"Can never let your guard down against them" - Thibs on the Knicks' epic Game 1 collapse vs. the Pacers
The New York Knicks were less than three minutes away from winning the series opener and taking a 1-0 lead in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. With a 14-point lead at that point, New York had a 99.7 percent chance of accomplishing that. But then came the Indiana Pacers.
A flurry of three-pointers by Aaron Nesmith got the Pacers back in the game. With Indiana down just two points in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, Tyrese Haliburton went in for the kill. He made the shot, but luckily for the Knicks, Hali's toes were on the three-point line. The game went to overtime, and again, Indy came back from a four-point deficit to pull off the 138-135 stunner.
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After the game, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau tried his best to summarize what happened.
"They can score the ball. Nesmith got loose. Haliburton hit big shots. You just can never let your guard down against them," said Thibodeau. "No lead is safe."
The Pacers were a buzzsaw on offense late in the game
The Knicks looked poised to take Game 1 as they scored 14 straight points after Jalen Brunson went to the bench after committing his fifth foul with still 10:05 left in the fourth quarter. New York still held a 111-98 lead when Brunson returned at the five-minute mark and up 119-105 with only 2:51 left after JB hit a three-pointer. And then Nesmith took over.
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After a three-point basket by Tyrese, Aaron scored the Pacers' following 14 points on four triples and two free throws to cut what once was like an insurmountable lead down to one at 123-124. And after OG Anunoby split his free throws, Hali sent the game to overtime with a buzzer-beating jumper.
In the extra period, the Pacers played with better execution against a Knicks team that looked like it didn't know what hit them. Brunson tried his best to carry his team, but Indiana's momentum seemed too much, and the entire Madison Square Garden looked shell-shocked.
Related: "There was no one better than I've ever seen in my life" - Jerry West names the best scorer to ever use the backboard
Thibs says it's all part of the playoffs
Nesmith finished the game with 30 points on 9-13 shooting, including a ridiculous 8-9 clip from three-point distance. The 14th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft made six three-pointers and scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to spearhead Indiana's epic comeback. Meanwhile, Haliburton led the Pacers with 31 points and 11 assists, with only two turnovers.
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On the other hand, Brunson's 43 points and Karl-Anthony Towns' 35 went for naught after the Knicks' fourth-quarter collapse. But Thibs said that what happened in Game 1 is part of the postseason.
"There's a lot of emotional highs and lows in the playoffs. You gotta bounce back quickly. You look at the film, make the correction, and just get ready for Game 2," added Thibodeau.
Game 2 will be on Friday night, also at MSG. Hopefully, the Knicks learned their lesson in Game 1 because the Pacers have been making these insane comebacks in the current postseason.
Related: "The full court pressure that they bring every game will eventually wear on Jalen Brunson" - Cousins on why he is picking the Pacers to beat the Knicks
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