Pacers bring Knicks to their knees, take charge with 3-1 series lead

Tyrese Haliburton’s 32 points, 15 assists (zero turnovers), and 12 rebounds, to go along with four steals in 38 minutes, led the Pacers in every statistical category. Fifteen of his points came in a back-and-forth first-quarter duel with Jalen Brunson.

Brunson finished his night as the Knicks’ leading scorer, putting up 31 points, five assists, and two rebounds with two steals and a block in 37 minutes. Despite this, the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year only played seven minutes in the final frame of the game and tallied two points on 1/3 shooting while doing so.

Not far behind Haliburton in the scoring column for Indiana was Pascal Siakam, who put up 30 points, five rebounds, and two assists in his best outing of the series since Game 2.

Karl-Anthony Towns registered his second straight double-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. Just like his co-star, however, he too tallied just two points on 1-3 shooting in the fourth quarter as the Pacers grew a lead that just became too much to overcome.

This one felt like it could have come down to the wire, but maybe those were just delusions of grandeur built on the many unlikely comebacks already made during this postseason run from a different lifetime.

New York didn’t hold a single lead after the half.

While it felt similar to those other magical comebacks in that the Knicks stuck around just close enough deep into the game to maybe sneak another win in from behind, New York just didn’t have it in the end, and their wheels ultimately fell off while Indiana cruised to the finish.

Maybe that’s just what they get for matching up with the only team in the NBA with car-themed branding.