INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana Pacers delivered yet another unbelievable rally this postseason to stun the New York Knicks 138-135 in overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
The Knicks went up 111-94 on a Karl-Anthony Towns three-pointer, before the Pacers began their comeback behind Aaron Nesmith. He made six three-pointers to Indiana within two, before Tyrese Haliburton made a game-tying shot at the buzzer that bounced high off the rim and through the basket to force the overtime.
Andrew Nembhard made a lay-up to put Indiana up for good in a back-and-fourth overtime. Obi Toppin extended the lead to three on dunk, before Jalen Brunson and Towns missed three-pointers and Mikal Bridges lost the ball out of bounds to complete the miraculous comeback.
Haliburton scored 31 points and Nesmith had 30, while Brunson had 43 points and Towns had 35 for New York.
The Pacers started hot from the field, making their first nine shots from the floor. A Pascal Siakam fast break dunk put Indiana up 16-9. The lead was still seven when the Knicks went on a 16-7 run to take the lead at the end of the first quarter.
New York took an eight-point lead in the second on a Towns three-pointer. Haliburton cut the deficit to 65-62 before Jalen Brunson scored the last four points of the half to send the Knicks to the locker room up by seven.
New York took a 71-62 on an OG Anunoby dunk in the third quarter. The Pacers clawed back within two and trailed by three heading into the fourth.
Bennedict Mathurin pulled Indiana within one twice in the fourth. T.J. McConnell could have cut the game to one again, but he missed a free throw, igniting a 14-0 Knicks' run that helped them build that 17-point advantage.
The Pacers look to take a 2-0 series lead at one on Friday night at 8:00 p.m.
via: https://fox59.com/sports/pacers/pacers-stun-knicks-erasing-17-point-to-win-game-1-of-ecf/
