The Indiana Pacers just pulled off yet another comeback win in this year's magical postseason run, this time in the form of a 138-135 overtime win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks out at MSG.
Though it goes without saying that such an epic, late-game surge wouldn't have been possible without the heroics of Tyrese Haliburton, who capped off the night as the second player in Pacers history to register a 30-point,10-assist performance in the playoffs, had it not been for Obi Toppin, Indy could very well have come away from the series opener down 0-1.
Obi Toppin played key role in Pacers' late-game comeback vs Knicks
While he may have only played 19 minutes on the night, his presence on the floor proved invaluable for the Pacers, particularly in overtime.
After having clawed their way back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth period, fatigue seemed to be setting in for Indiana during the extra innings.
From enduring easily avoidable turnovers to committing unnecessary fouls, the first few minutes of overtime were truly painful to watch.
Once Toppin was subbed in at the 2:24 mark, however, his fresh legs seemed to make all the difference.
Within mere seconds of entry, the power forward wound up swiping away the ball from a suffocated Jalen Brunson (43 points, 5 assists on 60.0 percent shooting), slowing down New York's creeping up momentum.
A few possessions after that, with the score at 133-132 in favor of New York, Toppin secured a crucial offensive rebound off a Haliburton miss and slammed it home on his former club, giving the Pacers the 134-133 edge.
From there, the score would find itself going back and forth.
Fortunately, with the game on the line with just 15 seconds remaining, the ball landed in the possession of Indiana, where, off a lapse in inbound defensive execution from the Knicks, Toppin set himself free for what would be New York's nail in the coffin, slamming it home and cementing an upset win on opening night.
Since the big man was traded from the Big Apple to the Hoosier State back in 2023, he's found himself playing in several revenge games, even seeing a 20-point performance against them during last year's seven-game semifinal showdown.
However, despite his somewhat underwhelming on-paper stat line of 8 points and 10 rebounds on 44.4 percent shooting, considering he single-handedly provided the Knicks their final blow on the night in front of a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden, Game 1 of the 2025 conference finals should undoubtedly be seen as the most impactful moment against his ex-employer.