The New York Knicks were just one minute away from winning Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Instead, they’re now down 0-1.
The Indiana Pacers pulled off something that had never been done in NBA playoff history, at least since stats started being tracked.
As shown on ESPN’s “Get Up,” teams trailing by 9+ points with one minute left in the fourth quarter or overtime of a game were 0-1,414.
That was until Wednesday night’s epic collapse.
With that in mind, NBA analyst Jay Williams made a case for this not only being the single worst home loss in New York Knicks history but also the biggest choke job in NBA playoff history.
“Statistically … it’s the biggest choke job in NBA playoff history,” Williams said.
"Statistically … it's the biggest choke job in NBA playoff history."
—@RealJayWilliams reacts to the Knicks' Game 1 loss to the Pacers pic.twitter.com/KNLmcFiUfd
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 22, 2025
Truth be told, it’s hard to disagree with either of those statements.
The Knicks led by as many as 17 points late in the game, and you just cannot blow a nine-point lead when there’s less than one minute left to play.
Granted, the Pacers deserve all the credit in the world for not waving the white flag and continuing to push through adversity, but as much as they deserve their flowers for this epic comeback, the Knicks also need to be held accountable for this debacle.
It’s still way too early in the series, and anything can happen from now on.
We can’t rule out the Knicks after watching them perform in the playoffs.
Then again, this could be a pivotal moment in this series, and it could come back to haunt them for years to come.
NEXT: Karl-Anthony Towns Reveals Honest Thoughts About Loss On Wednesday