Just when you thought the Pacers were cooked, they rewrote the script. Down double digits at the Garden, facing the full weight of a Knicks crowd ready to erupt, Tyrese Haliburton & Co. pulled off one of the most absurd playoff comebacks in recent memory. They dropped 39 in the fourth quarter, flipped the script in overtime, and walked out with a 138–135 win in Game 1. And sitting courtside for all of it?

Caitlin Clark, who travelled all the way from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indiana (where she last played), to MSG. Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton have cultivated a notable friendship that resonates throughout Indiana’s basketball community. Their mutual support was evident when Haliburton attended Clark’s WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever, cheering her on from the sidelines. In return, Clark has been a visible presence at Pacers games, including their recent playoff thriller against the Knicks, where she tweeted mid-game: “PACERS ARE THE GREATEST COMEBACK TEAM I’VE EVER SEEN.” 

A wild ending, a national spotlight, and now a new 1-0 lead—this wasn’t just a win. It was a statement. Tyrese Haliburton and the crew didn’t just survive MSG. They snatched its soul in front of everyone… and they did it with Caitlin Clark watching courtside, tweeting like the rest of us: stunned.

No exaggeration. Clark had just played in Indiana and still made the 711-mile trip to Madison Square Garden to show out for Tyrese Haliburton. The Fever star sure knows a banger takeover when she sees one. And Haliburton? He made sure it was worth the mileage.

And well, the Pacers have made a habit of this. They wrapped up the regular season with a 50–32 record, securing the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference—their first 50-win season since 2013–14. Just a few days back, they pulled off a jaw-dropping comeback against the Cavaliers, marking the largest comeback in franchise history and one of the biggest in the league this season. After which, Haliburton said, “We’re different from every other team in the NBA. We don’t have one guy who scores all the points. We defeat teams in a lot of different ways. We move the ball, the ball finds guys making shots, making plays.”

Coach Carlisle added to that: “People look at playoff victories and point to great scoring performances and triple-doubles and stuff like that. Series-defining plays oftentimes are loose-ball effort plays.”

Tyrese Haliburton rises to the moment with Caitlin Clark Courtside in Game 1 vs the Knicks

They’ve been flirting with chaos all year long, and this Game 1 thriller? It was just another entry in their growing resume of late-game wizardry. But this one had a signature moment: Haliburton taking over in crunch time. He finished with 31 points, 11 assists, and 4 rebounds. But it wasn’t just the numbers—it was the timing. With the Pacers trailing by 14 points with under three minutes left, Haliburton ignited a furious rally, capping it with a buzzer-beating jumper to tie the game at 125 and force overtime. Though his foot was on the line, making it a two-pointer, the momentum had shifted.

After a quiet first half where he looked more facilitator than finisher, Haliburton dialed in with poise and precision late. His fourth-quarter leadership and overtime execution flipped the game—and maybe the series. Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner, and Pascal Siakam all chipped in, but Haliburton was the one who steadied the storm and elevated the tempo.

With Caitlin Clark courtside, locked in, it wasn’t just a win—it felt like something bigger. Indiana’s two brightest basketball stars, side by side in New York, commanding attention across the league. Her courtside presence was a reflection of the gravity Tyrese Haliburton’s game is starting to carry.

Meanwhile, the Knicks? They let one slip badly. Despite 43 from Brunson and 35 from Towns, the game got away late. The Garden went from electric to eerily stunned, and now the Pacers head into Game 2 with momentum and receipts.

Clark’s tweet might just become the new rally cry: the Pacers are, in fact, the greatest comeback team she’s ever seen. And Tyrese Haliburton? He’s making sure they live up to that billing.

So here we go. Game 2 is on the way, the stakes are already sky-high, and the Fever–Pacers crossover energy in Indiana is turning into something way bigger than just a basketball story. Game 2 just turned prime time. Only time will tell how this series is going to turn out. But right now, one thing that’s for sure? The plot twists in this story are far from over. Stay locked in. This one’s only getting wilder.