Knicks Choke Away Game 1 Of Eastern Conference Finals As Pacers Take OT Thriller

Pacers Outlast Knicks in Overtime to Steal Eastern Conference Finals Game 1

The Indiana Pacers stunned the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, escaping Madison Square Garden with a thrilling 138–135 overtime victory to take a 1-0 series lead. The Knicks led by 14 points with under 3 minutes to go in regulation before their collapse.

Tyrese Haliburton was the hero for Indiana, hitting a clutch shot as time expired in regulation to send it to OT. He finished with 31 points and 11 assists. Arron Nesmith also had a career high night adding 30 points of his own to help the Pacers.

New York was led by Jalen Brunson’s 43 points, which set the Knicks record at eight 40 point playoff games. Karl-Anthony Towns had 35 points of his own, but the Knicks were outscored 27-4 off turnovers while their bench was also outscored 31–17, which proved to be the difference.

Game 2 tips off Friday in New York, where the Knicks will look to regroup and avoid heading to Indiana down 0–2 in the series.

Thunder Look To Defend Home Court vs Timberwolves In Game 2

The Oklahoma City Thunder up 1-0 in the series, will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night after a commanding 114–88 win in Game 1.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a force in the opener, leading the Thunder with 31 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds. He was backed up by strong contributions from Jalen Williams (19 points) and Chet Holmgren (15 points). OKC also flexed its depth and defensive chops, forcing 17 turnovers and holding the Timberwolves to under 35% shooting from the field.

The Timberwolves will need more from their All-Stars if they hope to make a series comeback. Julius Randle led Minnesota with 28 points in Game 1, but Anthony Edwards had a relatively quiet night with 18 points and was visibly frustrated by OKC’s defense.

The Wolves will now face an inspired SGA after he was announced tonight as the 2024-25 NBA MVP. He beat out Nikola Jokic who bested him last year to win his 3rd MVP. As shown in their second round matchup where Shai out performed Jokic in points and assists ultimately getting the series win in Game 7.

Tip-off for Game 2 is set for tomorrow at 5:30 PM PT in Oklahoma City.

Pregame Sports Bar Crawl: Las Vegas Edition

Experience the game like never before with our Pregame Sports pub crawl in Las Vegas! Join fellow fans for exclusive drink specials at some of the city's best sports bars. It's the ultimate way to gear up for game night. Stay tuned for upcoming events and details!