Karl-Anthony Towns exploded for 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, and Jalen Brunson added 23 as the New York Knicks mounted a stunning comeback from 20 points down to defeat the Indiana Pacers 106-100 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Towns also grabbed 15 rebounds, helping the Knicks cut the series deficit to 2-1 despite both him and Brunson battling foul trouble throughout the night. Game 4 is set for Tuesday in Indianapolis.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 20 points and six assists, while Myles Turner chipped in 19. The loss dropped Indiana to 0-4 all-time when playing on the same day as the Indianapolis 500.
To mark the rare Pacers-racing doubleheader, team officials handed out “Vroom Baby” gold-and-blue T-shirts, and Indy 500 winner Alex Palou received a standing ovation in the second quarter — right as Indiana surged to a 55-35 lead with 3:20 left in the half, cheered on by members of the Pacers’ 2000 Eastern Conference title team, including Hall of Famer Reggie Miller.
But Indiana couldn’t close the deal. After leading 68-52 early in the third, they allowed the Knicks to chip away, with New York trimming the gap to 80-70 heading into the final quarter.
Fueled by Towns’ dominance and Brunson’s craft, the Knicks finally took the lead at 89-88 with 7:10 left. Though they never led by more than four until the final seconds, they held on for the dramatic win.
