Which Knicks team will show up tonight in Game 2?
It’s Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals. Reggie Miller scored eight points in nine seconds, giving the Indiana Pacers a 107-105 improbable victory over the Knicks. He mocked the Knicks, hollering “choke artists” as he ran into the Madison Square Garden tunnel. That’s because the NYKs had squandered a six-point lead with just 18.7 seconds remaining.
History repeated Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden. According to ESPN, the Knicks had a 99.7% win probability with 2:51 in regulation, up 14 points. But that lead didn’t hold. Aaron Nesmith shot six 3-pointers and scored 20 points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, setting up Tyrese Haliburton’s shot that tied the game, sending it into overtime. Then, the Pacers outscored the Knicks 13-10 in overtime and won 138-135.
Photo courtesy NY1
Ironically enough, Miller was in the TV booth to chronicle the Knicks’ latest folly on TNT. He did not call them “choke artists,” but it would have been on-point if he had. In truth, he didn’t have to say the words because Haliburton demonstrated it on the court.
You can add Wednesday night’s collapse to a list of shocking results that testify to why the Knicks haven’t won a championship since 1973, when Richard Nixon was U.S. President. Wednesday’s appalling result is right up there with Charles Smith’s misses, Miller’s choke game, Miller’s eight-point game in nine seconds, Patrick Ewing’s finger roll, and John Starks’ Game 7 bricks against the Houston Rockets.
What happened? The Knicks faced adversity for the first time in the ’25 Playoffs. The Detroit Pistons offered no resistance, and the Celtics tried (and failed) to live on 3s.
Adversity is part of the deal in the playoffs, and now New York has its hands full because Indiana is gritty and determined. We will find out what the Knicks are made of, and we won’t wait long to find out. Tonight is a must-win because the Knicks can’t afford to leave town down 0-2 with the next two games to be played in Indianapolis.
If the Knicks respond, Wednesday’s loss might be a blessing in disguise. Humility can do that. A win tonight makes Wednesday’s loss a blown opportunity.
But getting there won’t be easy. The Pacers have a solid starting five, a good bench, and experienced coaches. They can dictate the pace, aren’t in awe of the Knicks, and have resolve that the Knicks need to show if tonight is to be a rebound game.
The bottom line is that the Knicks have to worry about themselves as much as they do about the Pacers.
