Indiana Pacers: A Tale of Resilience and Collective Effort in Comeback Win
The Indiana Pacers proved once again that they are a team that never gives up, even when the odds are heavily against them. In the Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, the Pacers found themselves down 14 points with 2:51 left in the fourth quarter, but they didn't flinch. The Pacers' resilience has been a staple of their play this season, and it was on full display in this game. They've been the best clutch team in the NBA this season, blitzing opponents by 20.9 points per 100 possessions when the score is within five points in the final five minutes and going 30-14 in "clutch" games. The Pacers' comeback started with a huge performance from Aaron Nesmith, who entered the fourth quarter with 10 points on 3-for-5 shooting and ended it with 30 points on 9-for-12 shooting, drilling six three-pointers in the final five minutes of the fourth alone, including three in the last minute. Nesmith became the first player in NBA history to hit six three-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. "I was just doing what the team needed of me, you know?" Nesmith said after the game. "I was just letting them fly. I was in a good rhythm. Didn't really realize what I was doing in the moment." The Pacers' comeback wasn't just about Nesmith, though. OG Anunoby drilled a pair of huge shots, Miles McBride rotated from the weak side for a monster block of Pascal Siakam at the rim, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart hauled in multiple tough rebounds. It was a collective effort to get the Knicks within striking distance of a 1-0 lead, and it was a collective effort to throw it away. The Knicks had seized control of Game 1 with a 16-1 run after star point guard Jalen Brunson picked up his fifth personal foul less than two minutes into the fourth quarter. But the Pacers never gave up, and they kept coming until the final buzzer sounded. "We played 46 good minutes," said Towns, who scored 35 points on 11-for-17 shooting with 12 rebounds in 39 minutes. "Those two minutes is where we lost the game." The Knicks had bad shots taken early in the clock, lackadaisical transition defense that allowed Nesmith to continually walk into open shots in rhythm, missed free throws and costly turnovers. Every one of them opened the door a bit wider, inviting Indiana to walk through. But when it looked like the Knicks had sealed the deal with a four-point lead early in overtime, Indiana just kept coming. Andrew Nembhard hit a three and a driving layup, Haliburton made a tough take and finish through contact, and Toppin grabbed a huge offensive rebound and putback dunk. Every haymaker answered, every opportunity to continue applying pressure seized, and eventually, the Knicks started to look like a team that had been worn down by Indiana’s sheer relentless intensity.
