Pacers vs. Knicks and another magical night at Madison Square Garden
Sebastián Martínez Christensen tells us how the memorable game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals was lived.
New York – From the moment I stepped on Madison Square GardenI realized that it was a special day.
There is always a different air in the Mecca of basketball, But the Knicks were back in a Conference end for the first time in 25 yearsand fans were even more lit than usual.
The Indiana Pacers They started the party in red live, Turning its first nine basketsand when they finally failed the first, the fans felt, and the energy was only climbing from there until the final minutes.
It seems a phrase made that some stage is more factor than others, but the reality is that the passion and suffering of the New York fans, At times it seems an extension of the equipment. Sadly for them, they witnessed one of the most unlikely recoveries in history, and passed in a matter of seconds, from the excitement to the unease.
The Knicks came to have a 17 -point advantage in the last quarter, and everything seemed to be dating from Boca.
That feeling never became more evident than after Jalen Brunson He received his fifth personal foul.
There he felt a tense calm, because the Knicks know that they usually suffer without their main star on the court.
However, New York Hilvanó a 14-0 streak and seemed to take control of the party.
Finish finished?
At least that thought the Knicks fans, when they saw their team up 14 points with 2:41 to play. Again, that thought was reinforced when nine points were found up in the last minute of play.
Precisely in the absence of three minutes, I approached my position on the court to make my subsequent reports; I also thought the game was finished.
I crossed with several fans of the Knicks, who already retired from the stadium to beat traffic, shouting “We already have one!”, I don’t want to imagine the surprise they took when they arrived at their home.
Is that neither they nor I told that Aaron Nesmith It will become the reincarnation of Steph Curry in that last quarter.
Neismith spoiled six triples in the last quarter, and did it despite wear endless energy by taking Jalen Brunson of complete court for almost the entire match.
It was curious to see that the Knicks did not try to deny the ball when they realized that he had a hot hand.
Sometimes when you are tired, you don’t think clearly.
The key passed in the prelude, and there is still the key to this series.
Rick Carlisle wants to impose rhythm, because he knows that his rotation is longer, and even if they had lost yesterday, he is convinced that in the long run they have those to win with that style.
Maybe fatigue came earlier than the knicks.
But let’s go back to that end to the heart attack.
It was Jalen Brunson, who deservedly won the Clutch player award of the year, but we continued underestimating Tyrese Haliburton, and it is time for his detractors to wake up.
Last ball, Haliburton was by the jugular. The peak ball in the hoop and stood in the air that seemed an eternity. Against all forecast, he entered clean, and with Reggie Miller on the floor commenting on the gameHaliburton revived his iconic celebration taking his neck.
The drama would not end there, since his foot was on the line, and we went on extra time.
Once again Haliburton was fine in the last five minutes, the defensive physics of the Pacers generated some losses, and Obi Toppin He had a couple of crucial baskets to give Indiana victory.
What followed was a funeral silence when fans retired from the stadium. I think it was hard for them to process what had just happened, and I do not blame them because I am still trying to rationalize it.
The reality is that the Knicks did many things well; They dominated the painting, the second opportunities and their main stars shone.
However, when there is a similar defeat, everything tactical is left sideways.
On Friday the faces are seen again in the Madison Square Garden, and the question now is how the Knicks are going to recover from that Psychological scar.
The truth is that, if New York does not win on Friday, the series is finished; The sense of urgency is now bigger than ever.
Credit for Indiana, which never negotiates intensity, and already has a miraculous recovery history.
And if someone has any questions, I am sure that Knicks fans can illustrate them.
Pacers are a candidate hidden in daylight.
