NBA East finals: Tyrese Haliburton’s Reggie Miller nod; Knicks crumble late

Melissa Rohlin

FOX Sports NBA Writer

The Eastern Conference finals tipped off with an epic Game 1 as the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers needed overtime to beat the No. 3 seed New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks are aiming to reach the Finals for the first time since 1999. This postseason, New York eliminated the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons and then handled the No. 2 Boston Celtics.

Meanwhile, the Pacers are trying to get back into the Finals since their last appearance in 2000. Indiana knocked off the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks before upsetting the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers.

Here’s what has stood out from the Pacers’ epic Game 1 win and what to expect from Game 2.

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Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 (OT)

What stood out for the Pacers: The Pacers did what the Pacers do. They stormed back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime when Tyrese Haliburton made a 23-foot stepback jumper at the buzzer to tie the score at 125-125 at the end of regulation – with Haliburton then mimicking Reggie Miller’s famed Madison Square Garden choke gesture 31 years ago. Andrew Nembhard then had seven points in overtime on 3-for-4 shooting to give the Pacers the win. This Pacers team doesn’t give up and Haliburton has made a name for himself this postseason with multiple buzzer-beaters. What’s that again about being overrated?

What stood out for the Knicks: In a game with 14 lead changes and eight ties, it looked as though the Knicks had taken control when they took a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, marking the first double-digit lead of the game. But the Pacers stormed back behind 30 points from Nesmith on 9-for-13 shooting, including 8-for-9 from beyond the arc and Haliburton’s 31-point, 11-assist performance. Despite Jalen Brunson scoring 43 points and Karl-Anthony Towns having 35 points and 12 rebounds, the Knicks couldn’t contain the Pacers in the clutch. In overtime, the Knicks only had six field goal attempts, while the Pacers had 11.

What’s in store for Game 2: Hopefully more of this. Two gritty teams battling it out in an incredible nail-biter. For the Knicks, they can’t take their foot off the gas against the Pacers, who went on a 20-6 run in the fourth quarter. The Knicks also need more from their reserves, who were outscored by the Pacers’ bench, 31-17. The Knicks also finished with 14 turnovers, compared to the Pacers’ 6.

As for the Pacers, not putting Haliburton in a position to have to make a game-winner would be a good start. They also have to figure out a way to contain Brunson and Towns, who combined for 78 points.