Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle insisted he would not get too excited about his team's stunning Game 1 victory over the New York Knicks. 

The Pacers trailed the Knicks by 14 points with just under three minutes remaining before producing a fine comeback, spearheaded by Tyrese Haliburton. 

Haliburton's sensational shot levelled the contest, before Indiana rallied to earn a 138-135 victory in overtime to stun the Knicks fans inside Madison Square Garden.

Indeed, teams that trailed by nine or more points in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime in the playoffs were 0-1,414 since 1998. 

Indiana pulled off the win despite 43 points from Jalen Brunson and 35 from Karl-Anthony Towns, though Carlisle said their series was far from over.

"It's a long series," Carlisle said. "We're not going to get too excited about this. We've got things to clean up. They got things to clean up. Game 2 is going to be another war."

what a game. pic.twitter.com/LAueRFo0nm

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 22, 2025

Haliburton, who finished the game with 31 points and 11 assists, said he knew his jump shot at the end of regulation time was going in.

"I felt like it got stuck up there though," Haliburton said. "But it felt good when it left my hand."

Aaron Nesmith finished with 30 points, going 8-for-9 on 3-pointers, including six 3s in the fourth quarter to match an NBA record in a playoff quarter.

Along with Haliburton, the pair became the third Pacers duo to score 30 each in a playoff game.

Indiana have already made three comebacks during the postseason when trailing by three possessions with less than a minute to go.

Only the Oklahoma City Thunder back in 2014 have ever done that before this season in NBA history, though Haliburton did not want to make a habit of leaving it late. 

"Well, I would like to not keep being in this situation," Haliburton said. "But we're just a group that has spent a lot of time with each other.

"I think that just gives us all confidence in each other. I've seen people joke about us. We're like a college team with how close we are and how we've been together.

"We're all super young. But man, it's special. I love playing with these guys."