Alright, let’s talk about Madison Square Garden. The place has history, sure, it’s seen legends. But Wednesday night? Tyrese Haliburton wasn’t just rattling old ghosts; the man was practically holding a rave for them, and the Knicks were not on the guest list. The Indiana Pacers took Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, 138-135 in overtime, and they did so while turning the Mecca of Basketball into their own personal comedy club. And what role did the Pacers’ supposed “cool-headed assassin” Hali play in game 1?

Firstly, forget just cool because the guy was ice, dropping 31 points and 11 dimes like it was a walk in the park. After hitting what looked like the game-winner following a furious Pacers comeback (they were trailing by 17 points earlier), he flashed the infamous “choke” sign. Miller, a Knicks tormentor of old, was right there on the TNT broadcast to witness it.

The Garden erupted. It was a bold move, but this is Knicks-Pacers. It’s rarely straightforward. Officials reviewed the play: Haliburton’s foot was on the line. Two points. Overtime. The basketball Gods, it seems, enjoy a good plot twist.

“Everybody wanted me to do [the choke sign] last year,” Haliburton deadpanned later, and you could almost hear the smirk. “It’s got to feel right. It felt right at the time. If I had known [the shot] was a two, I would not have done it. I might have wasted it.” Wasted it? Buddy, you just etched yourself into MSG villain lore, right alongside the guy whose hoodie you rocked after booting the Knicks last year. Chef’s kiss!

The Miller connection wasn’t just for show, either.

When pressed, Haliburton admitted to a little something with the OG Knick-slayer. “Yeah, after I finished my postgame interview, we locked eyes and had a little moment,” he let slip. “Pretty hectic on that side… But we communicate pretty often, so it was definitely a special moment. Really cool, he was in the building for that.” A quick glance, a silent nod. That’s the kind of playoff voodoo that keeps this league interesting. But hold on, because the theater of the absurd was just getting warmed up.

Fast forward to the dying gasps of overtime. Pacers clinging to a three-point lead, 0.2 seconds on the clock. Game, right? Even a casual fan knows that’s not enough time for a shot, only a tip. Cue Stan Van Gundy on TNT, who apparently decided to moonlight as Pacers’ offensive coordinator. As a shell-shocked MSG tried to figure out what just hit them, SVG spelled it out on the broadcast:

“You can literally take the ball out of bounds right now if you’re Indiana and hand it to the guy,” he declared (read: clowned). “You can hand it to Karl-Anthony Towns. He can’t shoot it with 0.2. I would just hand Karl-Anthony Towns the ball right here.” Live on national television. And what does Tyrese Haliburton do?

He hands Karl-Anthony Towns the ball. No drama. No last-second prayer. Just a casual, almost bored, toss to a completely flummoxed KAT. Ball game. Pacers win.

Pacers’ playbook: How Indiana stole game 1 (and the Knicks’ soul)

So, how did the Pacers pull off this heist, leaving the Knicks looking like they’d seen a ghost (or several)? It wasn’t just Haliburton’s heroics or a lucky bounce. This was vintage Pacers playoff basketball, which is actually a chaotic masterpiece built on a few key pillars.

First, there’s Aaron Nesmith, who apparently decided Game 1 was his personal coming-out party. The man went supernova in the fourth, draining six threes in the final five minutes of regulation. SIX. While Haliburton was the closer, Nesmith was the flamethrower who burned the Knicks’ lead to the ground. “Each shot that he made,” Haliburton said, “just kept giving us more confidence that we could really win this game.” And he did this while chasing Jalen Brunson all over the court. The audacity!

Then there’s the Pacers’ excellent offense, which is their way of saying “good luck figuring out who’s going to cook you next.” Sure, Nesmith went nuts, but this team shares the ball, moves constantly, and creates opportunities for everyone. It’s a nightmare to defend for 48 minutes, let alone 53. The Knicks, who lean heavily on their starters, looked gassed. That late overtime defensive lapse by Josh Hart, leaving Andrew Nembhard wide open for a crucial layup? Textbook mental fatigue, the kind the Pacers’ relentless style is designed to induce.

And let’s not forget the clutch gene. The Pacers are now a perfect 7-0 in clutch games this postseason. Seven. And. Oh. Scoring an insane 1.6 points per possession in those tight moments. Is it sustainable? Probably not. Do they care? Absolutely not. They needed one miracle in this series, and they got it in Game 1. This is a team that thrives on disrespect and seems to have a “why not us?” attitude tattooed on their collective psyche.

Looking ahead, the Knicks have to be worried. Brunson was spectacular, dropping 43, but it wasn’t enough. They coughed up a 17-point fourth-quarter lead. They got out-hustled and out-thought in key moments, including Coach Carlisle winning two massive challenges in the dying seconds of regulation and overtime. Those are the kinds of plays that swing series.

For the Pacers, the challenge is bottling this lightning. Can Nesmith stay this hot? Can they continue to execute with such insane efficiency in the clutch? They’ve shown they can win ugly, pretty, and downright bizarrely. One thing’s for sure: this series, much like their clash last year, is going to be a dogfight. The Knicks will be looking for revenge, and the Pacers will be looking to prove that this Game 1 stunner wasn’t a fluke. Buckle up.