The Knicks were on the brink of a third-straight playoff defeat, especially as star Jalen Brunson had fouled out after three quarters and was stuck to the bench. The Manhattan club depended on Karl-Anthony Towns, and he proved himself by scoring 20 of his 24 points in last night’s fourth quarter.
This incredible display inspired yet another comeback from New York this postseason, and is their third one yet while earning a 20-point deficit. Sunday’s 106-100 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals also meant their third-consecutive on the road.
“It’s a true test when you’re down 20-plus,” KAT said postgame after grabbing 15 rebounds against Indiana, who still lead the series 2-1. “Tonight was the kind of night where he had to have that never-say-die attitude.”
“They put me in great spots to succeed, and I just wanted to capitalize on the opportunity,” Towns insisted. “All of us are just trying to do whatever it takes to win, get ourselves back in the game. We wanted to put ourselves in a position to where at the end of the game we found ourselves with a chance of winning.
Brunson, who spent most of the final quarter on the bench, praised his squad’s resilience. “We’re built on a great team, great chemistry, great togetherness,” he assured. “It’s tough watching from the sidelines but I have the upmost confidence in [my teammates].”
On the other side of the floor, Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 20 points and 6 assists. His teammate Myles Turner contributed with 19 points as his team dropped to 0-4 all-time when playing on the same day in which the Indianapolis 500 takes place, with two of those defeats against the Knicks.
The losing team, who also know a thing or two about rallying back from deficits in this series, still decided to play Aaron Nesmith in the fourth quarter despite him suffering from a sprained right ankle. His coach still isn’t convinced their top defender will be able to compete on Monday’s Game 4.
“Regardless of who’s out there, we’ve got to be able to attack better and do the things to maintain it and finish the game,” Rick Carlisle told the press after last night’s defeat. “We just simply did not execute as well as we needed to.”
