INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 Hold off on those obituaries. The Knicks suddenly have a pulse.<\/p>\n
After another playoff shocker, they have life in the Eastern Conference finals.<\/p>\n
Looking ready for their funeral for most of the first half, they somehow rallied from a 20-point deficit for the third time in this wild and unpredictable postseason.<\/p>\n
Karl-Anthony Towns led a frantic fourth-quarter rally and Jalen Brunson, on the bench much of the second half with foul trouble, sank the game-winning basket in the Knicks\u2019 pulsating 106-100 Game 3 victory at a stunned Gainbridge Fieldhouse.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this team has shown greatness all year,\u201d Towns said. \u201cThe Detroit series. The Boston series. Tonight we got to show that never-say-quit attitude. It\u2019s a testament to everyone in the locker room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after hitting a 3-pointer during the Knicks\u2019 Game 3 win against the Pacers on May 25. Charles Wenzelberg<\/p>\n
Towns scored 20 points in the final quarter and Brunson hit a floater in the lane with 1:17 left that snapped a 98-all tie. Both stars shook off their own personal struggles over the first three quarters. <\/p>\n
Josh Hart, coming off the bench for the first time this season, and Brunson made six clutch free throws in the final 19.6 seconds as the Knicks cut the deficit in the series to 2-1 and improved to 6-1 on the road in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Game 4 is Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
Coach Tom Thibodeau switched up his starting lineup<\/a>, replacing Hart with Mitchell Robinson, but it didn\u2019t really have an impact on the game. <\/p>\n It was the Knicks defending in the second half like they hadn\u2019t the entire series and Towns coming alive when he was needed most, scoring 15 points in the first 3:58 of the fourth quarter, that flipped the game. <\/p>\n Karl-Anthony Towns took over for the Knicks in their Game 3 win May 25. Charles Wenzelberg \/ New York Post<\/p>\n Mikal Bridges attempts a shot during the Knicks\u2019 Game 3 win against the Pacers on May 25. Charles Wenzelberg \/ New York Post<\/p>\n Thibodeau did go deeper into his bench<\/a> than he has so far in the postseason due to foul trouble, and Landry Shamet and Delon Wright rewarded him with quality minutes during the fourth-quarter rally.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re really, really good pros,\u201d Thibodeau said. \u201cWhen I say that, I mean they do the right thing every day. That goes a long way. It\u2019s not just lip service, it\u2019s doing the actual work, which I think is important.\u201d<\/p>\n Towns finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, Brunson added 23 and OG Anunoby scored 16. Hart had eight points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Tyrese Haliburton had 20 for the Pacers, who shot just 5-of-25 from 3-point range and were outscored 36-20 in the final 12 minutes.<\/p>\n Knicks fans celebrate at Gainbridge Fieldhouse following their Game 3 win May 25. Charles Wenzelberg<\/p>\n \u201cWe talked about the biggest part of our comeback was, we could quickly start to point fingers or we could quickly start to turn on each other,\u201d Brunson said. \u201cBut we got together as a team, we made sure that everyone was encouraging each other. Keep fighting, keep chipping away. We did that. Just proud of the way we responded. We needed it.\u201d<\/p>\n For much of the night, the Pacers seemed on their way to a comfortable 3-0 series. They led by 20 with 3:20 left in the first half and by 15 late in the third quarter. At one point, Towns and Brunson had combined for more turnovers (seven) than made field goals (five).<\/p>\n Jalen Brunson drives with the ball during the Knicks\u2019 game against the Pacers on May 25. Charles Wenzelberg<\/p>\n Miles McBride scored seven straight points late in the third to make it a 10-point game and Towns became unstoppable at the start of the fourth. He sank a 3-pointer off a Hart offensive rebound, scored on consecutive drives and hit two free throws. <\/p>\n When Towns followed up another 3-pointer with a three-point play, the Knicks were up by four with 8:02 to go.<\/p>\n Follow The Post\u2019s coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs<\/p>\n Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks<\/a> to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take<\/a> for insider texts about the series.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat\u2019s happening on and off the Garden court\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThank you\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cHe was like a silent killer out there,\u201d Robinson said of Towns.<\/p>\n The Knicks had scored 25 of a possible 31 points to take that aforementioned lead. Most of it came without Brunson. He was needed late, and he came through. Just like all the other Knicks, who refuse to let this season die without a fight.<\/p>\n Karl-Anthony Towns defends during the Knicks\u2019 game against the Pacers on May 25. Charles Wenzelberg<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great team win, but we gotta be better than we were tonight,\u201d Towns said. \u201cGotta find a way to get another win.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 Hold off on those obituaries. The Knicks suddenly have a pulse. 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