Madison Square Garden was electric. Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks were cruising, holding a 14-point lead with under three minutes to play. The game looked all but wrapped up.
But then, in stunning fashion, the Indiana Pacers flipped the script—pulling off one of the most improbable comebacks in recent memory and handing the Knicks a heartbreaking 138–135 overtime loss.
After the game, Brunson didn’t hold back in expressing his frustration.
Jalen Brunson Demands Bounce Back From Knicks
After the final buzzer, the locker room wasn’t full of excuses. No talk about missed calls or what the Pacers did right. Just a room full of guys owning the collapse.
And leading that charge was Brunson. “Obviously, it’s not a good feeling,” Brunson said postgame. “A lot of basketball left to be played. We can’t sulk. We just gotta get better.”
"A lot of basketball left. We can't sulk. We just gotta get better"
–– Jalen Brunson. Knicks down 0-1 to Pacers pic.twitter.com/HD3ns8UhoZ
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork)
The Knicks aren’t strangers to adversity—they’ve experienced four postseason losses followed by immediate bounce-back wins. However, surrendering a 14-point lead in this manner certainly stings, and now they face the challenge of mounting another resilient comeback.
Brunson was exceptional, finishing with 43 points, 5 assists, and 1 rebound. While Indiana’s long-range defense limited his three-point shooting to 1-for-6, he was nearly unstoppable inside the arc with floaters, post-ups, and mid-range shots. He skillfully navigated through the defensive assignments of Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, and Bennedict Mathurin.
Even though Brunson delivered a standout performance, the rest of the roster wasn’t quite there this time around.
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Knicks’ Collapse Overshadows Brunson’s Masterclass
The Pacers looked down and out. Even Haliburton seemed surprised by the sudden momentum shift. But in the final minutes, New York unraveled—costly decisions, slow rotations, and missed assignments added up. The kind of details that matter most in crunch time didn’t go the Knicks’ way.
To be fair, Indiana didn’t shut New York down. In fact, this was arguably the Pacers’ weakest defensive performance of the postseason. Brunson got what he wanted offensively, and Indiana knows it. They tried a few double-teams, but nothing really stuck. Heading into Game 2, their best hope might simply be that he cools off.
Still, none of it matters if the Knicks can’t close. They’ve shown all season that they can bounce back—and they still have control of their path forward. This one will sting, no doubt, but the playoffs are built for quick turnarounds. Game 2 is just around the corner.
And if Brunson’s postgame remarks are any indication, this team isn’t backing down. Expect them to regroup—and respond. Because if they don’t, Haliburton and the Pacers have already proven they’re ready to take full advantage.