Pacers Didn't Hear No Bell

The Indiana Pacers have officially stolen game one of the Eastern Conference Finals in New York from the Knicks. In what was one of the most exciting 4th quarter & OT sequences in the NBA in a long while, the New York Knicks...other than Jalen Brunson, looked to be stuck in quicksand as their 14-point lead with 2 minutes to go vanished into a tie. The Indiana Pacers weren’t done, though, as in overtime they continued to blitz the Knicks on offense and defense, finally taking a lead in the final minute and not looking back as they finished this one off 138-135.

This team effort by the Pacers was led by a couple of major players stepping up when needed. First and foremost, we have to highlight Tyrese Haliburton as he looks to take his talents to another level. He showed up when his team needed him the most, not just with the game-tying shot at the buzzer in regulation, but pacing (no pun intended, I swear) his team’s frantic comeback. All 6 of his 4th quarter points came in the last 3 minutes, and his assists contributed to their efforts as well.

Though even with all the momentum heading into overtime, it was the Knicks who came out hot, jumping out to a 4-point lead, easily looking like the squad that rushed out to the big lead in the early 4th quarter again. But a huge swing started with a Myles Turner block (yes, very questionable), leading to a wide-open Andrew Nembhard three. Which takes us to the second player to step up: Nembhard, having to sit most of the 4th quarter in foul trouble, he walked back out for OT cold and with 5 fouls to his name. What did he do? Stayed in the whole overtime to lead the Pacers with 7 points and a key assist on the offensive end.

Here’s the thing, though, I’m more so here to talk about his defense in the end of the OT. Brunson was unstoppable the whole OT for the Knicks. Well, finally with a lead, the Pacers switched Nembhard onto him. What happens next, you ask? A textbook defensive play: getting skinny through the screen and shooting the gap to create a turnover. Guess what, though? He wasn’t done.

The next possession, he stayed right with Brunson again, forcing an off-balance, challenged three-point miss, leading to a scramble and the Knicks' chances of tying down the drain.

YES!! I know...

I am, of course, a HUGE Gonzaga stan, but what Nembhard did in OT was textbook basketball, on offense with his cutting, use of mismatches, and spot shooting, followed by his defense in the end. That is what needs to be shown at clinics around the country now to every youth basketball player. Okay, I’m done, but it had to be said.

As for the series, this went from back-and-forth, to Knicks easy, to again potential for epicness. For the Pacers, stealing one in New York was huge, now taking pressure off them in Game 2, while at the same time putting it all on the Knicks in an early pivotal spot. Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns will need more help in this series down the stretch, as we know from these playoffs that the Pacers just "insist" upon themselves, one could say. Give us 5–6 more like this and we will be very happy campers.