The Pacers lost in this game by 20 points? The three major defeats were exposed, and the three "sinners" were found

On May 26, 2025, this day that made Pacers fans heartbroken, in the G3 field of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers were shockingly reversed by the Knicks while holding a huge lead of 20 points, and finally lost the game 100-106. The good situation reversed instantly, which also exposed many problems that the team needs to solve urgently.

Failure 1: The core player's performance in a critical moment is one of the key factors in the Pacers' loss. Halliburton, the core team contributed 20 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists in the whole game. The data seemed to be acceptable, but the shooting efficiency was only 7 of 15 shots, and he only scored 7 points in the final quarter. During the Knicks' crazy counterattack, his offensive choices were not reasonable enough, and his finishing ability failed to meet the team's expectations. In addition, Nesmith scored only 8 points in 2 of 8 shots, and only 1 of 3 shots in three-pointers, completely silenced on the offensive end. In the third quarter, he left the field due to a severe sprain of ankle, which caused the Pacers to lose an important barrier to the outside line. The Knicks took this opportunity to continue to narrow the score difference. Even though he forced his comeback in the fourth quarter, his state and movement ability were no longer as good as before, and he could not limit Towns's outbreak.

Failure 2: The defensive loophole was targeted by the Knicks, which is also a major reason for the Pacers' failure. The Knicks used the "Five Donkeys" tactic in the fourth quarter, and the Pacers had no choice but to Towns. Towns scored 20 points and 8 rebounds in the last quarter. Whether it was single defense or auxiliary defense, the Pacers ended in failure, especially for Towns' mid-range jump shot and low-post back-playing, and there was no effective response strategy at all. After Nesmith was injured, the Pacers' outside defense was ineffective, and the Knicks easily scored multiple times through pick-and-roll and empty cuts.

Fault 3: After leading, the lax mentality and tactical execution mistakes made the Pacers lose their advantage. At the end of the third quarter, when the lead reached 20 points, the Pacers' offense stagnated, made continuous mistakes and blacksmiths, and the defensive end was no longer focused. The Knicks seized the opportunity to hit an 11-0 counterattack wave, and the score difference quickly narrowed to single digits. At the critical moment of the final quarter, the team did not continue the previous team basketball style and relied too much on Halliburton's singles, and Halliburton's performance was not stable under high pressure.

The three of them can be called "sinners" in the defeat in this game. First, Nesmith is to blame. His injury and sluggish performance directly led to the Pacers' defensive collapse and insufficient offensive firepower; secondly, as the team leader, Halliburton failed to carry the team at a critical moment, which was also questioned; in addition, the controversy over coach Carlisle's rotation and tactical adjustments is also worthy of reflection. This failure of the

Pacers is the result of the combined action of multiple factors. If they want to get back on track in subsequent games, they must improve their psychological resilience, optimize the depth of the lineup, and improve their ability to handle key balls. Otherwise, their prospects are not optimistic in the fiercely competitive Eastern Conference Finals.