The New York Knicks choked away Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., on Wednesday night. One brutal statistic illustrates just how big of a collapse it was.
The Knicks were leading 119-105 with 2:51 left in the game, so it seemed like they had it in hand. In fact, teams had gone 0-970 when down by 14 points or more in the final 2:50 of regulation in the playoffs over the last 27 postseasons.
NBA teams were 0-970 when down by 14 or more points in the final 2:50 of regulation in the playoffs over the last 27 postseasons.
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) May 22, 2025
They are now 1-970.
But the Knicks stopped defending Aaron Nesmith, who got hot and proceeded to make five three-pointers plus two free throws. Tyrese Haliburton made a shot to tie things and send it to overtime, where the Pacers went on to win 138-135.
So if that felt like a historic choke job by the Knicks, it’s because it was. That’s right up there with the Falcons blowing a 28-3 lead to the Patriots. Playoff teams don’t blow 14-point leads with under three minutes to go at home … yet the Knicks did it.
Indiana now improbably leads the series 1-0. This sort of victory has become their thing this postseason, as they’ve come back from trailing against opponents multiple times.
Indiana has come back from down 15 or more FOUR times, tied for the most such comebacks in a single postseason in the play-by-play era (since 1997).
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) May 22, 2025
Pacers are 4-2 when they go down by 15 or more this playoffs.
