Halliburton’s buzzer dagger silences the Garden as Pacers steal Game 1 in shocking fashion

This one will sting for a while. The kind of playoff loss that doesn’t just sit with a team—it haunts it. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals was supposed to be a statement for the Knicks. Instead, it turned into a collapse for the ages and an all-time steal by the Indiana Pacers, capped by Tyrese Haliburton’s gut-punch of a buzzer-beater and a little added salt with a ‘choke’ sign to the stunned Garden crowd. Final score: 138-135 in overtime. But the way it ended is what no one will forget.

The Knicks led 108-92 with 7:24 left in the fourth. They were in full control. Even at the 2:51 mark, they held a 119-105 lead. The game felt sealed. They had the Pacers where they wanted them. All they had to do was close the door.

But then the storm hit. Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith drilled back-to-back threes to make it 119-111. Still manageable. Then Nesmith caught fire again—twice—around two baskets from Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The lead trimmed down, the crowd got tense, and with 34 seconds left, the Knicks called timeout trying to steady things.

Then came the chaos. A hard foul called on OG Anunoby was overturned after a challenge from Rick Carlisle. On the very next possession, Haliburton found Nesmith—who had transformed into a flamethrower—again. Bang. Another three. 22.1 seconds on the clock. The lead was down to two.

The game moved to the line. Towns and Anunoby each went just 1-for-2, and Nesmith calmly hit both of his attempts. That opened the door—just enough—for one final play.

With 7 seconds left, Haliburton brought the ball upcourt. He dribbled into a long step-back jumper, launched it just before the horn, and the Garden watched in horror as it clanged off the front of the rim… shot straight up… and dropped through the net. He turned, calmly placed his hands on his neck, and gave New York the “choke” sign. A silencer. A statement. The building went dead.

“We didn’t close the game out. I feel like our intensity dropped. We started playing slower, playing more into their hands.”

– Josh Hart

Overtime came, and briefly, the Knicks looked like they might recover. They scored the first four points. But they had already emptied the emotional tank. The Pacers outscored them 13-10 in the extra frame to steal Game 1 in shocking fashion.

It’s a loss that will be hard to digest—because the numbers say they should have won. Jalen Brunson was masterful again with 43 points. Towns added 35 points and a stunning 12 assists. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby chipped in 16 apiece. They had the firepower. They had the lead. They had the moment.

But Indiana had belief. Haliburton led them with 31 points and the shot of the night. Nesmith was on another planet, scoring 30 points and hitting 8-of-9 from three. Pascal Siakam added 17, but this was all about the backcourt magic.

For the Knicks, this was a missed opportunity of devastating proportions. Up 16 in the fourth. Up 14 with less than three minutes. At home. Game 1.

Now, the series continues Friday night at Madison Square Garden, but the pressure is squarely on New York. A chance to take control turned into a nightmare finish. The Pacers didn’t just steal a game—they hijacked the script.