NEW YORK — It was fitting that overtime would be wild, too.
To cap what was a thrilling game, the Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night, scraping past the New York Knicks in an overtime that saw eight lead changes, 138-135.
The Knicks would get a pair of 3-point looks inside the final seconds of overtime — one from Jalen Brunson and one from Karl-Anthony Towns — but both clanked wide.
The fact that we got here in the first place was improbable. The Pacers erased a 15-point Knicks lead with fewer than five minutes to play on a run marked by seven consecutive made 3s.
All-Star Tyrese Haliburton led all Pacers with 31 points, none bigger than his stepback two at the top of the key that tied the score, sending it into overtime. At first, Haliburton thought it was a 3 and he had won the game, turning toward the Madison Square Garden crowd and making the choke sign.
“Basketball is fun. Winning is fun. I’m so proud of the resilience of this group. … We kept going. Kept fighting,” Haliburton said during a TV interview after the game. “… I thought it was a 3. I tried to hit the celly and it didn’t work. But we finished it in overtime.
“… That’s a hell of a win. But I really do think there’s a lot for us to improve on.”
Shooting guard Aaron Nesmith poured in 30, after scoring 20 in the fourth quarter.
Brunson led New York with 43, while Towns added 35 and 12 rebounds.
Follow along with USA TODAY Sports for all the highlights of Pacers vs. Knicks Game 1 from Madison Square Garden:
Game 1 highlights: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 (OT)
OT: Pacers 138, Knicks 135
End of regulation: Knicks 125, Pacers 125
NEW YORK — The Indiana Pacers, somehow, are still alive in Game 1.
Indiana erased a 15-point Knicks lead late in the fourth quarter and tied the score at 125 on point guard Tyrese Haliburton’s deep stepback to send the game into overtime. The shot initially appeared to be a game-winning 3-pointer, but a quick review revealed that Haliburton stepped on the line.
Pacers shooting guard Aaron Nesmith, who scored 20 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, drained six consecutive 3s late in the fourth quarter to spark a run that kept Indiana close.
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson in foul trouble
NEW YORK — The New York Knicks and their most important player are facing foul trouble.
Early in the fourth quarter, All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, picked up his fifth foul when he swiped down on a layup attempt from Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell, catching all forearm. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau pulled Brunson, who leads New York with 31 points, out of the game quickly to preserve him for later in the game.
The Knicks, at least initially, did not miss him.
Forward OG Anunoby laced a step-back 3 and then put home a tough layup to score five quick points, prompting a Pacers timeout.
The Knicks are up, 99-92.
Pacers pay tribute to Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts owner who died at 65
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay died earlier Wednesday. He was 65. The Pacers were among several to pay tribute to Irsay.
3Q: Knicks 90, Pacers 87
NEW YORK — Things are tightening up in the Garden.
The Pacers outscored the Knicks by four in the third quarter to close their deficit to three heading into the fourth quarter of what has been an entertaining, back-and-forth affair.
The Pacers amped up their defensive physicality and bodied Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, often doubling him in the paint once he got past the first defender. And though there were times when Indiana did appear to frustrate Brunson, he nonetheless remained productive and scored nine points in the quarter to bring his total to a game-high 27.
The Pacers opened the quarter on a 10-6 run, and point guard Tyrese Haliburton continued his stretch of aggressive play, seeking his shot. Through three quarters, he has 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting. The Pacers also did a better job in the third quarter of cleaning up the glass, collecting several offensive rebounds that led to second-chance opportunities.
The Knicks are up, 90-87.
Halftime: Knicks 69, Pacers 62
NEW YORK — The Indiana Pacers could barely miss in the first quarter. The second was a different story — at least initially.
One frame after they shot 73.7% from the floor, the Pacers cooled down considerably. There were airballed 3s, smoked layups and even a wide open dunk attempt by Obi Toppin — a player known to rattle home dunks with power — that he flubbed off the back of the rim. Indiana, which started the game making its first nine shot attempts, followed that up by making just nine of its following 24.
That allowed the Knicks to go on a 13-1 run in the middle of the quarter and build a seven-point lead headed into halftime, 69-62.
New York has not shied from the quick tempo of the game, something that is more of a Pacers’ strength. The Knicks also looked to race out in transition to put up quick shot attempts. Another area where the Knicks are outperforming the Pacers is on the glass, where New York holds a 35-29 advantage.
The Pacers would course correct late in the period to stop the bleeding, as All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton scored the team’s final 10 points.
Jalen Brunson (18 points), Karl-Anthony Towns (15) and Mikal Bridges (12) lead the way for the Knicks.
Celebrities, former Knicks dot MSG crowd
Stars are just like us — They get starstruck too.
TNT commentator Kenny Smith offered fans an inside look into how players feel competing in front of a star-studded crowd, especially in New York’s Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.
‘You cannot glance to the left. You cannot glance to the right. You have to stay focused in, because there’s Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, all the famous rappers that you’ve ever wanted to talk to. They are here tonight,’ Smith said on the ‘Inside the NBA’ pre-game show. ‘When you’re in the Eastern Conference Finals, you have to knock that out and not pay attention to any of that.’ — Cydney Henderson
Q1: Knicks 36, Pacers 34
NEW YORK — The Eastern Conference finals started with a flurry.
The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks flushed shots at a blistering rate in the first quarter, with both teams combining to go 29-of-42 — or 69.0% — from the field. But, with a 13-5 run to close the quarter, the Knicks are taking a two-point lead into the second quarter, 36-34.
Indiana made each of its first nine field goal attempts, and, by the time it had connected on its first seven, all five starters had scored.
