Reggie Miller s legacy lives: Pacers channel playoff past to stun Knicks in OT thriller

Madison Square Garden bore witness to yet another unforgettable chapter in the storied rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. In an Eastern Conference Finals opener that defied expectations, the Pacers orchestrated a stunning 138-135 overtime victory, completing their third dramatic postseason comeback and seizing a crucial 1-0 series lead.

The Knicks, playing in their first Eastern Conference Finals game in a quarter-century, appeared to be in control for much of the contest. They held a comfortable 17-point lead midway through the fourth quarter and still maintained a nine-point advantage with just over a minute remaining in regulation. However, Indiana, known for its resilience this postseason, refused to yield.

The architect of the Pacers' remarkable rally in the fourth quarter was Aaron Nesmith. He ignited a three-point onslaught with just under five minutes left in regulation, sinking six threes in the final frame—a feat unprecedented in NBA playoff history for a fourth quarter, a mark even Pacers legend Reggie Miller never reached against the Knicks. Nesmith finished the game with an impressive 30 points, with his final three-pointer of regulation narrowing New York’s lead to just two points with 22.6 seconds left.

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With the game hanging in the balance, Tyrese Haliburton took possession for the Pacers. Dribbling the length of the court, he created space and launched a last-second shot that seemingly bounced off the back of the rim, arced high into the air, and then gently dropped through the net as time expired. In a moment of premature celebration, Haliburton mimicked Reggie Miller's infamous "choke" sign towards the New York crowd, a gesture steeped in the rivalry's 1990s lore. However, officials quickly ruled that Haliburton's toe was on the three-point line, converting the shot to a two-pointer and forcing overtime.

'If I had known it was a two, I wouldn't have done it'

"If I had known it was a two, I wouldn't have done it," Haliburton admitted after the game, though he confidently added about the shot itself, "I knew… it was going in. It felt like it got stuck up there." Haliburton, who tallied 31 points and 11 assists, has a knack for clutch plays, having delivered game-winners to close out Milwaukee in the first round and secure a stirring comeback against Cleveland in the conference semifinals. This game-tying shot, given the opponent and the grand stage, is sure to be one of his most memorable.

In the overtime period, the Pacers continued their relentless assault. Aaron Nembhard contributed seven of his 15 points in the extra session, including a crucial layup with 27 seconds left that put Indiana ahead for good. Former Knick Obi Toppin then sealed the victory with a putback dunk with 15 seconds remaining, extending Indiana's lead to 138-135. The Knicks, despite phenomenal performances from Jalen Brunson (43 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (35 points), missed potential game-tying three-pointers in the dying seconds.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau will look to regroup his team, acknowledging their frustration. Towns lamented, "We played 46 good minutes. Those two minutes is where we lost the game." The Pacers' uncanny ability to engineer fourth-quarter comebacks has now been showcased against Milwaukee, Cleveland, and now New York this postseason. As coach Rick Carlisle stated, this resilience is like a "muscle" that strengthens with exercise.

While the loss is undoubtedly deflating for New York, historical context from this very rivalry offers a glimmer of hope. In the 1994 conference finals, the Knicks famously rebounded after Miller's iconic fourth-quarter heroics to win the series. Haliburton himself acknowledged this history, stating, "I know they didn't win that series, so I don't want to repeat that."

Game 2 is scheduled for Friday at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will aim to even the series and prevent the Pacers from taking a commanding lead as this captivating Eastern Conference Finals unfolds.