Pacers Steal Game 1 Behind Haliburton & Nesmith Heroics

In what can be widely considered the game of the year in the NBA this season, the Indiana Pacers storm back to take a 1-0 series lead over the Knicks in thrilling fashion. The Pacers faced a 14-point deficit entering the final two minutes of regulation, before engineering an epic comeback through the clutch efforts of Aaron Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton. Both Nesmith and Haliburton ended the night with 30 and 31 points respectively, with Nesmith scoring 20 of his 30 points in the 4th quarter.

The Comeback Kids Strike Again

After getting off to a scorching start in the first half, the Pacer’s offense cooled off in the second half as Knicks seemed destined to take game one decisively. That was until Nesmith showed off his best Reggie Miller impression by hitting six straight threes late in the 4th to give Indiana a chance to tie with seven seconds left. Then Pacers superstar Haliburton put the finishing touches on Indiana’s comeback, hitting a buzzer-beating step-back shot to send the game into overtime.

Brunson and KAT Shine in Losing Effort

While New York fans will have yet another Pacer nightmare to add to their collective playoff trauma, they can take comfort in the fact their two stars showed up for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson finished with a staggering 43 points while Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 35 points and 12 rebounds in a valiant effort from both players. The Knicks also finished the game shooting 51% from the floor as a team, but that high efficiency was not enough to outlast an absolutely resilient Pacers squad.

What Went Wrong for New York?

When looking at what caused the Knicks to fumble away a game that was firmly in their control, it is hard to pin down what exactly went wrong for New York. Shortly after Jalen Brunson left the game early in the 4th period due to foul trouble, the Knicks were able to engineer a 10-0 run to give themselves a fighting chance to win. The Knicks’ ability to execute on offense with Brunson’s absence seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for Indiana before the epic comeback ensued.

Pacers Continued Road Dominance

For a team that held home-court advantage in only one playoff series this postseason, the Pacers continue to be undeterred by any hostile crowd. After the win tonight, the Pacers move to 5-1 on the road in the playoffs, tied for the second most wins on the road so far this postseason. The win also put the Pacers firmly in second place for road wins over the past two postseasons, only trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves who have won 10 playoff road games during that same span.

Final Thoughts

While the Knicks will certainly be licking their wounds after this game one collapse, the series is far from over for them. Despite the loss, the Knicks showed that they have the firepower to hang with an offensive juggernaut in the Pacers. If the Knicks want to even this series before it shifts to Indiana for Games 3 and 4, they will need to figure out how to slow the Pacers’ fast-paced offense down. Indiana thrives on turning games into indoor track meets, and while the Knicks showed they could keep up in spurts, trying to match Indiana’s offensive tempo is ultimately a recipe for disaster.