In a stunning collapse at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night, the New York Knicks squandered a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter — including a nine-point advantage with just 52 seconds remaining — to lose Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers in overtime.
The echoes of Reggie Miller’s 1994 playoff heroics seemed to haunt MSG once again as Tyrese Haliburton hit a dramatic game-tying jumper that bounced high off the back iron before dropping through the net, sending the game to overtime. Moments later, he mimicked Miller’s iconic “choking” gesture, rubbing salt in the wound for Knicks fans.
Aaron Nesmith was the focal point of Indiana’s late-game surge, scoring 15 of the Pacers’ 16-4 run in the final few minutes of regulation. He finished with 30 points, knocking down an astonishing eight of nine three-pointers — five of them in the fourth quarter alone — setting a franchise postseason record for most threes in a game.
Haliburton led all scorers with 31 points and handed out 11 assists, spearheading Indiana’s miraculous comeback effort.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Jalen Brunson, the NBA’s 2025 Clutch Player of the Year, delivered a stellar performance with 43 points on 15-of-25 shooting and 12-of-14 from the free throw line. However, his attempt to tie the game in the final moments of overtime fell short, airballing a deep three.
The Knicks had one more chance after grabbing the offensive rebound. Karl-Anthony Towns, who had added 35 points on an efficient 64.7% shooting night, got the ball for a final shot, but his three-pointer bounced off the front of the rim as time expired.
New York had controlled the game for nearly 46 minutes before Indiana’s late-game rally stunned the home crowd.
“There’s obviously disappointment when you fall short,” said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau following the loss. “We have to take a look at the film, make our corrections, and then we’ve got to change quickly for Game 2.”
Thibodeau utilized his bench with Miles McBride logging 25 minutes and Mitchell Robinson playing 20 minutes, providing a defensive presence in the paint despite a quiet night on the stat sheet.
Indiana came out aggressive with a full-court press to start the game, trying to disrupt New York’s rhythm and push the pace in transition. While the Knicks, typically a slower-paced team, handled the press well early, they ultimately faltered under late-game pressure.
“There’s a lot of emotional highs and lows in the playoffs,” Thibodeau said. “You’ve got to bounce back quickly.”
Game 2 of the series is set for Friday at 8 p.m. ET in New York.
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