The Indiana Pacers' comeback Game 1 win over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night was one for the books. And, arguably the most iconic moment to come out of the game was when Tyrese Haliburton paid homage to Reggie Miller by evoking his famous "choke" celebration.
However, Haliburton brought out the celebration a tad too early. He hit a game-tying, miraculous two-point shot at the end of regulation as he thought the basket was a three-pointer. His foot ended up being on the line and his shot sent the game into overtime.
After the game, which the Pacers won 138-135 in historic fashion, Haliburton admitted to Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter that he was a bit nervous that he wasted using the celebration if the Pacers didn't end up winning in overtime. Luckily for him and the Pacers, the team was able to fulfill the comeback. And, he did it with Miller working the game for TNT on the sidelines.
"I was sick, I was just hoping, I was like 'I gotta make sure I didn't waste the celly,'" Haliburton said in response to his shot being worth just two points. "I knew that that celly would be needed at some point here. And, I was like 'Man, I think I wasted it.' But, we won, so it's pretty cool. And to do it with [Miller] in this building is very special."
"Got to make sure I didn't waste the celly."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 22, 2025
Hali knew they needed to win after he hit the throwback celly 😂 @notthefakeSVP pic.twitter.com/v7eCu79sZb
Haliburton didn't waste the celebration, that's for sure. It was the ultimate choke from the Knicks as they became the first team to lose in the NBA playoffs after leading by nine or more points in the final minute of the game—the previous 1,414 teams were successful.
We'll see if Haliburton gets to pull out the choke celebration again during the series. Game 2 will be played on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tyrese Haliburton Was Relieved He Didn't Waste 'Choke' Celebration During Game 1 Win.
