Indiana claimed a win in a game that seemed out of reach.
Aaron Nesmith got it close, and Tyrese Haliburton finished the job, as the Pacers propelled a late comeback to steal Game 1 at MSG. Nesmith scored six three-pointers and two free throws, totaling 20 points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, an unexpected burst no one was prepared for.
Aaron Nesmith finished the game with 30 points and shot 8/9 from three, and Tyrese Haliburton finished with 31 points, 11 assists, and four rebounds. All of the Pacers’ starters scored in double digits.
While the Knicks were led by Jalen Brunson, who had a solid 43 points and 5 assists, his All-Star partner, Karl Anthony Towns, also had a big game with 35 points and 12 rebounds. Wingmen OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges had 16 each.
The game was high-scoring, not in favor of the Knicks’ game and pace; it was to the Pacers’ advantage. But the Knicks, proving they can keep up, had a huge run in the middle of the fourth quarter to establish a 17-point lead. However, timely baskets from the Pacers erased the deficit late in the fourth quarter, highlighted by the burst of threes of Nesmith and a game-tying long-two of Haliburton.
The Pacers then took the OT with their all-around defense.
Jalen Brunson, after the game: In the playoffs, when you win, it’s the best thing ever. When you lose, it’s the worst thing ever. The best way to deal with all that is to stay level-headed and make sure we have each other’s backs.
It was heartbreaking for the Knicks, who were in a comfortable place late in the fourth quarter. But yeah, this is the playoffs, and no lead is safe.
