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With Reggie Miller on the call, the Indiana Pacers paid tribute to their franchise legend on Wednesday night.
Well, it was not a direct tribute, but the New York Knicks, in their first game of the East Conference of the 21st century, exploded an advantage of a quarter quarter quarter to drop 1 against Indiana, 138-135.
New York led by up to 17 with just over six minutes to the end, and even by 14 with less than three, but was not a rival for the Pacers.
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The Indiana Pacers guard, Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates with the teammates after drawing the game in the last quarter to send the game on extra time against the New York Knicks during the game one of the Eastern Conference finals for the NBA playoffs of the NBA of 2025 in Madison Square Garden. (Brad Penner-Imagn images)
Aaron Nesmith made Miller’s best impression by drilling six consecutive triples to help Indiana reduce his deficit to only two points with 22.1 seconds for the end. After the Knicks, on two occasions, were 1 by 2 from the line, Tyrese Haliburton hit a bell holder who thought it was a three and made the infamous Miller’s strangulator signal while pointing it. But, Haliburton’s finger was at stake, and the game went on extra time.
New York reached a four-point advantage to start extra time, but a 5-0 Pacers race gave them their first advantage since it was 45-44 in the second quarter. None of the teams reached more than an advantage of one point for more than two minutes, until former Knick Obi Toppin hit a house with 15.3 seconds to climb three. The Knicks lost two three of the game, and the Pacers stole the victory.
The teams leading a playoff game for more than nine points at the last minute of the fourth quarter or extra time of a playoff game had been 1,414-0 since 1998 entering Wednesday.
In addition, since 1997, the teams now have 4-1,640 when they are more than seven points in the last minute of the fourth quarter or extra time of a playoff game: the Pacers have won three of those games only this season.
May 21, 2025; New York, New York, USA; The Indiana Pacers guard, Tyrese Haliburton (0), shoots at the New York Knicks Guard, Josh Hart (3) in extra time during the game, one of the East Conference finals for the NBA playoffs of 2025 at the Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn images (Brad Penner-Imagn images)
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Unfortunately for the Knicks, it was a sample of their own medicine: they had completed return of 20, 20 and 14 points against the Boston Celtics to win their second round series.
Haliburton and Nesmith had 31 and 30 points, respectively, 20 Nesmith arrived in that fourth epic quarter.
Jalen Brunson led the way with 43 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 35 plus 12 rebounds, but none reached their triples in recent seconds.
This series is a rematch of the second round last year, which Indiana won in seven games against a Knicks squad, which also faced each other in the Eastern Conference of 1999 and 2000, the teams divided both series.
The Guard of the Indiana Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton (0), makes a strangulation movement towards the New York Knicks after hitting at the end of the last quarter of game 1 of the final of the East Basketball Conference of the NBA, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
In fact, the Knicks and the Pacers faced four times in the playoffs during the 1990s, with both teams winning a couple. The two New York victories sent them to the NBA finals.
Now, rivalry is hotter than ever. Game 2 is Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
And if there is any saving grace for the Knicks, they would end up winning the series where Miller hit them with their strangulator signal.
