Sure thing, let’s dive into this. So, you know how everyone was losing their minds — like, seriously, I heard a dude on the subway ranting to his buddy — about how the Pacers pulled that off against the Knicks? Yeah, that’s the question. I mean, what in the world just happened?
And then there’s this whole other worry. Like, how do the Knicks even bounce back for Game 2? I’m just as stumped as you.
Anyway, Tom Thibodeau, the head coach, was all about rolling with the punches. He’s like, “It’s the playoffs, guys.” And I’m sitting there thinking, “Oh man, easier said than done!”
Can you imagine? Losing when you’ve got a 14-point lead with less than three minutes left? That’s some next-level heartbreak. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were practically unstoppable, with 78 points between them. Gotta give them props for making franchise history, though.
But, like, what even went down in those last minutes? Knicks were on fire with a killer offensive rating at one point. But then Brunson sits out with his fifth foul, and everything kinda crumbles.
Brunson summed it up pretty well: winning feels like the top of the world, losing feels like the total pits. So, Thibodeau says step one is not forgetting. Seriously, relive it, own it, learn — the whole package.
I bet watching that Game 1 film was like that freaky eye scene from “A Clockwork Orange.” No fun, but they had to see where it all went wrong. Defense was the major letdown.
“We scored 135 points,” Thibodeau pointed out, and I’m like, “Yeah, more than enough, right?” Apparently not, since the Pacers scored 31 on their last 13 possessions. No defensive pressure, free throws missed — it was a whole mess.
Josh Hart said they just “let off the gas.” One minute they’re tight, holding Indiana down, and then it’s like they decided to chill with a safe lead. Totally the wrong move against a hungry team like the Pacers.
Defensive breakdowns? Oh boy. Pacers’ Rick Carlisle had a field day taking advantage where it hurt. Brunson and Towns got targeted hard. Those switches were a disaster, leaving Nesmith all the room in the world — like, come on, guys! Miscommunication galore had the Knicks spinning.
And don’t even get me started on that final stretch. It was as if Indiana could do no wrong while New York kept shooting themselves in the foot. Bridges said they just relaxed a bit, which, you know, snowballed into a lot more than “just a bit.”
By overtime, the Pacers were unstoppable, piling on the mistakes by the Knicks. Not getting back in transition, losing focus — when Toppin dunked for the win, it was like, “C’mon, really?”
Hart put it bluntly: they can’t play “not to lose.” They’ve got to handle it differently next time.
Still, there’s a silver lining, right? Despite that chaos, the Knicks showed flashes of brilliance. Brunson dropped 43, breaking records — Bernard King would be proud. Towns cleaned up with a career playoff high, and they were beasts on the boards.
Coach Thibodeau found some positives, and Bridges reminded everyone it’s just one game. Not the end of the world, just a wake-up call. They’ve got a shot to regroup and pick up the pieces.
Guess we’ll see how they adapt come Game 2, but if they keep those good bits and tighten up, New York’s still in the mix. Here’s hoping they bring that fire back with them.
