Former New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury sent out an eye-opening message over social media after the team's brutal 138-135 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks were doing many things right in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and almost everything went wrong down the stretch. A team that's been so clutch this postseason was up by 14 points with less than three minutes left. Then, Pacers small forward Aaron Nesmith caught fire from three-point range, and the Knicks made several losing plays down the stretch.

After a Tyrese Haliburton miracle two-point shot, the Pacers eventually closed the game out in overtime, with none other than Obi Toppin making several clutch plays. It's the kind of loss the two teams will reflect on if Indiana advances to the Finals. However, New York is still alive and now must regroup for Friday. The ex-Knicks point guard made an honest statement about this result on his Instagram story.

There are a lot of positives the Knicks can take away from this game, and there's a lot to improve

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New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau looks on in the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
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Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) shoots a three point shot against New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) in the fourth quarter during game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Knicks have shown incredible resolve throughout these playoffs. There's a reason this is the first team from the franchise to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. However, one of the frustrations from this group throughout the regular season and, at times, in the playoffs is the dips in intensity and quality New York can experience on both ends. And Indiana is not one of those teams where you can afford these kinds of dips. That said, the Knicks had the Pacers on their heels in the fourth quarter until they didn't.

It was a group effort on Monday night with plenty of blame to go around. One clear thing is that the starting lineup's intensity on defense needs to improve. And if it doesn't change, there must be adjustments regarding who gets significant minutes. Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride were different makers in Game 1, particularly on the defensive end. When Jalen Brunson left the game with foul trouble, the Knicks surprisingly jumped to a double-digit lead, giving Indiana many problems on offense. When Mitch and Miles left the game for the starters to close, the Pacers noticeably gained confidence on offense, and the rest is history. The Knicks are not going to win this series if it's consistently a track meet, that's exactly what Indiana wants.

Overall, there are plenty of positive takeaways for New York from this game. It goes without saying this choke is borderline demoralizing, but we've seen this team rise to the occasion before. It's time to right those wrongs on Friday and going forward. The series has only begun.