Tyrese Haliburton channeled Reggie Miller on Wednesday when he hit a huge shot and gave the Madison Square Garden crowd the choke sign. But his toe on the line meant the New York Knicks got new life in overtime.
Haliburton’s playoffs have been full of big shots, and Game 1 was no exception. Trailing by two in the final seconds, Haliburton shook Mikal Bridges, then backpedaled behind the arc to attempt a game-winner, beating the buzzer but stepping on the three-point line. After a wild celebration, the referees confirmed he’d just tied the game, not won it.
The Indiana Pacers would get it done in OT, holding on to win, 138-135. Andrew Nembhard had seven points and an assist, and the Knicks had costly turnovers as the Pacers finished their stunning win.
This team has come back to win two games this postseason where they trailed by seven points in the final minute, and Wednesday night, they almost closed it out in regulation after trailing by eight points with 35 seconds to go. Perhaps more impressive was that the Pacers trailed by 14 points with 2:40 to go, then scored 20 points the rest of the way as Aaron Nesmith made four three-pointers to dismantle New York’s huge lead.
When Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby each missed a free throw, it opened the door for Haliburton’s big shot, and a misguided choke sign.
Reggie Miller gave Knicks fans the choke sign after he scored 39 points in a Game 5 victory. TNT’s Stan Van Gundy, announcing with Miller, clarified that when Miller gave his choke sign, his team had won the game — though the Pacers lost the series in Game 7.
The shot was reminiscent of Kevin Durant’s shot in the Brooklyn Nets’ 2021 series against the Milwaukee Bucks, when his apparent game-winning three was ruled a two-pointer because his toe was just barely touching the three-point line, and you have to be completely behind it. The Bucks would go on to win in overtime, and a month later, win the NBA title.
This time, the Pacers finished off the Knicks in a tight overtime period, stealing home-court advantage to start the Eastern Conference Finals. This will be a memorable game in Pacers history — but only truly legendary if Indiana can win three more games.
