In the final minute of overtime, an Obi Toppin follow-up dunk and nifty pass from Haliburton to a cutting Andew Nembhard gave the Pacers the spark they needed to withstand two late three-point attempts from New York stars Jalen Brunson (43 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (35 points), which would have tied the game.

Knicks fans were ready to celebrate a certain Game 1 win. Then there was an inexplicable and painful loss as the party turned into a wake.

The Knicks took one of their hardest hits off the floor following Wednesday’s crushing collapse against the Pacers.

The sudden silence among Knicks fans spoke volumes. As the Indiana Pacers celebrated Tyrese Haliburton’s stepback buzzer beater in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, a sellout Madison Square Garden hushed in disbelief.

As we've seen this season and in the playoffs, the Knicks too often require a kick in the behind when they struggle against the top teams.

For as much as the Knicks need to refocus on Friday night’s enormous Game 2, they also have to remember what led to them blowing a 14-point lead in the final 2:39 of regulation to avoid it happening again.

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.