# What is the best NBA Eastern Conference rivalry?

> Playoff grudges, trash talk and one famous steal: this half of the league has never been short of bad blood.

*By YPB Team · Published October 22, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-nba-eastern-conference-rivalry*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Celtics vs 76ers** — score 1000/1000
   Bird and Dr. J's 1980s playoff wars, echoing Russell and Chamberlain before them.
2. **Bulls vs Knicks** — score 455/1000
   Jordan's Bulls repeatedly ended New York's title hopes in physical early-1990s series.
3. **Celtics vs Knicks** — score 372/1000
   Playoff meetings stretching from the 1950s through Willis Reed's era.
4. **Celtics vs Heat** — score 273/1000
   Boston's aging Big Three met Miami's LeBron-led Big Three in the early 2010s.
5. **Heat vs Pacers** — score 0/1000
   LeBron's Heat beat Paul George's Pacers in back-to-back conference finals in 2013 and 2014.
6. **Knicks vs Heat** — score 0/1000
   Brutal late-1990s playoff series between Pat Riley's old and new teams.

Tags: usa, sports, basketball, nba, teams, rivalries