May 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Knicks Resilience on Display in Game 3

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated May 26, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The New York Knicks spent their second round matchup building a playoff identity, taking advantage of the kind of opportunity few teams are afforded.

They stunned the defending champion Boston Celtics by erasing 20-point deficits in back-to-back outings to start the series, stealing a 2-0 lead before making their return to New York. They held on to win the matchup, but their recent portfolio of clutch heroics have been quickly swept under the rug.

As much as they've delivered in the clutch over the last month, it's hard to top the stunning finishes the Indiana Pacers pulled off. They embarrassed the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round to show just how little help Giannis Antetokounmpo was surrounded with, and pantsed the Cleveland Cavaliers in a five-game upset over the eastern #1 seed to advance to the conference finals.

Indiana managed to carry their momentum into Madison Square Garden seamlessly, jumping out to their third straight 2-0 series lead this spring. Everyone, including those closest to the game, seemed down on the Knicks when they entered halftime down 58-45.

Charles Barkley: "Now, this game is pretty much over. This is a wrap because the Knicks can't play fast and beat the Pacers. But they're down 13, so they gotta play fast. They're gonna get ran out of this damn building." #NBA #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/YQLWaqV148
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 26, 2025

The Knicks looked dead in the water in the second quarter after allowing Indiana's quick offense to materialize through half court turnovers and fast break creation, but they wrestled some control back in the second half. Karl-Anthony Towns particularly pulled through, scoring 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, symbolizing the Knicks' own attitude about being counted out after a previous stretch of rocky play.

This is the third 20-point lead they've stormed back from across this ongoing playoff run, setting a record as the first team since 1997 to total three such comebacks in a single postseason. While these Pacers have become tied with their ability to erase near-double-digit leads entering the final minutes of playoff games, the Knicks have been near-unbeatable whenever they've fallen down 20.

They still have a long way to go if they want to make history, as no team has ever fully bounced back and advanced after losing the first two games of the conference finals as the home team, but a 2-1 trail is much more manageable than a 3-0 hole. The Pacers look vulnerable, and the Knicks look alive.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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