The Indiana Pacers did it again — another jaw-dropping, last-gasp comeback in a postseason run that refuses to play by the rules of probability.
Trailing by 14 points with under three minutes remaining in regulation, the Pacers erased what looked like an insurmountable deficit and went on to stun the New York Knicks 138-135 in overtime on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Tyrese Haliburton delivered the dagger — a dramatic jumper as the fourth-quarter buzzer sounded — to tie the game at 125 and force the extra session.
“I thought it was a 3 to win it,” Haliburton admitted. “Then I saw the replay and realized my toe was on the line. So, just had to reset. Overtime was all that mattered now.”
Haliburton’s jumper was a study in suspense. After regaining control of a nearly fumbled dribble, he drifted back toward the arc and fired the shot over a closing defender. It bounced high off the rim and seemed to hang in the air forever before finally dropping. The celebration came instantly: Haliburton sprinted toward the sideline and flashed a choke sign to the Madison Square Garden crowd — an echo of Reggie Miller’s iconic moment against Spike Lee in 1994.
Replay would later confirm Haliburton’s toe grazed the line. It was only worth two, but it was enough.
In overtime, the game remained tightly contested until Andrew Nembhard delivered the go-ahead basket with 26 seconds left. The Knicks couldn’t find a final answer, and Indiana held on to take a 1–0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
It was another wild comeback in a postseason full of them for Indiana. The Pacers stunned Milwaukee in the first round, overcoming a seven-point deficit in the final 40 seconds of overtime. They then stole Game 4 against top-seeded Cleveland, rallying from down seven with just 46 seconds remaining in regulation.
This time, the stakes were higher — and the comeback even more improbable.
According to Stathead, teams leading by at least 14 points in the final 2:45 of the fourth quarter were previously 994-0 in playoff history since detailed play-by-play tracking began in 1997–98. The Pacers just made it 994-1.
Aaron Nesmith was instrumental in the late surge, finishing with 30 points and burying 8-of-9 from deep, including three huge triples in the final two minutes. After Jalen Brunson’s three gave the Knicks a 119-105 lead with 2:51 left, it seemed over. But Nesmith kept shooting, and the Pacers kept believing.
Haliburton, the steady engine all season long, posted 31 points and 11 assists. His composure late was the defining edge in a game that felt like déjà vu from Indiana’s dramatic Game 7 victory over the Knicks in last year’s East semifinals.
The Knicks had plenty of brilliance in their return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. Jalen Brunson poured in 43 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 35 points and 12 rebounds. But foul trouble kept Brunson on the bench for a stretch of the fourth quarter, during which the Knicks’ offense stagnated, and their 14-0 run — which had just ballooned a two-point lead to 108-92 — was erased in shocking fashion.
This time, there was no injury excuse. Just heartbreak.
“It’s a tough one,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We did a lot of good things but didn’t close it out. We’ll regroup.”
The Pacers, though, have proven that no lead is safe — and no moment is too big.
Game 2 is set for Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks will be desperate to respond. The Pacers? They’re right where they want to be — thriving in the chaos.
