"Unfathomable choke job" - Duke legend Coach K's biographer slams Knicks after Tyrese Haliburton and Pacers' sensational comeback win

Tyrese Haliburton helped the Indiana Pacers complete a stunning comeback on Wednesday against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Ian O'Connor, the author of the New York Times bestseller "Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski," blasted the Knicks for their late-game collapse in the series opener in his post on X (formerly Twitter).

O'Connor has seen plenty of basketball games in his illustrious sportswriting career, including Reggie Miller's heroics for Indiana against New York in the NBA playoffs before. According to the award-winning author, the Knicks' choke job against Haliburton's Pacers was even worse than that.

"Just an unfathomable Knicks choke job and collapse like I’ve never seen, and I was courtside at MSG for all of Reggie Miller in the Nineties," O'Connor wrote.

Despite the heartbreaking defeat to the Pacers, O'Connor still fancied the Knicks' chances of advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

"I still think the Knicks win this series in seven," O'Connor added.

The Knicks looked like they were on their way to a 1-0 series advantage after building a 119-105 lead against the Pacers with 2:51 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Indiana finished the final quarter on a 20-6 run to send the game into overtime. Haliburton started that run with a 3-pointer before finishing it with a game-tying jumper at the buzzer.

The Pacers completed the comeback in overtime, outscoring the Knicks 13-10 in the extra period to secure the improbable 138-135 victory. Haliburton posted a team-leading double-double with 31 points and 11 assists. Aaron Nesmith sparked the comeback with his red-hot outside shooting. He scored 30 points, shooting 9-for-13 from the field, including 8-for-9 from beyond the arc.

Recapping Tyrese Haliburton's college basketball career at Iowa State

Tyrese Haliburton rose to prominence at Iowa State, playing two seasons with the Cyclones before making the jump to the NBA. He made his college basketball debut in the 2018-19 season, playing 35 games during his freshman year.

Iowa State Cyclones guard Tyrese Haliburton (#22) and head coach Steve Prohm in the second half of the game against the Texas Longhorns at Frank C. Erwin Jr. Center. Photo: Imagn

Tyrese Haliburton averaged 6.8 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals in his first season with Iowa State, helping the Cyclones reach the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Their March Madness campaign was short-lived, though, losing 62-59 to Ohio State in the first round.

Haliburton returned to Iowa State for the 2019-20 campaign, posting career-best numbers in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals before the COVID pandemic cut short his promising season. He soon declared for the 2020 NBA draft, with the Sacramento Kings making him the No. 12 pick.