Pacers Storm Back in Final Minutes, Take Game 1 at Garden in Thrilling Fashion

The Indiana Pacers completed a historic comeback in New York City in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night, stunning the New York Knicks with a stirring flurry in the final minutes that carried over into a 138-135 overtime victory.

With 6:25 remaining in Wednesday night’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Knicks led the Indiana Pacers 111-94. Karl-Anthony Towns had just hit a 3-pointer. They were in the midst of a 17-3 run and had just reeled off 14 straight since the 10 minute mark when Jalen Brunson, on his way to 43 points, had to sit with five fouls. Madison Garden was in a frenzy. The Knicks were rolling. 

Until they weren’t. 

Halfway into the fourth quarter, even into the final minute of Game 1, it looked like the Knicks would head into Friday’s Game 2 up 1-0. 

Then Aaron Nesmith morphed into Reggie Miller circa 1995. 

Nesmith, who had been tasked with hounding Brunson all night (and was doing an adequate job of it) laced his first 3-pointer of the fourth quarter with 4:45 remaining. 113-101 Knicks. 

One minute and 31 seconds later, Nesmith hit another triple. 116-105 Knicks. One minute and 10 seconds later, another. 119-111 Knicks. Then in the final minute, Nesmith again did the impossible. 

After Brunson scored on a driving layup to give the Knicks a 121-112 lead, Nesmith hit again. 51 seconds remaining. 

Karl-Anthony Towns scored inside. 123-115, 41.1 seconds. 

Then Nesmith hit again. 123-118. 34 seconds. Timeout Knicks. 

Siakam stole from Brunson. Nesmith again. 123-121. 22.1 seconds remaining. Towns made 1-of-2 from the line. Thomas Bryant rebounded the miss with 13.2 seconds remaining, and the Pacers called time. 

With a 3-point lead and not wanting to allow the Pacers to get another three off, Anunoby fouled Nesmith. Nesmith calmly made both. 124-123 Knicks. 12.1 seconds remaining. 

Siakam fouled Anunoby, who missed his first but made his second. 125-123 Knicks. 7.1 seconds. 

Tyrese Haliburton then did the incredible in a wild final play. 

Down two, Haliburton drove inside but was cut off by Robinson. Inexplicably to basketball purists, Haliburton turned around and jetted toward the 3-point line. Down two. The audacity. 

As he turned to face the basket, Haliburton launched. A high ball took one bounce. Stayed up in the air for a second, and came down through the hoop. Don Nelson would be proud. 

Jubilant and with adrenaline running on a thousand, Haliburton raced to the other side of the floor, where he was mobbed by teammates, and did the old Miller choke sign after his 8 points in 9 seconds in 1995. 

But review showed that Haliburton’s foot was on the line. Two points. Overtime. 

The Pacers stayed at full throttle in the extra period, with Andrew Nembhard, who picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter, matching the moment. 

With 2:05 remaining in overtime, Nembhard scored on an inside layup to give the Pacers their first lead, 130-129, since they led 45-44. 

Brunson free-throws got the Knicks ahead 131-130. Haliburton followed with a finish. 132-131 Pacers. Brunson, fouled again, made two free-throws once again. 133-132 with 1:09 remaining. 

On the next Pacer possession, Obi Toppin flew in for a follow-up jam. He was fouled on the play but no call was made. 134-133 Pacers. 

Brunson again. 135-134 Knicks with 35.9 seconds remaining. 

Haliburton to Nembhard. 136-135 with 26.7 seconds remaining. 

On their next possession, a pass intended for Brunson on the left sideline appeared to go off of Haliburton. Replay showed that it deflected off of Brunson’s fingertips. 

After the Pacers inbounded at mid court, Nembhard got the ball and Toppin rolled to the basket. Toppin received the ball and threw down an emphatic dunk. 138-135 Pacers. 

With one last shot at the win, Brunson let a three go over a close contest from Nembhard. The shot drew air, but Towns got the ball up top. Towns’ attempt grazed the front of the rim. 

There was a scramble for the ball underneath the basket, Siakam and Mikal Bridges fighting for it. The ball deflected off of Pacer guard Ben Sheppard and then again off Bridges out of bounds. With 0.2 seconds on the clock and inbounding, Haliburton offered the ball to Towns who chucked a heave that would not have counted anyway. 

Madison Square Garden was stunned. A double-digit lead that was erased in the final minutes by flame-thrower long ball shooting and lockdown perimeter defense. 

Haliburton totaled 31 points and 11 assists on 12-for-23 shooting and made 4-of-12 attempts from deep. Brunson was the Knicks’ high man with 43 points and 5 assists on 15-for-25 and 12-of-14 from the charity stripe. Towns put up 35 points and 12 rebounds on efficient shooting across the board - 11-for-17 from the field, 4-for-8 from downtown, and 9-for-11 from the line. Anunoby and Bridges scored 16 points apiece on a combined 45% shooting. Josh Hart grabbed 13 rebounds with 8 points and 7 assists. Off the bench, Miles McBride scored 9, Cam Payne 6, and Mitchell Robinson secured 8 rebounds. For the game, the Knicks shot 51.1% and made 11-of-34 triples and 28-of-40 free-throws. They more than doubled the Pacers in turnovers, 15 to 7. 

Nesmith was Houston in the summertime hot, 20 fourth quarter points contributing to his overall 30 on 8-of-9 from deep. Siakam produced 17 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. Toppin in 20 minutes was excellent with 8 points and 10 rebounds on 4-of-9. TJ McConnell off the bench was also 4-of-9 and scored 10 points. 

The Pacers shot 51%, made 15-of-37 triples, and 21-of-28 from the line. They were outrebounded 46-39. 

The contest was back and forth until the Knicks began to pull away with transition points and long-range shooting. 

The never-flinching Nesmith, the heroics of Haliburton, and in-your-grill defense by the Pacers got them back in the game and the role guys, namely Nembhard, took over late to secure the win. 

A Garden that was delirious turned into a Garden that was dumbfounded. A team that was cruising turned into a team that was crushed. 

Indiana was jubilant. New York was jolted. 

We might have an all-time series on the horizon.