Choke or comeback? Indiana Pacers rally late, stun New York Knicks in OT

NEW YORK – Tyrese Haliburton was a bit premature as he mimicked Hall-of-Famer Reggie Miller’s infamous “choke” sign at Madison Square Garden.

Nevertheless, the guard and his Indiana Pacers teammates made certain the gesture did not come back to haunt them in a 138-135 victory in overtime over the New York Knicks on May 21 in Game 1 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Eastern Conference Finals.

Haliburton scored 31 points and forward Aaron Nesmith added 30, highlighting an eight-for-nine performance from three-point range by making five treys during the final 3½ minutes of regulation. That surge allowed the fourth-seeded Pacers to overcome a 14-point deficit in the final 2:39 of the fourth quarter.

“It’s unreal. It’s probably the best feeling in the world for me. I love it when that basket feels like an ocean and anything you toss up, you feel like it’s going to go in. It’s so much fun,” Nesmith said of his sizzling shooting.

Haliburton appeared to win it following a friendly carom off the rim on an apparent three-pointer at the buzzer, only for replays to show that his toe was on the line. That made it a two-pointer and forced overtime.

When he thought the game was over, Haliburton made the choke sign in the direction of the Knicks’ bench. He said: “I thought it was a three. I tried to hit the celly. It didn’t work. But we finished it in overtime.”

Miller famously flashed the gesture towards Knicks superfan Spike Lee while leading a Pacers comeback in a play-off game in 1994.

The third-seeded Knicks will look to bounce back in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on May 23 in New York.

“In the play-offs, when you win, it’s the best thing ever. When you lose, it’s the worst thing ever. The best way to deal with all of that is to stay level-headed. Making sure we have each other’s backs,” said Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who finished with 43 points.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle also kept it in perspective after the game.

“It’s a long series. We’re not gonna get too excited about this. We’ve got things to clean up. They’ve got things to clean up. Game 2’s gonna be another war,” he said.

Guard Andrew Nembhard sank a three and two lay-ups in OT, the last lay-in giving Indiana a 136-135 lead with 26.7 seconds to play.

An attempted pass to guard Brunson deflected off his fingers and out of bounds, and former Knick Obi Toppin’s dunk extended the advantage to three with 15 seconds left.

Brunson and teammate Karl-Anthony Towns misfired on three-point attempts in the final moments.

Forward Pascal Siakam scored 17 points, Nembhard finished with 15 and centre Myles Turner added 14 for the Pacers. Haliburton handed out 11 assists. Towns collected 35 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks.

The centre sank four of eight shots from three-point range, a big improvement after he made just three of 19 attempts from beyond the arc in New York’s six-game series victory over the Boston Celtics in the conference semi-finals.

Guard Mikal Bridges and forward O.G. Anunoby each scored 16 points in the loss.

Brunson committed his fifth foul with 10:05 remaining in the fourth quarter and retreated to the bench after T.J. McConnell made a free throw to pull Indiana within 94-92.

New York, however, went on a 14-0 run in Brunson’s absence, with Anunoby draining a three and a short jumper to ignite the spurt. The Pacers did themselves no favours by fouling Miles McBride and Towns on three-point attempts, with the duo combining to make five of six free throws.

“I feel like our intensity dropped. We started playing slower. Playing more into their hands,” said New York forward Josh Hart, who amassed eight points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

The win was the Pacers’ fourth comeback from 15 points or more down during the post-season.

“We played a lot of games where it felt like the other team had control. It ain’t over until it’s over, until it hits zero,” Haliburton said.

Off the court, New York’s frenzy over the Knicks’ first appearance in the conference finals in 25 years is sending ticket prices at the Garden soaring.

The average price for seats for Game 1 were listed at just under US$1,200 (S$1,550), a record for NBA conference championships, according to TickPick. It will cost nearly US$600 just to get in the door. Courtside seats near the Garden’s Celebrity Row – where Timothee Chalamet, Bad Bunny, and Lee often sit – cost US$62,000, according to StubHub.

Ticketmaster, the official ticketing platform for the Knicks, has a pair of seats one row behind courtside for around US$19,300. Both options come with exclusive lounge access, VIP entry and in-seat dining. REUTERS, AFP, BLOOMBERG