The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers went head-to-head in the opening matchup of the Eastern Conference Finals in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Despite being down by 14 points with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Pacers completed the comeback and secured a 138-135 overtime victory.
The game was a close fight from the very beginning, with both teams scoring with ease to start the first quarter. Both squads pushed the pace in transition early and after a close opening quarter, the Knicks found themselves up by two.
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With both offenses still running at full speed, the Knicks slowly but surely increased their lead to seven at halftime.
The Pacers had a solid third quarter, but the Knicks opened up a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter as the crowd in Madison Square Garden erupted with each New York basket.
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As the final two minutes approached however, Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith made five straight three-pointers to help the Pacers storm back into the game. After scoring 20 points in less than three minutes, the Pacers were down by just two points and had the ball on the final possession of regulation.
Tyrese Haliburton ran the ball up the court in the final seconds and fired a tough contested jumper at the buzzer that bounced above the rim before falling in. Although it originally appeared to be a three-pointer, video replay showed that Haliburton’s foot was on the line, setting up overtime.
WHAT A SHOT BY TYRESE HALIBURTON ???????????? https://t.co/8wEwdkeRwZ pic.twitter.com/s497GwRWi9
— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2025
The overtime period was as close as regulation, but smart late-game adjustments and overall momentum allowed the Pacers to maintain their lead and leave with the victory.
For the Pacers, Haliburton finished the game with 31 points and 11 assists while Nesmith put up 30 points on 8-of-9 shooting from deep.
Jalen Brunson did all he could for the Knicks, finishing with 43 points and five assists, but gave up seven costly turnovers. Karl-Anthony Towns also had a strong game with 35 points and 12 rebounds.
For the final several minutes of action, the Pacers looked unstoppable. The Knicks will need to keep their foot on the gas in Game 2 on Friday if they want to tie the series.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
