Karl-Anthony Towns erupted for 20 of his 24 points in the final period, sparking the New York Knicks to a 106-100 comeback win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night.
The road win cut Indiana’s series lead to 2-1, with Game 4 set for Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Towns played through a sore knee and foul trouble but was dominant in the fourth quarter, helping New York recover from a 16-point third-quarter deficit.
His burst included a go-ahead 3-pointer and two strong finishes at the rim to narrow Indiana’s cushion to three points early in the fourth.
Jalen Brunson, who had spent much of the game in foul trouble, added 23 points and gave New York its first lead since the opening minutes with a driving layup with 7:10 left.
The Knicks never trailed again after regaining the advantage, although the margin never extended beyond four until the final free throws with 2.6 seconds left.
OG Anunoby scored 16 points and Mikal Bridges contributed 15, while New York shot 90% from the free-throw line and outrebounded Indiana 37-38 despite a size disadvantage for stretches.
The Pacers were led by Tyrese Haliburton’s 20 points and six assists, with Myles Turner scoring 19.
Pascal Siakam added 17 for Indiana, which led 55-35 late in the second quarter but could not hold on.
Indiana also lost key defender Aaron Nesmith to a sprained right ankle in the third quarter, though he returned briefly in the fourth. His status for Game 4 remains uncertain.
The Pacers hit just 5-of-25 from beyond the arc and committed 12 turnovers, including several critical mistakes in the final minutes.
Six members of Indiana’s 2000 Finals team, including Reggie Miller, were in attendance.
Despite the energy from the crowd and a golden opportunity to push the Knicks to the brink of elimination, Indiana fell to 0-4 all-time when playing on the same day as the Indy 500.
With Towns’ timely scoring and clutch play from Brunson and the Knicks’ bench, New York kept its season alive and shifted momentum back in its favor.
Game 4 on Tuesday offers the chance for the third-seeded Knicks to tie the series before it returns to Madison Square Garden.
