Pacers Rally to Beat Knicks in OT Thriller, Lead East Finals/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Tyrese Haliburton’s buzzer-beating jumper forced overtime, and the Indiana Pacers edged the New York Knicks 138-135 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Aaron Nesmith added 30 points in a historic comeback. The Pacers lead the series 1-0 heading into Game 2.
Pacers Stun Knicks With Haliburton’s Buzzer-Beater: Quick Looks
- Indiana overcame a 14-point deficit in the final 2:45 of regulation.
- Tyrese Haliburton’s buzzer-beating two-pointer forced OT.
- Aaron Nesmith hit 8 of 9 from deep, scoring 30 points.
- Haliburton finished with 31 points and 11 assists.
- Andrew Nembhard’s layup with 26 seconds left won it in overtime.
- Knicks’ Jalen Brunson dropped 43 points; Karl-Anthony Towns added 35.
- Knicks were the first team to blow a 14-point lead in final 3 minutes since 1997.
- Game 2 tips off Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
Deep Look: Haliburton, Pacers Shock Knicks With OT Rally in Game 1
Tyrese Haliburton’s late-game heroics lifted the Indiana Pacers to a wild 138-135 overtime victory against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Haliburton nailed a buzzer-beating jumper to force OT and helped seal one of the most improbable playoff comebacks in recent memory.
Down 125-123 with seconds remaining in regulation, Haliburton fumbled his dribble before regaining control and launching a shot from just inside the arc. The ball bounced high off the rim and dropped in as time expired. Though initially believed to be a game-winning 3-pointer, replay showed his toe was on the line—tying the game instead.
“Then my focus just became winning it,” Haliburton said postgame.
And the Pacers did just that. After Andrew Nembhard’s layup gave Indiana a 136-135 lead with 26 seconds left in OT, the Knicks couldn’t respond. Indiana outlasted New York in front of a stunned Madison Square Garden crowd.
Aaron Nesmith was pivotal in the fourth-quarter rally, hitting eight 3-pointers on nine attempts and scoring 30 points. The Pacers trailed by 14 points with just under three minutes left in regulation. Then Nesmith caught fire, and the Knicks unraveled.
Indiana has made a habit of late-game comebacks this postseason. They overcame seven-point deficits in the final minute against both Milwaukee and Cleveland in earlier rounds. But this was their boldest escape yet—statistically unprecedented. NBA teams were previously 994-0 when leading by 14 or more with under 2:45 to play since 1997.
“It’s always special. It’s always fun,” Nesmith said. “This is what we live for.”
Haliburton finished with 31 points and 11 assists in his latest star turn. Nembhard added 17 points and the game-winning layup.
For New York, it was a crushing collapse. Jalen Brunson had 43 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns dominated inside with 35 points and 12 rebounds. The Knicks went on a 14-0 run in the fourth while Brunson rested in foul trouble, extending their lead to 108-92. They looked destined to take a 1-0 series lead until the wheels fell off.
Even with Nesmith’s surge, Brunson seemed to reestablish control with a deep 3 that made it 119-105 with 2:51 to go. But after Nesmith hit back-to-back 3s and drew a foul that led to two free throws, Haliburton was set up for the dramatic game-tying moment.
“Give them a lot of credit,” Brunson said. “They closed the game out like they’ve been doing all playoffs. Just not really good on our part.”
It was Indiana’s second straight postseason win at Madison Square Garden, having blown out the Knicks in Game 7 of last year’s semifinals. This time, they silenced the Garden with a dagger.
Game 2 will be played Friday night in New York, where the Knicks will need to regroup fast or risk heading to Indiana in a 2-0 hole.
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