It wasn't that long ago when some New York Knicks fans wanted Obi Toppin to play over Julius Randle. When it came time for Toppin to sign an extension, one never came. Instead, the front office traded him to the Pacers for two second-round picks in 2023, leaving fans questioning why New York received "so little" in return.
Knicks fans valued Toppin more than his actual trade value. The beginning of his career in New York lined up with Julius Randle's breakout season. Toppin started in only 15 of the 201 games he played with the Knicks, never blossoming into the player fans hoped he'd be when the team drafted him No. 8 overall in 2020. Many blame Tom Thibodeau for that.
Toppin got the first laugh over New York when the Pacers beat the Knicks in the second round of the 2024 playoffs, his first full season in Indiana. The stars aligned for New York and Indiana to meet again in the 2025 postseason, but this time, in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Game 1 is one that Knicks fans desperately wish they could erase from their minds, but one they could be haunted by forever, especially if the Pacers advance to the NBA Finals. Aaron Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton led the charge for Indiana, but Toppin made several key plays down the stretch.
Obi Toppin redeems himself in Pacers' comeback win over Knicks
Toppin subbed in for Myles Turner with 2:24 left in overtime, with the Knicks up, 129-128. He got an offensive rebound off a missed Tyrese Haliburton three-pointer with 56.1 seconds left and went up for the dunk to give the Pacers the 133-132 lead. After Indiana's successful challenge with 20 seconds left, Toppin iced the game with another dunk, increasing the Pacers' lead to three, 138-135.
He redeemed himself for his wide-open missed dunk in the second quarter, which would've haunted him if Indiana had lost. Toppin got the last laugh.
He finished the game with eight points (4-of-9 from the field), 10 rebounds, and one steal in 20 minutes. As if the loss wasn't bad enough, watching Toppin celebrate the win with the Pacers on the court in his city against the team that drafted him stung.
The loss felt like the end of the world. It's the next morning, and the doom has expanded. The Knicks let a win slip through their fingers in the worst possible way. It felt like it happened at the worst possible time, too. The best way New York can put the loss in the rearview for fans is by taking care of business in Game 2, not allowing Toppin and Indiana to put on another show.