With third 20-point comeback, Knicks make NBA playoff history

Longer rebounds: easier offense

So, what has propelled the Knicks to erase large deficits routinely?

Thibs believes the proliferation of the three-point shot has allowed his team to make up ground more quickly. However, if one digs deeper, the Knicks have benefited more from opponents getting trigger-happy. In Sunday's Game 3, they made only three threes in the fourth quarter, compared to the Pacers shooting 1-of-8 from distance. 

The Pacers' misses led to long rebounds, which helped the Knicks attack in transition while outrebounding them 13-7. The longer rebounds also meant the Knicks could attack the rim against a Pacers defense that wasn't set, as evidenced by their 16 free-throw attempts.

A similar trend occurred in the first two games of the Celtics series. In Game 1, Boston shot 2-of-15 from deep en route to a 108-105 loss. In Game 2, Boston's trigger-happy ways (2-of-11) cost it even more dearly, as New York outrebounded it 17-10 in the fourth quarter. Again, the Knicks made an opponent pay for shooting too many threes.  

Unlike the Celtics, the Pacers haven't been as reliant on the long ball, but their miscues on Sunday cost them the game. Still, it's fair to suggest the Pacers, up 2-1 in the series, are in the driver's seat. 

All three games thus far have gone down to the wire. According to the NBA, this is just the fifth conference finals series in which six or fewer points have decided each of the first three games. 

The series remains in Indiana for Tuesday's Game 4. If the Knicks can level up the series, they will surely seize the momentum before returning home for Game 5.