The Agony of Knicks 'What If' Playoff Moments

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As the end of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals drew nearer, there was a sense of finality for the Knicks. This run, that started with hopes of a decent showing in the second round that turned into the best season of the last quarter century, was over. For the second year in a row, this team watched helplessly as Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers bested them—this time for a trip to the NBA Finals.

Last season it was the injuries to the roster that foiled the Knicks. But this year, they were fully healthy and lost this series on the margins—turnovers, fast break points, and shooting luck all played a part in a prolonged Finals drought. Every series has an inflection point, a moment where the writing was on the wall. For a lot of playoff matchups, this usually happens after a few games when teams have had a chance to feel each other out.

For this series, the Knicks need to look no further than Game 1 when they blew a 17-point lead with six minutes left in the fourth quarter. That collapse led to an overtime period where the Knicks faltered, Indiana triumphed, and the series was forever defined. In hindsight, that game has now transformed into a “what if” moment for this franchise and its fans, another chapter in a book that has no shortage of them.

The Agony of Proximity

As Knicks fans, we are no strangers to soul crushing losses and disappointments. To be a fan of this basketball team is to be well learned in the art of the letdown. There have been missed shots, suspensions, and various moments of coming up short. Before considering what made Game 1 one of these moments, let’s (painfully) revisit some of the other instances of this tragic comedy.

John Starks was a frequent sight courtside at Madison Square Garden this postseason during home games. He is revered by many Knicks fans in their late 30s and older for maximizing his opportunity in the NBA, but he is also known for another what-if thought exercise. Had he shot better in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals, it is likely that the Knicks may have won the title that year.

In a game that the Knicks lost by six, Starks shot a terrible 2/18 from the field, leading to a prolonging of the championship drought. That moment is the most direct correlation to missing out on winning a championship because of a failure of execution on the court. In the previous year, there is another moment that fans wish they had back: the “Charles Smith Game.”

This is another moment that has been characterized by ineptitude, with forward Charles Smith missing four consecutive layup attempts in the final seconds of Game 5 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the Bulls. What is often forgotten about that series is that the Knicks had a 2-0 series lead they squandered, and the team missed 15 free throws before losing the game 97-94. If Smith makes one of those layups, or if the team is more efficient from the line, the way we remember those Knicks and Jordan’s Bulls may be different.

There have been other moments in the history of this franchise. There were the suspensions to the Knicks’ core players for a brawl against Miami in the 1997 playoffs that led to another disappointing end to a season. Then there was the Roy Hibbert block of Carmelo Anthony in 2013 that spurred a 11-2 Pacers run that resulted in the Pacers advancing to the Conference Finals.

To be placed in the same breath as these moments, there must be a certain level of letdown and disappointment. It can be argued Game 1 against the Pacers had both of those, and the ripple effects may be felt moving forward.

A Most Consequential Series of Events

Returning to the Conference Finals for the Knicks was a huge deal, and no amount of national media ridicule about prematurely celebrating a second-round victory changes that fact. It had been 25 years since the last appearance, and that meant that Game 1 held some weight to it.

The game was back and forth through three quarters, but in the fourth it seemed like the prophecy may be fulfilled. The Knicks were making shots, going on runs, and took a commanding lead late. Then three things happened: Aaron Nesmith shot making, a fortuitous bounce for Tyrese Haliburton, and a goaltending call that never came.

With 4:45 left in the fourth, the Pacers were down 15 points and then Aaron Nesmith caught fire. In those final minutes, Nesmith made six three pointers. The Pacers continued to find him open looks coming off screens. If he misses one or two of these, then the Knicks would have likely won Game 1.

Those threes led to the second what if moment of this game, the Tyrese Haliburton shot that sent the game into overtime. Down by two, Haliburton darted up the court and drove into the lane. He then backpedaled for a step back that he thought was a three, but his foot was on the line. The shot hit the back rim and bounced vertically towards the apex of the shot clock to then drop in, tying the game and sending it into overtime.

That shot was a legacy builder for Haliburton, and allowed him to make the infamous Reggie Miller choke gesture. Had that shot moved an inch or two away on the bounce then the Knicks win the game and change the complexion of the series.

The last moment was in the overtime period as Jalen Brunson drove to the basket with three minutes remaining in the extra period. His layup was blocked by Myles Turner, but there should have been a goaltending call that was never made. If it was, then the Knicks would have had a six-point lead, likely impacting the way Indiana attacked on offense. It is yet another moment where the balance of the game may have shifted.

The culmination of these moments led to an Indiana win, which allowed them to steal home court. Because of the way that the Knicks lost that first game, they were understandably shell shocked. Game 2 felt like they were going through the motions because of the outcome of the previous affair. That meant that there was a 2-0 deficit and the loss of home court advantage to overcome.

The lack of execution when it mattered in Game 1 completely shifted the tone of the series. Indiana made plays when it counted and the Knicks didn’t and as a result, they were denied a Finals appearance for the first time since 1999. The Haliburton shot and the Nesmith barrage specifically will be remembered as a moment when the goal was so close and yet so far away.

If they win Game 1 is there any guarantee that they would have won the series? No. But at the very least we may have been looking at a Game 7 at MSG, where anything could happen. It’s a moment that also likely helped to contribute to the recent dismissal of head coach Tom Thibodeau, closing the door on him finally delivering a championship as a head coach. Instead, the Knicks now seem to have more questions than answers.

Basketball is a game of moments, and the Knicks experienced three of them that went the wrong way in a short span of time. Sadly, the Knicks falling when they are so close to the top of the mountain is nothing new for longtime fans of this team.

In a weird way, this was the moment that this younger generation of Knicks fans will cling to when they think about being so close to the pinnacle. It’s another instance of agony that can come with being a fan of this team, and we can only hope that one day all the heartbreak will have an eventual payoff.

ICYMI