Madison Square Garden, May 22, 2025. The air was thick with the kind of anticipation only high-stakes playoff basketball can conjure. For the New York Knicks, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers was more than just a season opener; it was a chapter in a long-standing narrative, a chance to rewrite the script of historical heartbreaks. What unfolded, however, was less a rewrite and more a haunting reenactment, a chilling reminder that some stories, however painful, seem destined to be told again.
The Persistent Whispers of the Past
This particular rivalry carries baggage. Decades ago, the Knicks and Pacers locked horns in legendary playoff battles, often culminating in moments of pure, unadulterated villainy from Indiana`s Reggie Miller. His name became synonymous with New York`s playoff pain, a ghost in the collective memory of the Knicks faithful. And there he was, courtside, a spectral commentator observing the unfolding drama, almost as if summoned by the very air of Madison Square Garden.
For a significant portion of Game 1, it seemed the Knicks were prepared to exorcise these very demons. They built a commanding 14-point lead with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, a margin that, in most competitive sports scenarios, is considered insurmountable. The crowd, a collective entity of nearly 20,000, began to breathe easier, perhaps even contemplating an early exit to avoid the post-game rush. But the spirits of basketball`s past, it appears, are not so easily dismissed.
The Unraveling: A Lead Dissolves
The turning point arrived with the deceptive quietness of a dropped pin, quickly escalating into a thunderous collapse. A defensive lapse by Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, allowing Aaron Nesmith an open look from beyond the arc, was the initial tremor. While seemingly innocuous at the time, Brunson later acknowledged its significance: “Once he hits one, you’ve got to be on high alert.” High alert, indeed. Nesmith proceeded to unleash a barrage, sinking six 3-pointers in the final 4:45 of regulation, each swish eroding the Knicks` lead with devastating precision. The crowd`s cheers morphed into a strained silence, a collective holding of breath that offered no solace.
Reggie Miller, observing from his broadcast perch, couldn`t resist a cool, almost detached observation: “Another 3 by Nesmith,” he stated after one such dagger. “That`s the great equalizer in our game.” A sentiment few understand better than the man who once inflicted similar wounds upon this very franchise.
The Gesture Heard Round the Garden
As if the on-court collapse wasn`t enough, the Pacers delivered a theatrical coup de grâce. Tyrese Haliburton, the young Pacers guard, hit a crucial game-tying shot that bounced agonizingly off the rim before falling in, a cruel twist of fate for New York. But it was his post-shot gesture that truly resonated, a direct callback to Miller`s infamous “choke” sign from the 1994 playoffs. Haliburton, who admitted to watching documentaries of the rivalry “probably 50 times,” had been patiently waiting for the perfect moment to pay homage to the legend and, by extension, twist the knife into the heart of Madison Square Garden.
It was a moment designed not just to win a game, but to send a message, to acknowledge the weight of history and brazenly declare a new chapter. Miller, watching live, saw his legacy invoked by the next generation, a baton passed in the art of inflicting playoff anguish.
The Silent Aftermath and a Glimmer of Irony
The game proceeded into overtime, but for many, the contest was already lost. Haliburton`s game-tying shot had landed like an anvil in the collective stomach of the crowd, rendering further play largely an exercise in indigestion. As Brunson aptly summarized, “In the playoffs, when you win, it`s the best thing ever. When you lose, it`s the worst thing ever.” The worst, undoubtedly, was the prevailing sentiment.
Yet, amidst the heartbreak, there remains a curious historical footnote, a potential silver lining that even Haliburton himself acknowledged. The very 1994 series he referenced, the one where Reggie Miller performed his iconic choke gesture and epic scoring spree, was ultimately won by the New York Knicks in seven games. History, it seems, has a peculiar sense of humor, often repeating itself with variations, and sometimes, with a twist of poetic justice. “I know that [the Pacers] didn’t win the series,” Haliburton remarked. “So I would not like to repeat that.”
This Game 1 loss for the Knicks was more than just a defeat; it was a psychological broadside, a reopening of old wounds. The challenge now lies not just in outplaying the Pacers, but in outrunning the ghosts of their own past. Whether history will be a relentless tormentor or an unexpected source of motivation remains to be seen. The stage is set, the narrative is thick with intrigue, and the Eastern Conference Finals have just begun.
