Pacers 138 vs 135 Knicks Game 1 summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs
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The Pacers went into the OT session and held off the Knicks to complete the magical comeback at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks did that to the Celtics last series, but they blew the series opener at home.
Everyone in the stadium though Tyrese Haliburton won the game with this step back three ball at the buzzer. It was the ending that Indy deserved, but Haliburton stepped on the line and the game went to OT.
The Pacers were down 14 with 2:40 to go in the 4th quarter but Aaron Nesmith ignited for five of his eight threes in the final minutes of the game. They went on a 20-6 run at the end of the game to send it into OT.
Brunson went to the bench with his fifth foul with the game tight in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks went on a huge run to extend the lead and it looked like they had Game 1 in their pockets.
Brunson had himself a night, but he couldn't deliver late in the game when the Knicks looked like they were going to ease to the win.
The first half went back and forth as both teams exchanged runs but neither team got out to too convincing of a lead. That's how it went until the halftime break but then the Knicks started to pull away.
The Indiana Pacers pulled another rabbit out of the hat with a miracle fourth quarter comeback to take Game 1 from Madison Square Garden. Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 and dished 11 assists in the overtime win.
The Pacers came out red hot from the field, hitting their first nine field goals but weren't playing much defense so the Knicks were hanging tight in the first quarter.
Brunson got a look, and so did Towns but they both missed and it's Indiana ball with 0.2 to go!!!
Topin with a drive to the rack and he throws down a double clutch slam!!!
Timeout Knicks with 15.1 to go.
OG's pass was deflected and an out of bounds called for NY, but it hit off Brunson and IND is going to challenge with 18.9 to go.
Nembhard going back to the iron and he lays it up and in. Timeout Knicks with 26.1 to go.
Brunson going back to the rack and he lays it up and in while being swarmmed by Pacers.
Toppin with the offensive board and put back slam wit 54 to go.
Brunson to the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on Haliburton.
Haliburton goes right at Hart and lays it up and over him. That's 31 for Haliburton.
Brunson to the line after the foul on Nesmith and he hits both FTs with 1:44 to go in OT.
Nembhard goes right at Brunson with five fouls and he lays it up an over Brunson.
Nembhard in the corner and he strings the three ball!!!
Great ball movement leads to a slip pass to Anunoby on the baseline for the lay up
KAT gets the baseline jumper over Turner to fall.
WE ARE GOING TO OVERTIME!!!!
HALIBURTON JUST TIED IT!!! HE STEPPED BACK AND TRIED TO END IT WITH A THREE BALL, BUT HE STEPPED ON THE LINE AND DRILLED THE LONG TWO!! HE HIT THE BACK HEEL OF THE RIM, IT BOUNCED OVER THE BACK BOARD AND FELL THROUGH!!!!
Anunoby to the line after another shaky inbound from NY. He misses one of two FTs and it's a two point game with 7 seconds to go.
Anunoby fouls Nesmith who hits both FTs with 12.4 to go.
Toppin fouls KAT after the Knicks almost turned it over on the inbound. KAT his one of two FTs and the Pacers call a timeout with 13.9 to go.
Nesmith hit another three ball from the wing and we have a two point game!!! It's a 16-4 run for IND!!.
Timeout Knicks with 22.1 to go!!!
The call is reversed and IND get the ball with 29.2 to go.
Anunonby was fouled by Siakam but the Pacers are going to challenge that call with 29.2 to go.
Nesmith launches another three ball and he strings it!!! That's his fourth in a matter of a few minutes and the Knicks need a timeout with 34 seconds to go.
Bridges looks up the floor and finds KAT for the lay up.
Nesmith with another three ball! His third in a matter of minutes.
Brunson slices down the lane and lays it up and in.
Siakam to the line after the foul on Hart and he hits one of two FTs with 1:20 to go.
Nesmith with another quick trigger three ball and he sinks it with 2:04 to go!
Haliburton with a quick trigger and he sinks a three ball!
Brunson pulls the trigger on the step back and he nails the three ball!
Nesmith pulls up and hits the three ball from the wing!
Brunson misses the second FT out of the break.
Brunson to the line after the foul on Sheppard and he hits one FT before NY take a timeout with 3:44 to go.
Haliburton to the line after the foul on Anunoby and he hits one of two FTs.
KAT somehow got the up and under reverse to go and off the offensive rebound. He's got 30 and 10 rebounds.
Nesmith drills the three ball from the top of the key.
Bridges backing down in the lane and he sinks the fader.
Siakam into the paint and he hits the fader in the lane.
Step back from Nembhard and he hits the elbow jumper.
Towns strings the triple try from the wing off the dish from Hart.
Siakam right to the rack and he gets the floater and the foul on KAT. Siakam missed the FT.
Anunoby on the break and he cuts through the lane and lays it up with two hands!
Timeout Pacers with 7:22 to go in the 4th quarter.
KAT with a fading hook shot in the paint and he drops it! 12-0 run from NY with Brunson on the bench.
KAT was just fouled by Nesmith on the three ball and he hits all three FTs.
McBride was fouled on the three pointer by Nembhard and he hits two of three FTs.
Anunoby got the shot up in traffic from the lane and he sinks it! Timeout Pacers after a 5-0 run from OG with 9:20 to go in the 4th quarter.
Anunoby with the step back three and he strings it over Mathurin from the wing!!!
Brunson just picked up his fifth foul, sending McConnell to the line where he hits one of two FTs. Brunson heads to the bench with 10 to go in this game.
Brunson back to the rack and he lays it up and in for 31 on the night.
Mathurin drives hard to the rack and hangs it high off the glass.
Brunson back into the paint and he drops it in traffic. He's got 29.
Mathurin to the line after the foul on McBride and he hits both FTs.
WE ARE HEADING TO THE FOURTH QUARTER FROM NEW YORK!!!
McConnell to the rack and he jets through traffic for the lay in.
Nesmith with a loose ball foul and Anunoby goes to the line where he hits one of two FTs.
Siakam sends KAT to the line and he hits both FTs.
Siakam on the turn around and he gets the fader to fall from outside the lane.
Mary J at halftime
You know it’s a big game when the Queen, Mary J Blidge is in the building but you know it’s massive when she is singing at halftime. The fans will get a one and only concert from the queen. Usually I listen and watch the halftime shows from TNT or ESPN, but tonight I’ll be fully attentive to MJB from MSG.
McBride with a short jumper from outside the land and he gets that to fall.
Bryant to the line after the foul on Robinson and he hits both FTs.
Timeout Pacers with 3:16 left in the 3rd quarter.
Robinson with another offensive board and Brunson hits a step back jumper from the baseline.
Haliburton with a quick trigger on the step back and he drills the three ball!
Brunson back into the lane, gets bumped, gets the runner and gets to the line! FT is good after the foul on Mathurin.
Brunson just got called with his fourth foul, which sends Haliburton to the line where he hits both FTs.
Injury report: Pacers
The Pacers are just as lucky as the Knicks are. They have crushed through the first two rounds of the postseason unscathed. The only one on their injury report is Isaiah Jackson and he only played in five games this season so Rick Carlisle’s team knows how to win without him. The Pacers like to run and gun but their defense has stepped up this year, and now this is a more physical team. They are going to want to push the Knicks for four quarters, but they will also want to keep guys healthy for the duration of this series and longer, if necessary.
Toppin had his three blocked by OG, but Toppin followed it up and reversed it with a baseline drive.
Towns to the line after the foul on Turner and he hits one of two FTs.
Haliburton slices to the cup and scoops it up and in.
Brunson with a quick dribble to the cup and floats it up and in.
Bridges to the lane and he hangs it high off the glass from the left side.
Injury report: Knicks
Getting to this stage of the playoffs with a clean injury report is worth it’s weight in gold. The Knicks have no one on the list, and that’s saying something after their two physical series with Detroit and with Boston. Coach Tibs has a full deck of cards and you can bet he is going to use them throughout the series. He will just be crossing his fingers that they can end the series just as healthy.
Brunson turned it over and Turner ended up finding Siakam for a slam down low after passing up an open three.
Timeout Knicks with 7:25 to go in the 3rd quarter!!
Nembhard to the cup and lays it up and in off the look from Siakam.
Brunson drives and draws the defense, before laying it off for Towns.
Haliburton down low to Siakam and he lays it up and in.
Brunson gets to the block and he gets the off balanced runner to fall.
Turner wit the step back from the elbow and that's his first FG since the 1st quarter.
The call stands and Brunson is charged with the foul. his third.
Brunson was called for an offensive foul, but the Knicks are going to challenge that call after him and Nembhard got tangled up.
History in the ECF
This marks the fourth time these two teams have met in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the 90s these two teams were regulars, but those were mostly in years that Michael Jordan was retired. They met in 1994, 1999 and in 2000. The Knicks won the first of those two series to get the the Finals before losing to the Rockets and then the Spurs. The Pacers got the last laugh in 2000 when they beat the Knicks in six games only to lost to the Lakers in the Finals. This time these two teams will not only be looking to win this series, but take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Haliburton into the lane off the offensive board from Nembhard and he scoops it up and in.
Brunson gets to the baseline and feeds it to Anunoby for the jam down low.
Bridges to the line after the foul on Haliburton but he misses both FTs.
WE ARE BACK IN NEW YORK FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!
Only one team remaining has an NBA title
Of the four teams that are left in the NBA postseason, just one of the franchises have ever won an NBA Title. That was the Knicks about a half century ago. The Thunder have been to the Finals, and so have the Pacers but the Timberwolves are looking to reach their first Finals in franchise history. Either way history is going to be made by the end of June.
Brunson, in the Garden, in Game 1 of the ECF. You knew he was going to come out swinging and that's exactly what he did. Good news for the Knicks fans at the Garden, he only gets better after the half.
Haliburton started to heat up in that 2nd quarter. He hit a couple of threes and had 10 of his 14 points in the 2nd quarter. He's got 6 assists and 3 rebounds along with his 14 points.
Turner came out of the gate and led the way for the Pacers early on. He had 11 points in the first quarter. He had just 1 point in the second quarter but he's going to get back into a groove after the break.
The new look NBA
We are seeing a changing of the guard in the NBA. This year will mark the seventh year that a seventh different team will with the NBA title. There are no more dynasties anymore. There are no super teams. LeBron and Curry are getting old and that is leaving room for the next generation to take the stage. That’s exactly what Brunson, Haliburton, Edwards and SGA are doing. There guys are the new faces of the league and their teams might be the next powerhouses in the NBA for years to come.
KAT had a big first half and looked aggressive early on. He had 15 points on 5/7 from the field. He needs to keep that up as Turner continues to knock down shots.
Bridges came out and put in work on both ends. He's got 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists to go along with his 2 blocks.
It was Brunson and KAT doing most of the heavy lifting but Robinson came off the bench and injected some energy into MSG.
The Pacers couldn't have imagined a better start to the game. They hit their first nine field goals but the Knicks came out almost just as hot. It's been back and forth since then, and don't expect that to change in the second half.
Season series
These two teams played just three times in the regular season and two of those match ups came in the first month of the campaign. The Knicks won the first one at MSG by a score of 123-98 as Brunson led the way with 26 and 5 assists. Then the Pacers evened up the series at home with a 132-121 win from Indiana thanks to Benedict Mathurin’s 38 point 8 rebound night. The Knicks would win the rubber match in Indiana thanks to a monster 40 point game form KAT who had 40 and 12 rebounds as the Knicks took the season series. History is erased tonight as a new series starts. First to four wins is on to the NBA Finals.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF WITH THE KNICKS UP BY 7!!
Brunson crosses over at the top of the key and floats it up and in from inside the FT line!
McConnell sends Brunson to the line and he hits both FTs. That's 16 for Brunson.
Haliburton with a long rebound from the top of the key and he nails the pull up three ball!
KAT to the line after the foul on Nembhard and he hits both FTs. He's got 15 on the night.
Brunson absorbs the contact as he gets into the lane, hits the runner and gets the foul! FT is good after the foul on Nesmith.
Haliburtons jacks up a three ball and strings it from the wing!
Star watch: Pacers
While Brunson was voted as the most clutch player in the NBA, Tyrese Haliburton was voted by his peers as the most overrated player in the NBA. This playoff run has proven he is anything but that. After carrying his team to a couple of miraculous late game comebacks, His numbers may not wow you, but it’s his efficiency that matters the most. At 18.6 points and 9 assists a game he wasn’t in the MVP conversation but he has been the MVP for the Pacers in the postseason. He had a playoff high 31 points and 8 assists in the close out game against the top team in the East, and he knows when he has to take over games and when to distribute to get his teammates involved.
Haliburton down the lane and he floats it up and in.
Brunson to the line after the foul on Nembhard and he hits both FTs.
Haliburton spins and fades from outside the lane and he gets the roll to go.
Nembhard to the line after the foul on Brunson and he hits one of two FTs.
Hart pumps, penetrates and lays it up over Siakam!
McBride to the line after the foul on Nesmith and he drills both FTs.
Nesmith was left open from downtown and he hits the three ball from the wing.
Nesmith to the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on Payne.
Star watch: Knicks
If you haven’t watched much of the Knicks this year, then shame on you. They are an electric team that can beat you on both ends of the court. They are gritty, physical and talented, especially in crunch time. No one embodies that more than their leader Jalen Brunson. He was named the most clutch player in the NBA and has done nothing but further his case for that player voted award in the playoffs. He doesn’t always have the best starts to games, but this guy is a finisher and that’s what he will be looking to do all series long.
Topin missed a wide open dunk on one end and KAT strokes a three ball in the corner! 13-1 run for NY and the Pacers need a timeout mid way through this second quarter!
Payne with his second three of the quarter, this one from the corner off the side step and the pull up.
Turner to the line after the foul on OG and he hits one of two FTs.
How they got here: Pacers
The Pacers essentially kept their entire core of players from last year together and they showed their improvement from one year to the next. It’s not going to matter if they can’t get farther than they did last year, and that’s exactly what will be on their mind tonight after beating the Bucks in a four vs. five match up. Then they took on the top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round and beat them in five games. It wasn’t as easy as they made it look, and their were a few miracle wins along the way, but here they are just four wins away from the NBA Finals.
Anunoby misses the thre ball but Bridges was fighting down low for the tip in.
Timeout Pacers with 8 to go in the 2nd quarter!
KAT drives hard and lays it up and in before crashing into the bottom of the basket!
Payen with a three ball form the top of the key and that's his first three since Game 1 vs. the Pistons!
Mathurin to the line after the foul on Anunoby and he hits both FTs.
Siakam slashes to the rack and he lays it up and in.
TImeout Knicks with 9:56 to go in the 2nd quarter.
Bridges back into the lane for the floater and he's got 10 points to lead NY.
McConnell with back to back buckets, this one a little floater in the lane.
McConnell taking Payne to the rack and puts it up and over Payne
Anunoby with his first bucket on the step back from the wing from downtown.
Siakam collects the long rebound and finds Mathurin on the baseline for the lay up and the foul on Payne! FT is good
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER!!!
NY end the quarter on a 14-5 run to take the lead against a Pacers team that went 9 for their first 9 from the field.
Hart sent to the line by Bryant and he hits one of two FTs.
Brunson back to the bucket off the screen and he finger rolls it up and in.
McConnell goes coast to coast and lays it up and in off the missed Brunson FT.
Brunson to the line after a foul on Toppin and he hits both FTs.
Brunson hangs it high for Robinson who smashes home the alley oop!
McConnell to the line after the foul on Brunson and he hits one of two FTs.
Bridges back into the paint and he nails the step back at the FT line.
Hart was left open in the corner and Brunson found him for the three ball!
Toppin puts it on the deck and lays it up down the lane.
Robinson drags down another offensive rebound and kicks it out for McBride in the corner for three!
Robinson drags down another offensive rebound and kicks it out for McBride in the corner for three!
Timeout Knicks with 2:57 to go in the 1st quarter!
Nemhard spins in the lane and slips it down for Bryant on the lay up from the baseline.
Bridges diving to the rack and he lays it up and in.
Haliburton hits Turner on the pick and pop and he drills the three ball!
Robinson back on the court and back to banging down low. He misses both FTs on his first trip.
Siakam to the line and hits both FTs after the foul on Hart.
Bridges with a fader in the paint and he's got a couple of buckets early on.
Haliburton with a floater from outside the lane and he drills it.
Brunson backing down on Nembhard and hits the baby hook down low.
Brunson forces his way to the rim and gets the lay up to fall.
Haliburton down the lane and dumps it off to Turner for the slam.
KAT with his second three ball of the night, and finally we get a break in the action!
Timeout Pacers with 7:00 to go in the 1st quarter!
Turner with the FT line jumper and he hits another field goal!
KAT gets into the paint and stretches to the bucket for the lay up.
Siakam breaks behind the defense in transition and smashes home a slam off the full court feed from Haliburton.
Nesmith with the three ball off the dish from Siakam and the Pacers haven't missed a shot!
Hart to the rack and he gets the lay up to fall in traffic.
Turner hits the mid range jumper and the Pacers have come out on fire.
Haliburton slashes down the lane and he hits the runner from right outside the lane.
KAT jacks a three ball from the wing and drills it of the dish from Hart!
Nesmith pulls up and hits the elbow jumper.
Brunson steps back and he drills the mid range jumper to get his first points of this ECF.
Turner banks it in from outside the lane on a jumper.
Hart looks down low with a sweet dime to Bridges who lays i up and in.
Nembhard starts the series off with a three ball from the top of the key!
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM THE GARDEN!!!
Pacers starters
The Pacers are going with their top dogs. Coach Carlisle is going with Haliburton, Nembhard, Nesmith, Siakam and Turner to start Game 1 from the Garden.
Knicks starters
It's the Knicks first time in the ECF in a long time. Coach Tibs knows what works for him and he's not changing up. It's KAT, Hart, Brunson OG and Bridges to start Game 1 from Madison Square Garden.
How they got here: Knicks
The New York Knicks came into this season on the heels of a run to the Conference Semis last year but they were knocked out by the Pacers in a long seven game series. They decided to trade one of their starts and a role player to bring in Karl-Anthony Towns and the trade worked out for both sides. The Knicks went 51-31 in the regular season getting the 3 seed in the East, but faced up against a tough Detroit team in a physical six game series. Then came the defending champion Boston Celtics. NY beat the C’s in the first two games of that series after trailing by 20 points in both game.s They went on to close out the Celtics and put an end to their back to back run in Game 6 from NY, and tonight they looking to take an early lead over the Pacers with revenge from last year on their minds.
We are live from MSG
Hello everyone and welcome to the Mecca of Basketball where the Knicks are somewhere they haven’t been since the turn of the century. Tonight they look to start this series off with a bang after a 25 year drought in the Eastern Conference Finals. They take on a Pacers team that got swept in Conference Finals by the Celtics last year, but Tyrese Haliburton has Indiana brimming with confidence and thinking that this might be the year to get this team back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. It all starts tonight from Madison Square Garden as the Knicks and Pacers battle it out to take an early advantage in this Game 1.
Pacers vs Knicks Game 1
It’s time for the Eastern Conference Finals and it’s been a long time coming for the home team. They have waited for over two decades and tonight they are back on the biggest stage in the East taking on a team who was here last year, but fell short of the NBA Finals. It’s the New York Knicks hosting the Indiana Pacers live from Madison Square Garden and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s series opener from the Big Apple.