Karl-Anthony Towns delivered a dominant fourth-quarter performance, scoring 20 of his 24 points in the final 12 minutes to lift the New York Knicks to a pivotal 106-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night.
The win, played in front of a raucous Indianapolis crowd, gave the third-seeded Knicks their first victory of the best-of-seven series, now trailing 2-1.
Towns, who also pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds, ignited a spirited Knicks comeback from a 20-point second-quarter deficit. New York trailed 80-70 entering the final period before erupting with a 17-5 run, during which Towns poured in 15 points. His three-point play with 8:02 remaining gave the Knicks their first lead since the opening quarter.
With 5:10 to go, Towns capped his scorching stretch by hitting a 30-foot, step-back three-pointer while double-teamed, extending New York’s lead to 94-90. The Pacers never regained control.
Jalen Brunson, despite struggling with his shot (6-of-18), played a steady hand in the clutch, scoring 23 points and converting all 10 of his free throws. He nailed a key floater with 1:17 left to break a 98-98 tie, then calmly sank two foul shots with 8.1 seconds remaining to preserve the victory.
OG Anunoby contributed 16 points and Mikal Bridges added 15 as New York clawed its way back into the series.
“Once we found our rhythm, we didn’t look back,” said Towns. “We’ve been in this spot before. This team doesn’t give up.”
Indiana, which had taken the first two games at Madison Square Garden, looked poised to grab a commanding 3-0 series lead. Tyrese Haliburton scored 20 points and Myles Turner added 19. Pascal Siakam had 17, and T.J. McConnell sparked the bench with 12 points, including 10 in the first half.
The Pacers led 58-45 at halftime and extended their margin to 20 late in the second quarter following a 13-0 run. Haliburton capped that surge with a three-pointer and a steal that led to a breakaway dunk.
Though Indiana maintained control into the third quarter, New York’s defensive pressure and rebounding edge turned the tide late. The Knicks shot 43.6% from the field and hit 11 three-pointers, while Indiana struggled from long range, making just 5 of 25 attempts.
Josh Hart made four crucial free throws in the final 20 seconds to seal the game, finishing a gritty team effort that revived the Knicks’ postseason hopes.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday night in Indianapolis, where New York will aim to even the series.
