It was a brutal day for New York Knicks fans — especially the die-hards. The Knicks dropped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers, and Stephen A. Smith took it hard. Visibly frustrated, he let loose with a fiery rant on First Take, saying the loss made him feel physically ill.

“I am having a very, very bad morning. Look at my face. I’m not in a very good mood. I was supposed to be orange and blue skies. It was supposed to be orange and blue skies, okay? But as you can see, there’s rain descending upon us. Thunder. Yes, I’m in OKC, but damn it, I’m talking about the New York Knicks,” said Stephen A. Smith as he opened his segment in First Take.

It simply wasn’t a great moment to be a Knicks fan. Smith, like many heartbroken fans, couldn’t wrap his head around how Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the squad squandered a 17-point lead and let the game slip away.

The Pacers stunned Madison Square Garden with a dramatic comeback. Down by 17 in the fourth quarter and still trailing by 14 with just 3:14 left, they erupted for a 23-point blitz — the NBA’s most improbable late-game rally since 1997. Indiana carried that surge into overtime, where they outpaced the Knicks 13-10. The game ended 138-135. New York crumbled. Indiana made history.

Smith even shared a personal moment to capture the Knicks collapse “My assistant Sumatra started clapping and celebrating like the world was ours. She got cocky. The rest of the Knicks sensed it. So did Karl-Anthony Towns. And so did Jalen Brunson. And so did everybody else.”

The Knicks get a taste of their own medicine against the Pacers

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Before Molly Qerim could even ask a question, Stephen A. Smith issued a warning. “And suddenly everything collapsed. And I’m sitting here now. So I’m just warning y’all today. I am not in a very good mood at all. At all. Molly, I’m warning you. This is not the day to mess with me.”

The Knicks found themselves on the receiving end of a collapse similar to the ones they handed the Celtics in the Conference semifinals, where they overcame 20-point gaps twice. This time, Aaron Nesmith took over, pouring in 20 points in the final quarter to lead the Pacers to a stunning turnaround. The loss has left Knicks fans reeling — and Stephen A. Smith is just as frustrated as the rest.

New York unraveled, the Pacers surged ahead, and Stephen A. Smith went off the rails live on air. From clutch buckets to taunting gestures, the night spiraled into total chaos. Just like that, the bright hopes in orange and blue turned gloomy.

The series is still alive, but Indiana’s stunning comeback snatched away home-court advantage. All eyes now shift to Game 2 at Madison Square Garden on Friday at 8 p.m. ET, where the Knicks will be under immense pressure to respond.