Caitlin Clark establishes Pacers as the 'greatest comeback team' after scintillating 17-pt comeback

Caitlin Clark was just as shocked as the rest of the basketball world after Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith fueled a dramatic Indiana Pacers comeback, erasing a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to stun the New York Knicks 138-135 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday.

Nesmith knocked down six consecutive 3-pointers to chip away at what had been a 15-point Knicks lead with 4:55 left, and Haliburton sent the game to overtime with a miraculous stepback jumper at the buzzer. Though it bounced off the rim and in, it was ruled a 2-pointer.

Even before the Pacers closed out the win in overtime, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was already celebrating her NBA counterparts.

The Pacers have embraced the underdog role throughout the playoffs, upsetting the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round and eliminating the Milwaukee Bucks in the first.

Insane stat shows how Pacers' playoff run embodies clutch DNA

The Indiana Pacers have embraced the role of comeback artists, clawing back from deficits throughout each round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic highlighted a stunning stat: since the 1997-98 season, teams trailing by seven or more in the final minute of regulation or overtime have won just four times in 1,644 games.

Three of those improbable victories belong to the Pacers — and all have come during this postseason run.

In Wednesday’s Game 1, the Knicks led by 17 points with 6:26 remaining after a Karl-Anthony Towns 3-pointer. Aaron Nembhard and Pascal Siakam responded with back-to-back jumpers to spark the rally, setting the stage for Aaron Nesmith’s scoring barrage.

Nesmith hit six consecutive threes to slash the deficit to 123-121 with just 23 seconds to play. After Towns split a pair of free throws, Nesmith calmly knocked down both of his to tie it up.

The Pacers then fouled OG Anunoby with seven seconds left—he made one of two — and Indiana pushed the pace. Tyrese Haliburton buried a step-back jumper to send the game to overtime.

In the extra frame, the Pacers edged the Knicks 13-10 to complete yet another thrilling comeback.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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