Tyrese Haliburton banked in a wild jumper at the end of regulation, and the Indiana Pacers completed a dramatic comeback to beat the New York Knicks 138-135 in overtime on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Knicks led by 14 points with less than three minutes to play, but Aaron Nesmith’s sharpshooting ignited a late surge that kept Indiana alive.
Haliburton’s game-tying shot came after he nearly lost his dribble and had to reset near the three-point line. His deep jumper bounced off the back rim and dropped through as time expired, though a review confirmed his foot was on the line, tying the game at 125.
It was reminiscent of Reggie Miller’s iconic choke sign at Madison Square Garden in 1994 — a gesture Haliburton echoed toward the Knicks crowd after the shot.
Indiana outlasted New York in the extra period, with Andrew Nembhard hitting the go-ahead layup with 26 seconds remaining.
Haliburton finished with 31 points and 11 assists, leading a Pacers offense that shot 51% from the field and hit 15 of 37 from deep.
Nesmith added a career-playoff-high 30 points, going 8-for-9 from beyond the arc, and was the catalyst for Indiana’s improbable late rally.
The Knicks’ collapse was historic: teams leading by 14 or more points in the final 2:45 of regulation had been 994-0 since the 1997-98 season — until now.
Jalen Brunson scored 43 points and Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 35 points and 12 rebounds, but New York could not close the door after building a 119-105 lead with 2:51 to play.
Brunson, who had been in foul trouble earlier in the fourth, returned to help extend the lead, but Nesmith’s consecutive threes and clutch free throws kept Indiana within striking distance.
Indiana’s postseason run has been defined by comebacks — including rallies in wins over Milwaukee and Cleveland — and Game 1 added another to the list.
The Pacers’ bench provided timely contributions, with Obi Toppin adding 10 rebounds and T.J. McConnell scoring 10 points in 14 minutes.
Despite shooting 51.1% from the field and outrebounding Indiana 46-39, New York was undone by 15 turnovers and lapses in late-game execution.
Game 2 of the series is set for Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
