Game 1 in Madison Square Garden between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks was a thriller, adding to the longtime rivalry, but for Knicks fans, it was another moment of stunned silence. 

Both the Knicks and Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, regularly coming back from 20 to 15 point deficits. This happened again on Wednesday night, as the Pacers took game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on the road 138-135. 

The Pacers trailed by 14 with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter, and just like they did against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game 1 and against the Milwaukee Bucks in game 5, the Pacers stuck together and kept giving the ball to Aaron Nesmith.

Since 1997, teams leading by 14+ points in the final 2:45 of regulation have been 994-0. After scoring 13 points in 51 seconds, the Pacers made it 994-1. The Pacers’ resilience showed again, as they applied pressure 94 feet, causing turnovers and the ability to hit clutch shots. 

Indiana went on to hit six straight threes in the final 3:14 of the game. Nesmith hit five threes, including four straight, to bring the game to 121-123 after trailing 116-102. 

According to TNT’s stats, the Pacers scored 51 points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined, had a point differential of +6, went 8-for-14 from 3-point range, and tallied eight assists. 

Nesmith went on to score the final 20 of the Pacers’ 30 points and tied his career high of 30 points in game 1. On Wednesday night, Nesmith did things that not even Pacers great Reggie Miller could do: make eight three-pointers in a game, five of which came in the final three minutes of the game. 

The six-year pro mentioned that he prepared for these moments, having to guard Jalen Brunson all game and make the clutch plays down the stretch.

“I knew what was going to be asked of me this season, and knew what was going to be asked for me this series,” Nesmith told the TNT crew in the postgame interview. “So this week I was just getting my body right, my conditioning right, because I knew what it was going to be, it was guarding Brunson 94-feet, fighting over screens, playing 28 to 30 plus minutes and being able to make sure I had legs at the end of the game to make jumpers.”

Not only were Nesmith’s five threes a traumatic deja vu for Knicks fans, but with the Pacers down 123-125, Tyrese Haliburton stepped back and let the ball fly as the buzzer sounded. The ball bounced off the rim, and as it hung in the air, everything stopped. The shot ended falling, and for the time being, everyone thought the game was over, except Haliburton’s right toes were on the line, counting as a two. 

Like Miller’s choke celebration in game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals, Hailburton pointed to Miller, who was on the color commentary for TNT, and gave the “choke” sign, thinking he had won. 

Indiana traded baskets in overtime, and in the late moments of the extra period, Andrew Nembhard deflected a pass intended for Brunson that was challenged by the Pacers, overturning the call and taking a key possession away from New York. 

Game 2 will be on Friday, but instead of returning nearly leading 1-0, how will the Knicks respond, looking to avoid falling 2-0?

Brunson, who ended with 43 points, took the throne for the most 40-point playoff performances by any Knick in franchise history with eight games. 

Known for his heroic fourth-quarter play, Brunson has led New York to victories night after night, but has the Knicks’ offense become too one-dimensional and predictable? The Knicks have played a seven-man rotation for the majority of the playoffs, and in game 1, they seemed to run out of steam. 

Now that the series will be played every other day, Tom Thibodeau might need to look deeper into his bench for rest and more minutes from guys like Cameron Payne and/or Precious Achiuwa.