Losing in overtime, where is the Knicks losing in this game? Two major defeats were exposed, and the biggest "sinner" was found

On May 22, 2025, in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals G1, the Knicks fought a fierce competition with the Pacers under the expectant gaze of home fans, but in the end they lost 135-138 overtime, swallowing the bitter fruit of losing the first game of the series. The defeat in this game was not accidental, but the result of the joint action of multiple factors, and head coach Thibodeau's decision-making mistake was pushed to the forefront. As the game entered the final quarter, the Knicks originally held a huge lead of 17 points, and the victory seemed to be within reach. However, the Pacers set off a wave of storms with Nesmith's magical three-pointer and the team's unyielding counterattack. Nesmith was like a ignited super turret, hitting key three-pointers in a row, instantly disrupting the Knicks' rhythm. The Knicks players seemed a little panicked under this wave of offense and failed to stabilize their position in time. In the end, the Pacers dragged the game into overtime, missing the excellent opportunity to resolve the battle at regular time.

Failure 1: Too many mistakes have become a major problem in the Knicks in this game. In the whole game, the Knicks made as many as 15 mistakes, which were like time bombs, and were seized by the Pacers and converted into 27 points, greatly weakening the Knicks' advantage. In contrast, the Pacers did a pretty good job in the protection of the ball, with only 7 turnovers, and the Knicks scored only 4 points using these mistakes. Such a sharp contrast undoubtedly made the Knicks gradually lose balance on the balance of the game.

Failure 2: The weak defense is even more fatal to the Knicks. At the critical moment of the game, the Knicks' defensive system seemed to have loopholes, unable to effectively limit the Pacers' scoring. Especially in overtime, the team's inside defense completely collapsed, allowing the Pacers players to enter an unmanned position in the inside and score easily. This weak defense at critical moments directly led to a reversal of the game situation.

And head coach Thibodeau's decision-making mistake is the biggest sinner for the Knicks to lose. With 13.9 seconds left in regular time, the penalty tactic he adopted not only failed to effectively limit the Pacers' three-pointers, but instead gave the opponent a chance to tie. This decision was widely questioned after the game. As the team's commander, his on-site command and tactical arrangement made serious mistakes at critical moments, which directly affected the final result of the game.

The loss in this game was a heavy blow to the Knicks, but it was also a profound lesson. They need to reexamine the team's problems in tactics, defense and player condition adjustments. Thibodeau must also reflect on his coaching strategy and make timely adjustments, otherwise the Knicks will likely fall into a more passive situation in subsequent games.