After Indiana Pacers’ memorable comeback, New York Knicks regroup for Game 2
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Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton celebrates with a "choke" towards the New York Knicks bench in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
NEW YORK – Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton has warned New York Knicks fans that they will consider him a villain for the rest of his National Basketball Association (NBA) career.
His choke sign that went wrong ended up part of an Indiana overtime victory, and now the Pacers take aim at a 2-0 series lead when they visit Madison Square Garden in the Eastern Conference Finals on May 23 (May 24, Singapore time).
New York held a 14-point lead with under three minutes left in regulation in Game 1 before disintegrating, as Indiana rallied for a 138-135 overtime victory on May 21.
“We’re not going to get too excited about this. We’ve got things to clean up. They got things to clean up. Game 2 is going to be another war,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.
Game 1 was at least a ferocious battle, particularly down the stretch.
The Pacers were within two in the final seconds when Haliburton rushed back to the three-point line and put up a jumper that bounced high off the rim and landed through the net as time expired.
He gave the infamous choke sign towards the Knicks’ bench and the crowd – a la Reggie Miller against the Knicks in the 1994 post-season – and the Pacers celebrated wildly. But the officials ruled Haliburton’s foot was on the line, turning the shot into a two-pointer that put the game in overtime.
“Everybody wanted me to do it last year at some point, but it’s got to feel right,” said Haliburton, alluding to the Pacers beating the Knicks in seven games in last season’s Eastern Conference semi-finals.
“It felt right at the time – well, if I would’ve known it was a two, I would not have done it. So I think I might’ve wasted it.”
Haliburton, who had 31 points and 11 assists, was let off the hook when the Pacers won the game in the extra session.
“There’s a lot of things we did good and we put ourselves in position to win. We played 46 good minutes. Those two minutes are where we lost the game (in regulation), and that’s on all of us,” said New York centre Karl-Anthony Towns.
Game 2 now feels like a must-win for the Knicks as they do not want to be 2-0 down when the series moves to Indianapolis.
“The series just started. Just one game, just watch the film, learn from it and go from there,” Knicks forward O.G. Anunoby said.
Meanwhile, on May 22, newly crowned NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 38 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder to an imposing 118-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Paycom Centre to open up a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. REUTERS, AFP
