PGA Tour's John Pak credits Knicks' Game 1 meltdown for strong start at Charles Schwab Challenge
The Knicks' epic collapse to the Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals inspired at least one professional athlete to see his job all the way through.
PGA Tour pro John Pak credited his fiery start Thursday at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth to the pitfalls of his beloved Knicks, explaining how their fourth-quarter meltdown and eventual 138-135 overtime loss to Indiana fueled his play at Colonial.
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'I'm a die-hard Knicks fan, and that historically was one of the worst losses I've ever seen in my life, and there was a fire lit under me this morning. I was a little pissed off about that,' said Pak, who hails from Scotch Plains, N.J.
Pak shot a career-low round of 7-under 63 to put him atop the leader board Thursday despite a lackluster slumber.
4 John Pak during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on May 22, 2025.
AP
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'I didn't sleep well after that loss last night. I'm going to recover, do a little stretching, and then maybe watch the Thunder game later (Thursday),' he said, as covered by CBS Sports.
4 The Knicks could not hold onto a fourth-quarter lead in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 21, 2025.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
4 Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton (l.) mocked the Knicks over their Game 1 collapse.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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If Pak tuned in, he saw Oklahoma City take a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves with their 118-103 triumph.
Pak will tee off Friday at 2:40 p.m. — roughly five-plus hours before Game 2 between the Knicks and Pacers tips off at Madison Square Garden.
4 John Pak enters Day 2 of the Charles Schwab Challenge atop the leaderboard.
Getty Images
The Knicks, playing in their first Eastern Conference finals since 2000, failed to hold on to a 14-point lead with less than three minutes to go, giving the Pacers all the momentum they needed to steal Game 1 on the road.
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'We didn't run through that finish line,' Josh Hart said postgame. 'I feel like defensively we let off the gas, intensity and physically weren't there, offensively we were playing slower, a little stagnant, and it looked like we were playing not to lose.'
The Knicks can even the series with a Garden victory Friday before Games 3 and 4 shift to Indiana on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively.
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