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Is Tyrese Haliburton the reason the Pacers are thriving?

After being voted the NBA’s most ‘overrated’ player, Tyrese Haliburton continues to prove the doubters wrong.

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The New York Knicks avoided falling into a monumental hole against the Indiana Pacers with a come-from-behind win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. 

Now they can take back homecourt advantage. 

A Knicks victory in Tuesday’s Game 4 would even up the series before it heads back to Madison Square Garden. A Pacers win would put them one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000, which was also their first trip to the Finals in franchise history. 

It all adds up to a crucial Game 4. USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest updates, highlights, wild plays, analysis and more throughout the game. Follow along:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Indiana native John Mellencamp was in the house, along with former wrestler Paul Michael Levesque – known as Triple H. Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet were among the Knicks fans who made the trip.

With Tyrese Haliburton getting a breather on the bench, Indiana’s offense has slowed down with turnovers and poor shot selection setting in.

The Knicks have capitalized, sparking a 9-2 run to tie the score at 51, with 7:19 left to play in the first half. The Knicks shot 5-of-6 from the floor with Haliburton on the bench. It’s the fifth tie so far in what has been a back-and-forth first half.

To generate their offense during the run, New York has pushed the ball up the floor and attacked the paint.

Buckets are falling in Indianapolis on both sides, but the speed of Indiana has big a major key in the home team jumping out to a first quarter lead. 

The Pacers got off to a quick start to take a seven-point lead just four minutes in. But New York brought in Josh Hart and the offense suddenly found a rhythm to get back and briefly jump ahead. 

But just as the Knicks found something, Indiana was back to running around the court to re-take the lead. The Pacers closed the quarter on a 12-5 run in the final three minutes.

It’s been the stars showing up for both sides, primarily a near-perfect start from Tyrese Haliburton. He already is on triple-double watch as he has a game-high 15 points – including 3-for-3 from deep – with six assists and five rebounds. Jalen Brunson leads the Knicks with 13 points and three assists.

There was a concern Aaron Nesmith wouldn’t be able to play due to an ankle injury, but he didn’t look like he was hurting. He was back to knocking down 3-point shots and had a big-time dunk to get Gainbridge Fieldhouse rocking. He has eight points and Pascal Siakim has 11.

Through one, the Pacers are holding a 12-2 edge in fastbreak points.

One thing to watch will be how the Knicks deal with Karl-Anthony Towns in foul trouble. He picked up two fouls just four minutes in and sat out the rest of the quarter.

Just two days after he spent much of the first half in foul trouble, Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns picked up his second foul early in the first quarter.

With 7:48 left to play in the period, Towns tried to fight through an Aaron Nesmith screen, and he hooked his arm around Nesmith for what was an easy, obvious call. Unnecessary fouls have been an issue for Towns throughout his career.

Not wanting to repeat the same issues as Game 3, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau pulled Towns, who had scored just 2 points, and inserted Josh Hart into the game.

Both the Knicks and Pacers have started hot coming out of the tip, though the Pacers are playing at their speed and tempo.

Indiana is scooping rebounds and flinging the ball up the floor, looking to get open looks — a stark difference from the way the Pacers ended the second half of Game 3 Sunday. Aaron Nesmith may be slowed a bit by his bum ankle, but he drained a pair of early 3s and Tyrese Haliburton added another to give the Pacers an early 16-9 lead with 8:14 left to play in the first.

Indiana is shooting 5-of-7 (71.4%) from the field.

When is Knicks-Pacers Game 4?Tip-off for Tuesday’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals is set for 8 p.m. ET. Where is Knicks-Pacers Game 4?The Pacers will host the Knicks from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. Where to watch Knicks-Pacers Game 4Knicks at Pacers predictions and picks Scooby Axson: Pacers 108, Knicks 94Jordan Mendoza: Knicks 104, Pacers 101Lorenzo Reyes: Knicks 103, Pacers 101Heather Tucker: Pacers 117, Knicks 110Jeff Zillgitt: Pacers 110, Knicks 95

Our NBA experts at USA TODAY Sports predict the Game 4 winner between the Knicks and Pacers: 

The Knicks have trailed in the fourth quarters in five of their six postseason road victories so far this year.

In three of those, the Knicks have trailed by 20 points, making them the only team since at least the 1997 playoffs to win three road games in which they needed to rally from that many points down.

Overall, the Knicks are 6-1 on the road this postseason, tying a franchise record for most road victories in a single postseason.

So how, exactly, have the Knicks done it?

Their defensive effort and intensity has undoubtedly sharpened in those moments, but, after Sunday night’s victory in Game 3, numerous players like Anunoby, Jalen Brunson and forward Mikal Bridges cited increased communication as another element sparking these runs.

Pacers forward-guard Aaron Nesmith is available for Game 4 of the East finals Tuesday after he sustained a sprained right ankle in Game 3 against the Knicks.

Throughout the day, Nesmith was listed as questionable on the NBA’s official injury report but his status was upgraded to “available” on the 6:30 p.m. ET injury report. Nesmith is averaging 15.1 points and 6.2 rebounds and shooting 53.5% on 3-pointers in the playoffs.

OG AnunobyKarl-Anthony TownsMitchell RobinsonMikal BridgesJalen BrunsonAaron NesmithPascal SiakamMyles TurnerAndrew NembhardTyrese Haliburton

The Indiana Pacers are favorites to defeat the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, according to the BetMGM odds. 

Spread: Pacers (-2.5) Moneyline: Pacers (-140); Knicks (+115) Over/under: 221.5 

BetMGM odds for NBA Finals winner as of Tuesday, May 27: 

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (-375) 2. Indiana Pacers (+550) 3. New York Knicks (+1000) 4. Minnesota Timberwolves (+4000) 

John Haliburton, the father of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, can return to Indiana Pacers home games after being told to stay away from home and road games following an on-court incident with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first round of the NBA playoffs, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.

Read more on the situation from USA TODAY’s Jeff Zillgitt.

Eastern Conference finals 

No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 4 Indiana Pacers (Indiana leads series 2-1) 

Western Conference finals 

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (OKC leads series 3-1) Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 Game 2: Pacers 114, Knicks 109 Game 3: Knicks 106, Pacers 100 Game 4, May 27: Knicks at PacersGame 5, May 29: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m. Game 6, May 31: Knicks at Pacers | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.* Game 7, June 2: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.* Game 1: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 88 Game 2: Thunder 118, Timberwolves 103 Game 3: Timberwolves 143, Thunder 101 Game 4: Thunder 128, Timberwolves 126 Game 5, May 28: Timberwolves at Thunder | ESPN, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 6, May 30: Thunder at Timberwolves | ESPN, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 7, June 1: Timberwolves at Thunder | ESPN, Fubo | 8 p.m.* 

All times Eastern; * ‒ if necessary 

The Knicks and Pacers played six memorable playoff series against one another over an eight-season span, including two consecutive matchups in the Eastern Conference finals in 1999 and 2000. The anticipation for this latest matchup has also triggered nostalgia for those classic battles between Reggie Miller and Patrick Ewing, and how the Knicks and Pacers turned into an NBA playoffs rivalry. Here are some of the best (or infamous) moments from Knicks vs. Pacers playoff series, courtesy of Mark Giannotto. 

The New York Knicks’ historic postseason journey this year has not only reignited the passion of veteran Knicks fans but also attracted a new wave of supporters, uniting them in a shared sense of pride and excitement. 

Among the most enthusiastic supporters is Spike Lee, a longtime leader of the Knicks fan base. 

The film director is often seen in Knicks gear, sporting the standout orange and blue in some fashion, and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a superfan in October 2024. 

Read more about Lee’s fandom. 

This rare and exciting moment has ignited enthusiam for New York Knicks fans everywhere, including Academy Award-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet. 

Chalamet often joins the jubilant Madison Square Garden crowd alongside Spike Lee, a prominent figure on the Knicks’ sidelines. Chalamet’s fervent support for the Knicks, as reported by the New York Times, began during his high school days at LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, when he was a budding actor striving to carve his niche. 

Read more about Chalamet’s fandom. 

Fans tuning in to a New York Knicks game have at some point probably seen actress Mariska Hargitay in the crowd at Madison Square Garden. 

The star of the long-running NBC show “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is a frequent presence along the sideline at MSG, with Knicks star Jalen Brunson calling the actress “my favorite person ever.” What better co-sign could a fan ask for? 

Here’s what to know about Knicks superfan Mariska Hargitay. 

Oklahoma City Thunder guard and league Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were unanimous selections from a panel of 100 global reporters and broadcasters who cover the NBA voted on the squad. View the complete list.