The Indiana Pacers have a lot to celebrate after overcoming a deficit to force overtime, ultimately beating the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden 138-135.
Aaron Nesmith was out of his mind, making five 3s in a row in the fourth quarter, and Tyrese Haliburton had the best moment of his career, sending the game into overtime with a buzzer-beater and then hitting the iconic Reggie Miller "choke" pose.
Tyrese Haliburton
May 21, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) in the second quarter during game one of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
While Manhattan was as silent as a graveyard after the game, more neutral fans took to social media, praising the game as the best they have ever seen.
One former player didn't disagree with that at all.
"This is one of the best games I've ever seen, like this was insane, it gave us a little bit of everything," said Chandler Parsons.
"A lot of mental lapses defensively from the Knicks, like they didn't switch up, they're tripping, they're falling...the Knicks just smoked this with making mistake after mistake defensively and then not taking care of the ball."
For about Indiana46 minutes, the Knicks looked polished enough, their bench stepped up, and they were able to answer almost every bucket the Pacers made with one of their own.
However, Indiana kept it just close enough to do some damage late in the fourth quarter. The Pacers have boasted three all-time comebacks in this postseason alone, and Knicks fans are learning a hard lesson: it's not over until it's over.
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