The Indiana Pacers shocked the NBA world on Wednesday with their wild and historic comeback against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
With just a few minutes to go, everyone thought the Pacers were going to lose, but they mounted a truly unprecedented rally that led to a crucial win in overtime.
The players and fans were celebrating immediately, but head coach Rick Carlisle sent a stark message when speaking to ESPN after the game: this series is far from over.
“It’s a long series,” Carlisle said. “We’re not going to get too excited about this. We’ve got things to clean up. They got things to clean up. Game 2 is going to be another war.”
His team definitely does have a lot to clean up.
The fact that they were down by 14 with 2:51 left in the fourth quarter is not a good thing, even though they were able to pull off the biggest miracle of the postseason and force overtime and then secure a win.
In a perfect world, they wouldn’t have needed overtime or such a comeback.
Carlisle knows that his team is feeling really good right now, but he also knows the Knicks are feeling the complete opposite, and this could lead to them coming out swinging in Game 2.
Game 2 will also be held at Madison Square Garden, which means the Knicks and their fans will be even more engaged, emotional, and committed to winning.
What are the chances that the Pacers can strike lightning twice in the most famous arena in sports?
Now is not the time for the Pacers to get too confident, even though they did something incredible.
Instead, they must remain disciplined and focused because the Knicks are going to fight hard in Game 2 and beyond.
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