heavy rain, severe storms are possible Tuesday.

Monday:

We began the morning dry and relatively clear with very comfortable conditions. Expect clouds to slowly increase through the morning hours as a weakening system from the west approaches central Indiana.

We may see a few light showers develop across central and southern Indiana during the latter part of the morning and early afternoon.

Temperatures will be near normal, topping out in the low to mid-70s, with increased cloud cover this afternoon.

Monday night:

A surface low-pressure system will intensify just to our west, and an attached warm front will begin sliding north, crossing the Ohio River overnight. Both will increase our rain chances overnight.

Overnight lows will fall to the mid-50s.

Tuesday:

Widespread rainfall is expected across much of Tuesday as a storm complex moves through the state. Steady showers with a few rumbles of thunder are likely in the morning, with widespread rain and the potential for heavy downpours during the morning commute and beyond.

In the afternoon, instability will increase, potentially leading to strong or severe thunderstorms south of I-70. The Storm Prediction Center has placed this area under a slight risk for severe weather, with damaging winds, large hail, and the possibility of a tornado or two in the southern half of the state.

Flooding will also be a concern, especially in areas that experience multiple heavy downpours or thunderstorms. Rainfall totals of half an inch to one inch are expected across much of the state, with locally higher amounts possible.

High temperatures on Tuesday will reach the upper 60s to low 70s.

Wednesday:

The heaviest rain will clear by Wednesday morning. An upper-level trough will keep conditions cloudy with scattered light showers on and off through the day. Temperatures will be much cooler, with highs only in the low to mid-60s Wednesday afternoon.

7 day forecast:

On Thursday, lingering effects of the upper-level trough will bring a chance of light showers and seasonably chilly temperatures. The trough will begin to weaken on Friday, helping to break up the cloud cover. Temperatures will remain slightly cool, but conditions should be dry for Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday afternoon.

High pressure will build to start the race weekend. Saturday looks pleasant with sunshine and slightly below-average temperatures. Race Day on Sunday will be slightly warmer, with a slight chance of showers. Specifics on timing and amounts remain uncertain, but major impacts to Race Day are not a significant concern at this time. Continue monitoring forecasts as the weekend approaches.