Knicks Made Horrible NBA History With Their Stunning Game 1 Collapse

Andy Nesbitt | May 22, 2025

The New York Knicks made the wrong type of history in their Game 1 loss to the Indiana Pacers. / Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

The New York Knicks lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Indiana Pacers in stunning fashion on Wednesday night and made some brutal NBA history in the process.

The Knicks led by 14 points with 2:45 to play in the fourth quarter but then watched it all slip away before losing, 138-135, in overtime. The crowd at Madison Square Garden was ready to celebrate a series-opening win but then had to sadly slink out of the arena in total disbelief over what they had just seen.

Tyrese Haliburton's dramatic buzzer-beater sent the game to overtime, where the Pacers were able to do enough to pull off the historic comeback.

Here's the bad history the Knicks made in the loss: They became the first team to lose a playoff game when leading by 14 or more with 2:45 to play in the fourth quarter. Teams had been a combined 994-0 when leading by 14+ with that much time left.

Knicks led by 14 with 2:45 to play in 4th quarter and now are in OT vs Pacers. Teams leading playoff game by 14+ in final 2:45 of 4th quarter are 994-0 in play by play era (since 1997)

— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) May 22, 2025

And it gets worse: Teams had been 1,414-0 when leading by nine or more points in the final minute of a playoff game. They are now 1,414-1 thanks to what happened to the Knicks.

MAKE THAT 1-1,414 ✍️ pic.twitter.com/YwODlHvCEh

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 22, 2025

Game 2 is Friday night at MSG. It will be interesting to see how the Knicks regroup after such a historic loss.

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