Hart on Knicks' Game 1 collapse: 'We were playing not to lose'

New York Knicks wing Josh Hart says a lack of execution down the stretch allowed the Indiana Pacers to stage an improbable Game 1 comeback.

"Defensively, we let off the gas. The intensity and physicality weren't there," Hart told reporters after the Knicks' 138-135 overtime defeat, including ESPN's Chris Herring. "Offensively, we were playing slower and more stagnant. It looked like we were playing not to lose."

New York led Indiana by as many as 17 points, including a 14-point advantage with 2:51 to go and a nine-point edge with 58 seconds remaining in regulation.

But a flurry of threes from Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, a late turnover from Jalen Brunson, and a missed free throw from OG Anunoby paved the way for Tyrese Haliburton's game-tying basket at the buzzer.

The Knicks appeared to right the ship in overtime when they scored the first four points, yet they squandered another opportunity to close out the visiting side.

Indiana now has three seven-point comeback wins in the final minute this postseason.

"There's a lot of things we did good, and we put ourselves in position to win," said Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns. "We played 46 good minutes. Those two minutes (are) where we lost the game, and that's on all of us."

The Knicks hope to avoid going down 0-2 when the Eastern Conference finals resume Friday at 8 p.m. ET.