No lead is safe from these Indiana Pacers.
Coming into this postseason, only one team in NBA history had ever won a game after overcoming a seven-point deficit in the final 50 seconds. Since the start of this year’s playoffs, that number has jumped to four—and all three new additions belong to the Pacers.
Indiana pulled off the feat in Round 1, again in Round 2, and now once more in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals clash with the New York Knicks. The Pacers stole a 138-135 overtime win at Madison Square Garden in a modern classic that will be remembered for years to come.
Before their stunning rally, Indiana had unraveled early in the fourth quarter. A three-point deficit at the end of the third ballooned into a game-high 17-point hole, 111-94, with just 6:25 remaining.
To make matters worse for the Pacers, the Knicks made that run with their star point guard Jalen Brunson on the bench with five fouls.
But Indiana refused to give up.
Brunson checked back in with five minutes left where the Knicks held a 13-point lead, 111-98. Fresh off a five-minute rest, the two-time All-Star and 2025 NBA Clutch Player of the Year was in a prime position to close out the win. Instead, Aaron Nesmith took it as his cue to set the Garden on fire.
On Indiana’s next possession, Nesmith drained the first of six fourth-quarter three-pointers, completely shifting the momentum—not just of Game 1, but possibly the entire series. With every Nesmith triple, the raucous New York crowd grew quieter, their cheers fading to murmurs and groans.
The Pacers still trailed by nine though, 121-112, with just 59 seconds left in regulation. Nesmith then hit three straight threes–his fourth, five, and sixth of the quarter–in a 28-second span, followed by two free throws, pulling Indiana within two. After OG Anunoby split a pair of free throws with seven seconds left, the Pacers were still down, 125-123.
That’s when Tyrese Haliburton took the torch from Nesmith.
Haliburton received the inbound pass and sped up the court, only to be cut off by Mitchell Robinson near the basket. Haliburton smartly pulled back to the arc for a potential game-winning three-pointer. His shot hit the back rim and bounced well above the shot clock before dropping straight through the net, silencing the stunned Garden crowd.
The ever-theatrical guard celebrated by holding his hands to his throat in homage to Indiana legend Reggie Miller—who was in the building as a color commentator—and who famously made the same gesture more than 20 years ago in this very arena, against this very team.
In a shocking twist, Haliburton’s shot was ruled a two-pointer after review, as his toe was on the three-point line when he took the shot. That sent the game into overtime, where both teams went back and forth until the dying seconds. Brunson scored the Knicks’ final six points, but Indiana’s collective effort held him off to seal the win.
Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and former Knicks lottery pick Obi Toppin carried Indiana in the extra period, giving them a memorable 138-135 victory. New York—no stranger to fourth-quarter comebacks this postseason—was left stunned on its home floor.
These types of wins have become routine for Indiana this postseason and no longer come as a complete shock. No moment is too big for them and they fear no opponent. Their explosive offense makes them a threat to win every night, no matter how large of a deficit they face.
With each victory, the Pacers shed their Cinderella and underdog label—and look more and more like a team destined to win the NBA championship.
