At the Buzzer: R3G3 — Knicks 106, Pacers 100
Indiana shot 5 of 25 from beyond the arc and blew a 20-point lead at home as Karl-Anthony Towns dominated the fourth quarter. The series is now 2-1. And they're now 0-4 when there's 'Racers & Pacers'
After doing what they did in Cleveland — winning both games on the road to open the series — the Pacers returned home with momentum as the series shifted to Indianapolis. They entered Sunday’s Game 3 with a 10-2 postseason record, their only losses coming in previous Game 3s — first to the Bucks, then the Cavs.
Picking up where the Indianapolis 500 left off, the city’s day-long sports showcase continued in primetime on TNT. It was the Pacers’ chance to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven series.
The question: Could the Pacers keep their foot on the gas with a sellout crowd behind them? Tip-off came less than four hours after the checkered flag waved at the Speedway.
The game officials were Scott Foster, Sean Wright, Ed Malloy, and Nick Buchert (alternate)
No injuries of note The only player on the injury report is Pacers center Isaiah Jackson, who is rehabbing from a torn right Achilles tendon.
The TNT announcing crew — for the entire series: Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Stan Van Gundy, and Allie LaForce. It’s Reggie’s 15th conference finals.
Sports books favored the Pacers for the first time in the series, by 1.5 points.
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🏀How it happened: This was a tale of two halves. After a sluggish start — prompting Rick Carlisle to call timeout five minutes into the game — the Pacers got back-to-back 3s from Myles Turner and Ben Sheppard to find their footing. The Knicks, meanwhile, were plagued by foul trouble, particularly Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Officials called a tight whistle, leading to 18 combined free throws in the opening quarter.
New York made a lineup change for Game 3, starting Mitchell Robinson in place of Josh Hart, but it didn’t seem to make a big difference. If anything, Hart was productive off the bench with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Despite not committing a turnover in the first 12 minutes, the Knicks trailed by four after one. Then the game flipped — the second quarter belonged entirely to Indiana, which stretched its lead to 13 at halftime behind T.J. McConnell’s 10 points off the bench.
The Pacers dominated the transition game early, holding a 14-0 edge in fast-break points at halftime. But they managed just two more such points the rest of the way, showing how they got away from one of their biggest strengths. Then it became a second-half collapse. Just when the Knicks looked overwhelmed, exhausted, and defeated — the Pacers got complacent.
Towns took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points — matching the Pacers’ total for the period. Indiana was outscored 61-42 in the second half. Over the final two quarters, the Pacers had more turnovers (9) than assists (7), missed 10 of 12 from 3-point range, and were outscored 20-8 in the paint.
There was a brief scare with 6:06 left in the third quarter when forward Aaron Nesmith rolled his right ankle. He returned in the fourth — 37 minutes of real time later — but by then, they went from up 13 to down by one.
After the Knicks opened the fourth on a 17-5 run, the Pacers tied it at 98 with 1:37 to play. But their offense stalled again in crunch time, and they failed to execute. New York closed strong, going 19 of 20 at the foul line in the second half and completing a 20-point comeback win.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 20 points and Turner added 19.
Now, as much as Indy residents love them some racers & Pacers, the team is 0-4 all-time in those games.
2025: lost to Knicks
2013: lost to Heat
2004: lost to Pistons
1999: lost to Knicks
🏀 What it means: Instead of taking a stranglehold on the series, the Pacers gave the Knicks life. Much like in the Western Conference, the team down 2-0 responded in Game 3. Still, Indiana is 9-0 all-time in best-of-seven series when leading 2-0.