Reliving All The Glory Of The Pacers Impossible Game 1 Comeback Victory Against The Knicks
I'm still not over Game 1. Hicks vs Knicks. The Garden. The impossible comeback. The rivalry has returned. We've got a few more hours to enjoy this win before we've got to be completely locked in for Game 2. I'm sifting through the internet looking for moments and interesting bits to toss into this blog, but I'm having a hard time narrowing it all down. I wish I could simply make everyone consume the an entire internets worth of every little piece of Pacers content Clock Work Orange Style, but that's not feasible possible. As much as I'd love to strap everyone into a chair, pry your eyes open, and change your brain chemistry to feel the way I feel about this team. Because a lot of people still do not see the light that is the Indiana Pacers.
The disrespect comes at the Indiana Pacers from all angles, it shouldn't shock me anymore, but I found this clip before game 1 to be hilarious. After dealing with a stacked Boston team, some people thought Indy would be light work. Why should anyone be worried about Aaron Nesmith? The guy the Celtics fans joked was a paper clip and piece of string when Boston dealt him to Indy for Malcom Brogdon.
*Spoiler Alert* Aaron Nesmith was a MASSIVE problem. Also, for those new to the Pacers - it's pronounced KNEE-SMITH, not NAY-smith. Get the name right, people will be talking about this guy even more in the future. While the talking heads may not have watched Pacers ball all season, I said on Picks Central before Game 1 to watch for Aaron Nesmith, if he shows up, the Pacers will win. I never could have predicted he'd have a legacy performance in 5 minutes, but close enough. I've been on the Nesmith hype train since it got to the station.
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Nesmith might have done most of the heavy lifting, but Haliburton had the moment that will last forever in this rivalry. If you think Haliburton hitting the choke sign WITH REGGIE IN ATTENDANCE is corny, you are lame. Not paying tribute to that moment during an impossible comeback on a "game winner" would be a MASSIVE let down for the rivalry. Sucks Hali's toe was on the line and only sent it to overtime, and holy shit would the internet have torched Haliburton if the Pacers didn't pull out the W, BUT that was a great moment after having a clenched butthole the entire OT.
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Most fans have been Mandela Effected by the Reggie Choke Game into thinking the Pacers won that series, but with Knicks fans turning the copium drip to full blast, it's now fresh in everyone's minds that the Knicks won the choke series. 30 years from now who knows what will be remembered from this series, but I promise the Hali moon bounce basket with the choke will still be etched into everyone's brains after being played in highlight reels every time these teams play until the end of time.
Not a single vote for clutch player of the year went to Haliburton, despite Hali being NAILS in the regular season. Brunson won, deservedly so, but you'd think SOMEONE would throw even a single 3rd place vote Hali's way. Hopefully this post season helped put him on everyone's radar, because he's definitely proved it with the whole world watching. More proof no one even watches Indiana besides Indiana fans.
It's now been THREE odds defying comebacks for the Pacers in this single post season run. MAYBE the masses will start to believe this Indiana team is legit, but I know Indiana fans have been believing.
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These memories and moments during the run are what you remember for the rest of your life. I understand it's a single game in a 7 game series, but the moments in sports that have you too excited to sleep are few and far between. You've got to enjoy everything along the way, that's why I've got no problem with Knicks fans crowding the streets outside of MSG. Sports are supposed to be fun, but 99% of the time they are pure misery and heartbreak. Game 1 was fun, I'm not ready for this run to end. BEAT THE KNICKS.