NBA: A night that gave us one of the most incredible comebacks in history—and new MVP

The Indiana Pacers pulled off a huge overtime victory over the New York Knicks (138–135), stealing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals and taking a 1-0 lead in the series—putting them one step closer to the NBA Finals.

It was an incredible game that saw Indiana make history. The Pacers were down by 14 points with just 2:50 left on the clock, but managed to erase the deficit and force overtime, where they outplayed the Knicks and secured a well-deserved win.

One remarkable stat: before this game, teams trailing by 14 with three minutes to go had a combined record of 0–970. No one had ever come back from such a situation—until tonight. After this game between Indiana and New York, that record now stands at 1–970. The Pacers proved that anything is possible. They never gave up until the final buzzer, and this victory is a reward for that mindset.

This isn’t the first time the Pacers have fought back from the brink. In this very postseason, they overcame a seven-point deficit in the final minute against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 and pulled off a similar comeback in Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tonight, they erased a nine-point gap in just 60 seconds—an impressive feat and proof that you should never stop believing.

The game isn’t over until Indiana says it is.

Last night also brought the announcement of the NBA regular season MVP. According to reliable insider Shams Charania, that honor goes to Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The best player on the league’s top team has earned his first MVP award, finishing ahead of Serbian center Nikola Jokic and Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in the voting.

The Canadian point guard led the league in scoring this season, averaging 32.7 points per game. He shot an impressive 51.9% from the field, including 57.1% on two-pointers and 37.5% from beyond the arc, while also hitting 89.8% of his free throws. Gilgeous-Alexander added 5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1 block per game, missing only six games all season.

An outstanding campaign, now capped off with the MVP trophy.

NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference finals

Knicks - Pacers 135 - 138 (AET)