Tyrese Haliburton’s prediction was spot on. The Knicks faltered dramatically on Wednesday night, somehow letting a game slip away that was so securely theirs it should’ve just been gathering dust.
In no conceivable scenario should a competent NBA team, especially one in the Eastern Conference finals, squander a 14-point lead with less than three minutes remaining.
It defies logic and mathematics. The solution is simple: hold onto the ball longer, manage the clock wisely, prioritize defending 3-pointers, make a few free throws. Yet there was Tom Thibodeau’s typically smart and tough team on Wednesday, crumbling under the pressure of their own errors and the efforts of Indiana’s Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith.
In Boston, they say Aaron “friggin’ ” Boone. In New York, if the Knicks lose this series after falling down 1-0, it’s Aaron “friggin’ ” Nesmith.
