After being down 16 points in the third quarter, the New York Knicks rallied big in the final frame to gut out a 106-100 comeback win in Game 3 and cut the Pacers’ series lead to 2-1.
The game looked all but over in the third quarter, as the Pacers took advantage of Knicks turnovers, quickly turning them into buckets.
But Karl-Anthony Towns took things into his own hands in the fourth, netting 14 of New York’s first 16 points in the frame. He finished the game with 24 points, 20 of which came in the final quarter.
Towns also had 15 rebounds despite he and Jalen Brunson being in foul trouble most of the night. Brunson, who has been a force throughout the Knicks’ playoff run, finished with 23 points.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 20 points and six assists. Myles Turner added 19 points as Indiana dropped to 0-4 all-time playing on the same day the Indianapolis 500 was held.
Andrew Nembhard of Aurora, Ont., had nine points and four rebounds for the Pacers, while teammate Bennedict Mathurin of Montreal had two points and two rebounds.
The Knicks reclaimed the lead at the 8:02 mark in the fourth, doing so for the first time since the 2:29 mark in the first.
It turned into a back-and-forth affair from that point on, with the Knicks eventually getting the last laugh courtesy of some clutch late free throws from Brunson and Josh Hart to ice the game.
The Knicks never led by more than four until the final free throws with 2.6 seconds left.
The result: A massive win for the Knicks, who were looking ahead to a possible 3-0 series deficit — a mark no team in NBA history has ever come back from. Instead, they’ll head to Game 4 with momentum on their side after dropping the first two games at home.
With the win, the Knicks became the first team since at least the 1997-98 season to achieve three 20-point comeback victories over the course of a single playoff run, according to the NBA. They also achieved all three of those wins while on the road.
The two sides will remain in Indianapolis for Game 4, which will take place on Tuesday.
— With files from the Associated Press
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