Charles Smith’s Memorial.
Eight Reggie Miller points in 8.9 seconds.
It just goes up there at the top of the list of Knicks Playoff collapse, aggravated by the fact that they had an additional five minutes and could not do it.
A 17 -point lead in the fourth quarter was wasted.
A promising start in the final of the East conference has become disastrous.
The Pacers stole match 1 by developing 23 points in the last 3:14 of the regulation and surviving the Knicks 138-135 in overtime in front of an amazed garden crowd.
After deciding 20 points deficits in the first two games of their upheaval of the Celtics during the previous round, the Knicks were on the wrong side of an epic collapse themselves on Wednesday evening.
“We have to be ready for match 2,” said coach Tom Thibodeau. “That’s all you can look at. So you take disappointment, transform this in addition to determination.”
The Knicks blew a 14 -point advantage with 2:39 to do, becoming the first team of the era of the game per game (since 1997) to lead a 14 -point eliminatory match with 2:45 to play and lose.
The team record in this position was 994-0. The Knicks are also the first team to deposit a nine points advance in the last minute of an eliminatory match since 1998, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
The first 1,414 teams had prevailed.
“Obviously, it’s difficult, we are all disappointed, but the series is not over after a match,” said Josh Hart.
Aaron Nesmith was unleashed in the section, reaching six points at 3 points in the fourth quarter, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Og Anunoby missed killer’s free throws in the last 14.3 seconds, because the Knicks failed to close the victory.
It seemed that the Pacers had won him in the buzzer on a 3-point Tyrese Haliburton pointer that bounced on the rear rim, bounced directly above the panel and fell.
Indiana celebrated as if he were a match winner, but Haliburton’s toe was at stake, which made the shot to 2 points to send the match in overtime.
“You must be able to count on your defense,” said Thibodeau.
Towns and Jalen Brunson have missed 3 potential match points in the last seconds of extension, and the Knicks are now taking place in an post-season series for the first time this spring.
They scored the first four points of the additional session, but were preceded 13-6 the rest of the path, managing only six points during the 3:11 finals.
“We have not crossed this finish line,” said Hart. “I have the impression that we dropped the gas, the intensity and physically were not there, offensively, we played more slowly, a little stagnant, and it seemed that we were playing so as not to lose.”
Brunson had the chance to push the advance to six in overtime, but his lay-up was blocked by Myles Turner, leading to a pointer to 3 Andrew Nembhard.
In the last five minutes, the Knicks committed four reversals, two of Brunson, who had seven.
“Return it does not help us,” he said.
Brunson scored 43 points and the cities added 35 with 12 rebounds. Mikal Bridges and Anunoby added 16 points each.
Haliburton collected 31 points and 11 assists for the Pacers, and Nesmith collected 22 of his 30 in the fourth quarter.
This game was lost before overtime.
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This ruined what had the creation of a well-being victory.
The Knicks took command – at least they thought – with a 14-0 race at the beginning of the fourth quarter which coincided with Brunson by going to the bench after picking up his fifth fault. The game seemed in hand when it came back.
The Knicks were ahead of 13, and there were five minutes at the chronometer.
It was a 14 -point difference when Brunson sank a pointer at 3, leaving 2:51 to go.
Then the pacers caught fire and the garden was silenced after witnessing one of the worst moments in the history of the franchise of the franchise.
“In the playoffs, when you win, it’s the best thing for all time. When you lose, it’s the worst thing for all time,” said Brunson. “So, the best way to manage everything that is right to stay in the head, make sure we have the other’s back.”
