050824-rickcarlisle.jpg
Getty Images

So-called "revenge games" are a common talking point during the NBA season, but they're usually a bit overblown. With so much going on during the course of heated competition, it's hard to imagine that a player is simultaneously focused on sticking it to his former team. That being said, it certainly seemed like Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin enjoyed throwing down a brash, jaw-dropping between-the-legs dunk against his former New York Knicks during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday.

The 2022 Slam Dunk Contest champion seized the opportunity to flaunt his athleticism in the final minute of the third quarter, when a quick crossover to blow by Knicks forward Josh Hart cleared a pathway for takeoff.

"There was nobody in front of me, so it was just ... get this, get past Josh, and just make the dunk," Toppin said after the game.  

You rarely see any NBA player attempt a dunk with this high a degree of difficulty during any game, let alone during the second half of a pressure-packed conference semifinal matchup against the No. 2 seed. Toppin himself knows how quickly things can go south, as he disastrously missed a similar attempt at Madison Square Garden back in February.

Monday's emphatic slam gave the Pacers a five-point lead, but the excitement was short-lived as the Knicks came back to pick up a 121-117 Game 1 win that was not without controversy. Prior to Wednesday's Game 2, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle criticized Toppin's dunk -- not for the bravado of the attempt itself, but for the celebration afterward, which he believes led to a wide-open 3-pointer from Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo.

"The problem with the play had nothing to do with the dunk," Carlisle said. "There was a, like, three-quarters of a fraction of a second celebration between him and Ben Sheppard, and they go down and get a 3. So you trade a 2 for 3. These are the kinds of things that a young team has to learn from.

"I'm all for celebrating. I think it's important to this generation of player to celebrate successes that happen during the game. But they have to be measured, and there's nothing wrong with celebrating while you're getting to the next task, you know? And that's a 100% honest statement."

Toppin has played well during Indiana's playoff run, finishing with 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and a block in 19 minutes on Monday. His between-the-legs dunk may have solicited eye rolls from basketball traditionalists who preach "a layup counts for the same number of points as a dunk," but Toppin has commented in the past about the positive effect that his spectacular slams have on his teammates and the crowd.

If we know anything about Knicks fans, they certainly haven't forgotten Toppin's Game 1 dunk, and will be all over him throughout Wednesday's Game 2.