By DANIEL MATTHEWS IN NEW YORK
Published: 23:36 EDT, 21 May 2025 | Updated: 23:37 EDT, 21 May 2025
They have renamed 15 streets across New York in honor of the players who dragged the Knicks to this point, the crossroads of history.
But at the end of a bonkers night, after four breathless quarters and 25 years of waiting, after a brief interruption from Mary J. Blige, after a scarcely believable finale and five nerve-shredding minutes of overtime, it was Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith and the Indiana Pacers who took a first step down another path signposted: promised land.
Where to even start with what unfolded inside Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night? How to make sense of the carnage in the closing minutes of this opening game of the Eastern Conference Finals?
The Knicks have served up some remarkable late drama in this postseason. Here they stole defeat from victory. They choked, if you ask Haliburton, who stunned MSG with a last-gasp, game-tying score and then wrapped his hands around his neck.
In so doing, he imitated Reggie Miller, who made the gesture at Spike Lee and wrote one of the many chapters of this remarkable rivalry. On this evidence, the ninth Pacers-Knicks postseason clash, is should be another classic.
The Knicks had this won. With 2:51 on the clock, they led by 14 points. With under a minute left, the cushion was nine and a party was breaking outside inside MSG. But then Aaron Nesmith made three three-pointers in 29 seconds and then Haliburton made another after the buzzer. Or so he thought.
The ball clattered into the rim and hung in the air for a split second. Long enough for a few cheers to be heard from Knicks supporters before the net rippled, the Pacers bench emptied and Haliburton taunted the crowd.
The Pacers had this won. Only for a review to show that Haliburton’s toenail was on the line. And so we went into overtime and MSG was put through another dose of drama.
By the end, however, this great area had been gutted as the Pacers closed out a 138-135 victory that edges them closer to a first NBA Finals since 2000.
MORE TO FOLLOW
Brunson looks for a way past Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard during the first half at MSG
Knicks star Mitchell Robinson (R) is left on the floor after a collision with Obi Toppin (L)
Cameron Payne shoots a three-pointer in the first half of Game 1 at Madison Square Garden
Toppin climbs for a dunk as the Knicks and Pacers looked to draw first blood in the series
Tracy Morgan, Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller were among the celebrities at MSG
Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 15 points in the first half, celebrates after adding to his tally
Miles McBride drives to the basket in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday