NEW YORK — After spending the postseason up to this point coming back from large deficits to win games, the Knicks got a dose of their own medicine in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
After a dominant fourth quarter, it looked as if New York was going to breeze its way to a Game 1 win behind solid defense and dominant rebounding. However, similar to how Boston did against the Knicks, New York played a bit arrogant in the final minutes, shooting bad shots and rushing offense when it wasn’t necessary. The Pacers got hot from 3 and were able to string enough stop together to force overtime behind a Tyrese Haliburton prayer in regulation.
This type of loss can potentially swing a series. New York had a chance to set the tone with a dominant win. Instead, it leaves Game 1 with a broken spirit and the Pacers having all the confidence in the world.
This is probably the worst loss in recent Knicks history. A team that has shown time and time again how resilient it has been was the anthesis of that on Wednesday night. It may cost New York its season if it doesn’t respond well in Game 2.
The good thing for the Knicks is that it doesn’t appear that Indiana has an answer for Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, as both starts dominated for most of the game. The Pacers did trap Brunson late and that caused some issues, but we’ll have to wait until Friday to learn if they feel good enough to deploy that type of coverage for the majority of a contest.
