Knicks vs Pacers: Karl-Anthony Towns sparks Game 3 comeback to keep New York alive
Facing a 20-point deficit and a potential 0-3 hole in the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Knicks rallied behind Karl-Anthony Towns' explosive fourth quarter to defeat the Indiana Pacers 106-100 and stay alive in the series.
In a dramatic turnaround, the New York Knicks battled back from a 20-point deficit in the second quarter to defeat the Indiana Pacers 106-100 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. With the victory, the Knicks avoided falling into an 0-3 series deficit, which is something no team has ever come back from in a best-of-seven series in NBA history.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who sat in the fourth quarter of Game 2, responded with a strong showing in Game 3. He scored 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to go along with eight boards and was 6-of-9 from the field, which included 3-of-4 from three-point range. His scoring and energy played a significant factor in the Knicks' rally at the end of Game 3.
Thibodeau expands bench, Knicks win key matchups late
For one of the very few times all postseason, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau awoke some options off his bench. With foul trouble on his starting group and the pace of the Indiana Pacers, Thibodeau turned to Landry Shamet and Delon Wright to play key minutes during the game. Backup guard Miles McBride did his part too, after some early foul trouble. It turned out to be advantageous for the Knicks who outscored the Pacers' bench 15-4 in the second half.
Josh Hart, who earlier had been benched at tip-off in favor of Mitchell Robinson, played the entire fourth quarter, and was impactful with his own plays. He finished the period with five rebounds (two offensive rebounds) and made all four of his free throws. Hart finished the game with a +16 in plus-minus which was a team-high.
Pacers collapse in second half, role players fall silent
After halftime, Indiana was unable to keep pace, scoring 42 points while not creating one turnover – which was an important part of the Pacers' tempo. Indiana had 16 fastbreak points overall, and 14 of them were in the first half.
Some of Indiana's role players were ineffective. Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard combined for only 17 points on 4-of-17 from the field. Benedict Mathurin was a non-factor in limited minutes. The Pacers were outscored 25-7 in the late stretches of the second, third, and fourth quarters - at a critical time and expense during the six point loss.
