The New York Knicks survived Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and have staged a remarkable 20-point comeback, to defeat the Indiana Pacers 106-100, barely narrowing the series deficit to 2-1. The Pacers dominated early, and built a 20-point lead in the second quarter behind strong play from their bench, with all 10 players who saw some minutes in the first half. However, the momentum shifted late in the third quarter and after Landry Shamet, a role player for the Knicks, took a charge on Pacers’ Obi Toppin, this ignited a 41-22 run to close the game for the Knicks. Karl Anthony Towns, who was mightily struggling in the first half and the 3rd quarter for the Knicks, decided to take the matter into his own hands in the fourth quarter as he erupted dropping 20 points in the fourth quarter, including 14 points in the first four minutes. <\/p>
Jalen Brunson, star and the clutch player of the year, proved why he is one of the deadliest players in the league as he helped seal the win with two free throws and a floater in the final minute. The Pacers’ bench somehow had a bad game this time around, which we are not typically used to seeing, as the Pacers’ rotation has what has helped them to reach the conference finals for the consecutive season. Another concern going forward, is Pacers’ guard Aaron Nesmith’s ankle injury, going into Game 4. And even though he came back in the fourth quarter, we wonder if he’ll be a 100 percent for the rest of the series, as he had been extremely reliable with his three point shooting for the Pacers.<\/p>