Overtime Thriller: Pacers Edge Knicks in Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals
In a game that will be remembered for years to come, the Indiana Pacers edged out the New York Knicks in a thrilling overtime matchup at Madison Square Garden. The final score read 138-135 in favor of the Pacers, who secured their first win of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The game was a back-and-forth affair from start to finish, with both teams trading baskets and neither able to gain a significant advantage until late in the fourth quarter. However, it was Tyrese Haliburton who stole the show with his clutch shot that sent the game into overtime.
With just seconds left on the clock and his team trailing by one point, Haliburton launched a deep three-pointer from beyond half court. The ball bounced high off several defenders before falling through the hoop, tying up play and sending it into overtime.
Haliburton’s shot capped off an incredible performance for him on Tuesday night. He finished with 31 points and dished out 11 assists. Aaron Nesmith also had an impressive outing for Indiana, scoring 30 points on eight three-pointers.
The Knicks were led by Jalen Brunson, who scored a career-high-tying 43 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added another strong showing with 35 points of his own. Despite their best efforts, it wasn’t enough as they fell short against Indiana.
"It was just one of those nights where everything went right," said Haliburton after being asked about what made this particular shot so special. "I mean I’ve hit some tough shots before but this one felt different because we were down by two and I knew we needed something big."
Haliburton’s teammates echoed similar sentiments about what made this win so meaningful.
"It feels amazing," said Nesmith when asked about how he felt after making six consecutive threes during a crucial stretch late in regulation. "We’ve been working towards this moment all season long so to finally get here is incredible."
For Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle, he praised his team’s resilience throughout Tuesday night’s contest, saying,
"We showed great poise under pressure tonight. We didn’t panic when things weren’t going our way, which is huge especially considering how tough these playoffs have been."
As for Brunson, he reflected on what went wrong, stating,
"I think we let them get too comfortable. They got hot from outside which hurt us badly, but overall I’m proud of my teammates’ effort tonight even though it wasn’t enough."
Game two between these two teams will take place tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden as they look to even up their series heading back home against Indiana.
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