The comeback kids are back in Indy, looking to tie up the ECF.
The New York Knicks punched back on Sunday, erasing a 20-point hole to steal Game Three against the Indiana Pacers, 106-100. Karl-Anthony Towns’ bananas fourth-quarters trimmed the Easter Conference Finals to 2-1, keeping New York’s Finals dream very much alive while quieting a stadium full of yellow t-shirts.
Game Three introduced a new blueprint for success—see Michael Zeno’s “What the Knicks can take away from Game 3 to win the ECF.” Despite being down by 20 points for the third time this postseason, New York rallied with grit and grace. KAT poured in 20 of his 24 in the fourth, Josh Hart posted eight points and 10 boards in 34 minutes off the bench, and Tom Thibodeau staggered his stars to avoid the Brunson-Towns defensive sinkhole. With Indiana’s head coach Rick Carlisle preparing a response, Thibs will likely need more creative rotations tonight.
Indiana’s injury report lists Aaron Nesmith questionable with a sprained ankle. New York’s side is clean (although we’re always monitoring Jalen’s ankle, Karl’s knee, and Josh’s knee/tailbone/wrist). Most worrisome of all: Tyrese Haliburton’s dad will be allowed back in the building after an eight-game ban, so beware an old man with a towel.
Prediction
ESPN.com likes the Hoosiers at 56%. So what. They underestimate how well the Knicks travel. New York is now 6-1 on the road this postseason, posting a better defensive rating away from MSG than at home.
By swapping Mitchell Robinson for Josh Hart in the starting lineup for Game Three, New York finally broke even in the starter minutes. The original lineup still iced it in crunch time, but in short spurts; Indy is deep and adapts well. New York found success by slowing Indiana’s pace and generating turnovers, protecting the ball, and playing tighter defense. Delon Wright proved to be more effective than Cam Payne (at least for one game), Deuce McBride contributed critical buckets to keep the game from careening away, and staggering KAT with Jalen kept Indy from exploiting their defensive leaks. So there’s your blueprint: keep the new starters, ride McBride for 30, stagger the stars, and value every possession—do that, and we’re all tied up heading home. Knicks by six.
Game Details
Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
TV Broadcast: TNT
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
Your get-up jam for this one. Go Knicks!