Knicks make NBA history with infamous record after Game 1 loss vs Indiana Pacers

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals delivered several compelling storylines. The Indiana Pacers‘ dramatic rally featured an iconic celebration from Tyrese Haliburton, while for the New York Knicks, it marked an infamous moment in NBA Playoff history.

Tom Thibodeau‘s team led the game almost from start to finish and held a commanding 116-102 advantage with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter. The 43 points from Jalen Brunson and 35 from Karl-Anthony Towns were key in building that lead—but ultimately not enough to secure the win.

Aaron Nesmith’s unforgettable performance, including 20 points with six three-pointers in just five minutes, along with a clutch shot from Tyrese Haliburton in the final seconds, changed the entire dynamic. The game went to overtime, where Indiana completed the comeback at Madison Square Garden.

But there was more. NBA history was written in those final moments, as never before in the playoffs had a team blown a lead of 14 or more points in the final 2:45 of a game and ended up losing. That scenario had occurred 970 times before—never with the outcome seen Wednesday night.

And to make the Knicks’ collapse even more staggering, consider the last minute alone. They still led by 9 points with under 60 seconds to go. In 1,414 previous instances of a team leading by that margin at that point in an NBA Playoff game, not one had lost. Not until last night.

“Give them a lot of credit, they closed the game out like they’ve been doing all playoffs. Just not really good on our part,” Jalen Brunson said in the postgame press conference. He then emphasized the need to look ahead. “Tomorrow we go watch film and get together as a team. Just re-evaluate and be ready for Game 2.”

The loss to Indiana brought back memories of past battles between the two franchises, especially in the 1990s and 2000s, and more recently in last year’s Conference Semifinals, when they fell in Game 7.

Karl-Anthony Towns, however, downplayed those past matchups. “It’s our job to make history. We’re not here to repeat history, we’re here to make history,” said the center. “So that doesn’t pop into my mind. I only think about the present and what we can do right now so we can make our own history.”

The Knicks and the Pacers will play Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals this Friday night at Madison Square Garden, before the series shifts to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday.