New York Knicks complete 20-point comeback against Indiana Pacers to take Game 3 in ‘unpredictable’ Eastern Conference Finals

By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — The theme of the Eastern Conference Finals so far has been comebacks and that continued on Sunday night in Indiana.

After the Indiana Pacers’ miraculous Game 1 comeback, Game 3 of the best-of-seven series saw the New York Knicks produce their own dramatic ending on the road at a raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Knicks trailed by as many as 20 points during the second quarter but, largely thanks to an inspired fourth-quarter performance from Karl-Anthony Towns, New York was able to rally for a 106-100 victory and cut the series deficit to 2-1.

“It’s a true test when you’re down 20-plus,” Towns – who finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds on the night – told reporters afterwards. “Tonight was the kind of night where we had to have that never-say-die attitude.”

Having left New York with two road victories and a firm grip on the series, Indiana returned home full of confidence and a pep in their step.

And they took that momentum into Game 3, racing ahead while the Knicks looked like they were still on the plane.

The Pacers’ lead was 20 at one point in the second quarter, but New York slowly cut the deficit to 10 as the fourth quarter began.

But just as it looked like Indiana was going to take a 3-0 series lead and put one foot into the NBA Finals, Towns stepped up.

The forward scored 20 and snatched eight rebounds in the final quarter while Indiana began misfiring on offense.

In the previous three quarters, New York relied on balanced, but in crunchtime, it was Towns who became the go-to scorer.

“The mantra of the team (is) unselfish guys,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said afterwards. “When someone gets going, you try to keep him going. It’s recognizing what’s working.”

While the Pacers opened the Eastern Conference Finals with a historical comeback, the Knicks are also well-accustomed to fighting back from the brink this postseason.

They began their second round series against the defending champion Boston Celtics with two 20-point comebacks, with Sunday’s result making them the only team in NBA history to pull off three such comebacks in a single postseason.

For Indiana, it was a struggle on offense as the team scored its lowest total of the playoffs so far.

In the 2025 postseason so far, the Pacers are 10-0 when they score 114 or more points but 0-3 when they don’t hit the mark.

On Sunday, they missed 20 of their 25 three-point attempts which totaled their fewest makes, fewest attempts and worst shooting percentage from deep in the postseason so far, hitting an average of 14 previously.

Tyrese Haliburton led the way for Indiana with 20 points as the home crowd – which included 2025 Indy 500 winner Álex Palou – went home disappointed.

Game 4 of this topsy-turvy series – which Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who notched 23 points on Sunday, called “unpredictable” after Game 3 – will be played on Tuesday night.

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