The Pacers shot a ridiculous 73.7% from the field in the first, with center Myles Turner, who hit all five of his attempts, leading the way with 11 points.
The Knicks were led by Jalen Brunson (nine points) and Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, both of whom chipped in eight.
What time is Pacers vs. Knicks?
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers tips off Wednesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. ET.
How to watch Pacers vs. Knicks: TV, stream
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Madison Square Garden; New York
TV: TNT
Stream: Max, Sling
Knicks starting lineup for Game 1
Pacers starting lineup for Game 1
Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserved the NBA MVP award
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got off to a great start. He kept playing like an MVP, and Oklahoma City kept winning.
The Thunder finished 68-14 and earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and Gilgeous-Alexander is one of three finalists for MVP after averaging a league-best and career-high 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks and shooting 51.9% from the field, 37.5% on 3-pointers and 89.8% on free throws. No guard attempted more free throws per game (8.8) and he led the league in free throws made per game (7.9).
An All-Star and first-team All-NBA guard who is the best player on the best team deserves the MVP.
That’s Gilgeous-Alexander. Read why Jeff Zillgitt thinks SGA deserved the award here.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins first NBA MVP award
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar guard who led his team to the NBA’s best record, was named the league’s most valuable player during Wednesday’s ‘NBA on TNT Pregame Show.’
Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, is the third Thunder player to win the MVP. Kevin Durant took home the honors in 2014 and Russell Westbrook won it in 2017.
It’s the seventh consecutive season a foreign-born player has won the award, as Gilgeous-Alexander is a native of Canada.
ESPN first reported the news.
Led by Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder won 68 regular-season games, including going 29-1 against the Eastern Conference, winning games by an average of 12.9 points per game and outscoring their opponents by 1,055 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander received 71 first-place votes (worth 10 points) and 29 second-place votes (worth seven points) to win the award with 913 points. Three-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic received the other 29 first-place votes and 71 second-place votes to finish with 787 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished in third (470 points), marking the seventh consecutive year he’s finished in the top four. Jayson Tatum placed fourth (311 points) and Donovan Mitchell rounded out the top five (74 points). ‒ Scooby Axson and Jace Evans
Eight infamous moments from Pacers vs. Knicks rivalry
They didn’t face one another in the NBA playoffs until 1993, but the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers got acquainted really quickly after that.
The two franchises wound up playing six memorable playoff series against one another over an eight-season span, including two-consecutive matchups in the Eastern Conference finals in 1999 and 2000.
A quarter-century later, it’s Knicks vs. Pacers for a spot in the NBA Finals once again. The two teams begin their best-of-seven series with Game 1 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, and it’ll rekindle one of the league’s great rivalries of the 1990s that’s suddenly been given new life with the rise of the Knicks under Jalen Brunson and the Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton the past two seasons. Read Mark Giannotto’s story here.
Keys to Knicks, Pacers winning Eastern Conference finals
In many ways, the Eastern Conference finals is a battle of contrasting styles.
The Indiana Pacers love to speed up the game, while the New York Knicks tend to play deliberately. The series will be determined by the team that dictates its style.
The stakes are high. If the Pacers win the series, they would be making their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2000 and would have a chance to win their first Larry O’Brien trophy. New York, meanwhile, would be making its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, with the chance to win its first title since 1973. Read Lorenzo Reyes’ analysis here.
Players to watch, X-factors in Eastern Conference finals
The marquee matchup is at point guard, where Jalen Brunson of the Knicks and Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers will be counted on to carry their respective teams. Yet, each squad will need so much more to advance, from role players stepping up to coaches making the necessary adjustments. Read Lorenzo Reyes’ five storylines to watch here.
Pacers vs. Knicks predictions: Expert picks for Game 1
USA TODAY Sports experts make predictions ahead of the Eastern Conference finals Game 1:
Pacers vs. Knicks series winner
Jeff Zillgitt: Pacers in six
Lorenzo Reyes: Knicks in seven
Heather Tucker: Knicks in seven
James Williams: Knicks in six
Jordan Mendoza: Knicks in seven
Scooby Axson: Knicks in seven
Cydney Henderson: Knicks in six
Pacers vs. Knicks Game 1 winner
Jeff Zillgitt: Indiana Pacers
Lorenzo Reyes: New York Knicks
Heather Tucker: Indiana Pacers
James Williams: Indiana Pacers
Jordan Mendoza: New York Knicks
Scooby Axson: New York Knicks
Cydney Henderson: New York Knicks
Pacers vs. Knicks odds
Odds via BetMGM as of Monday, May 19
Game 1 odds
Spread: Knicks (-4.5)
Moneyline: Knicks (-185); Pacers (+150)
Over/under: 223.5
Odds to win Eastern Conference final
New York Knicks: -155
Indiana Pacers: +130
Watch Pacers vs. Knicks Game 1
Pacers vs. Knicks Eastern Conference finals schedule
(all times Eastern; * – if necessary)
Indiana leads series 1-0
Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 (OT)
Game 2: Pacers at Knicks | Friday, May 23, 8 p.m. | TNT
Game 3: Knicks at Pacers | Sunday, May 25, 8 p.m. | TNT
Game 4: Knicks at Pacers | Tuesday, May 27, 8 p.m. | TNT
Game 5: Pacers at Knicks | Thursday, May 29, 8 p.m. | TNT *
Game 6: Knicks at Pacers | Saturday, May 31, 8 p.m. | TNT*
Game 7: Pacers at Knicks | Monday, June 2, 8 p.m. | TNT*
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