The New York Knicks suffered one of the most astonishing losses in NBA history on Wednesday night, and they are asking themselves why.
Following their 138-135 overtime defeat to the Indiana Pacers, Josh Hart talked to the press and tried to sum up what went wrong.
“Defensively, we let off the gas. The intensity and physicality weren’t there,” wing Josh Hart said to ESPN. “Offensively, we were playing slower, and more stagnant. It looked like we were playing not to lose.”
A loss is always painful, but this one stings more than most because of how it happened.
The Knicks, playing at home in front of thousands of cheering fans, seemingly had the game in the bag.
With less than three minutes to go, they were up by 14 points, and a Game 1 victory seemed certain, but then there were multiple defensive lapses and turnovers, giving the Pacers a chance to catch up.
Under a flurry of three-pointers and a dagger shot from Tyrese Haliburton at the buzzer, the Knicks lost their lead and were forced into overtime.
By the time they were in the extra period, the Knicks looked completely stunned and out of their element.
The game remained close, but as they often do, the Pacers were running the tempo of the game.
Hart and his teammates see what they did wrong, and they will surely be working on correcting their mistakes before Game 2, which will also be held in the heart of New York City.
Like the fans, they are shocked by this loss, but they have to process that quickly because the next game is a must-win for them.
They cannot move to Indiana in a 2-0 hole.
The Knicks made plenty of mistakes in the final moments of Game 1, and now it’s time to study and prevent them from happening again.
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