Tyrese Haliburton leads Pacers' stunning Game 1 comeback vs. Knicks with a clutch shot, overcoming a 14-point deficit to win 138-135 in OT.
Even as the ball soared high off the back rim, Tyrese Haliburton said he had no doubt: his buzzer-beating jumper was going in.
“I felt like it got stuck up there,” Haliburton said after the Indiana Pacers pulled off a stunning Game 1 playoff rally on Wednesday night. “But it felt good when it left my hand.”
The Pacers trailed the New York Knicks by 14 points with just 2:51 left in regulation before storming back behind Haliburton’s heroics. His game-tying shot sent the matchup into overtime, where Indiana completed a 138-135 victory to steal Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden.
At first, Haliburton believed he had won the game outright. With the Pacers down two and time ticking away, he launched a deep jumper from near the three-point line. Though replay confirmed it was only a two-pointer, Haliburton celebrated with a bold choke sign directed at Knicks fans—a nod to Reggie Miller’s iconic taunt toward Spike Lee during a legendary Pacers-Knicks playoff clash in 1994.
“I wasn’t planning it,” Haliburton said with a laugh. “Everybody wanted me to do it last year, but I wanted it to feel right. And it did—until I realized it was just a two. Might’ve wasted it.”
Haliburton finished with 31 points and 11 assists, while Aaron Nesmith added 30 points, shooting a scorching 8-for-9 from beyond the arc—including six triples in the fourth quarter, tying an NBA playoff record.
Despite Jalen Brunson's 43 points and Karl-Anthony Towns' 35, the Pacers’ resilience proved too much. According to ESPN Research, the Knicks had a 99.8% win probability when leading by 14 late in the fourth. Yet Indiana, already known for miracle finishes this postseason, defied the odds once again.
Per Elias Sports Bureau, teams trailing by nine or more in the final minute of a playoff game were previously 0-1,414 since 1998. The Pacers just became the first to flip that script.
Center Myles Turner summed it up: “We thought it was over, but we gave ourselves a chance. Honestly, I’m used to it at this point.”
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, though proud, kept things grounded: “It’s a long series. We’re not going to get too excited. Game 2 is going to be another war.”
Game 2 tips off Friday night in New York as the Pacers look to build on their unforgettable Game 1 win.
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