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.

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.

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.

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.

On Wednesday, while trailing the New York Knicks by 14 points with 2:40 remaining in regulation, Indiana mounted an absolutely insane rally thanks to a flurry of Aaron Nesmith triples, an Obi Toppin revenge dunk,

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, things looked like a wrap for the New York Knicks. They went on a fourth-quarter run to take a commanding 17-point lead and led 119-105 with 2:51 remaining.

After three so-so seasons in New York stuck behind since-traded All-Star power forward Julius Randle, he was dealt to Indiana in 2023 for two future second-round picks.