It seems the lip reader might have a lot to analyze.
During the closing moments of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby exchanged some rather intense words on the Knicks’ sidelines.
Anunoby approached Towns after the Pacers had narrowed the Knicks’ lead to just five points, with only 34 seconds left on the clock.
In a moment caught by the TNT broadcast, Anunoby appeared to push through towards Towns before taking a seat, while the heated discussion continued.
Jalen Brunson, sitting next to Anunoby, reached over, playfully hitting his leg to pull him back as he tried to get closer to Towns.
As the passionate dialogue progressed, the Knicks’ captain stood up and appeared to tell Towns to keep it down, perhaps wanting the situation to settle even as it got more animated.
Stay tuned for updates from the Knicks during the 2025 NBA Playoffs
The Pacers erupted for 23 points in the last three minutes of the game, ignited by Aaron Nesmith’s impressive three-point shooting, which seemed to confuse the home crowd.
The drama unfolded after Nesmith hit his fifth three-pointer of the final minutes, pushing the game into overtime.
“We didn’t finish,” Josh Hart commented post-game. “It felt like our intensity dropped. We started taking things slower, and it worked more in their favor.”
This marks a notable moment, as the Knicks became the first team since 1998 to lose a nine-point lead in the game’s closing moments of the playoffs.
Game 2 will take place at 8 PM on Friday, before the series shifts to Indiana for Games 3 and 4 starting Sunday.
