The Knicks have life.
They’ll thank Karl-Anthony Cities for that.
After struggling fourth-quarter collapses within the first two video games of the Japanese Convention Finals, the Knicks reversed the script Sunday with a come-from-behind 106-100 win over the Indiana Pacers in Recreation 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Cities’ 20 fourth-quarter factors fueled the Knicks’ victory on an evening they have been down by 20 within the first half and by 10 going into the fourth quarter.
Jalen Brunson’s tie-breaking floater with 1:17 remaining gave the Knicks a 100-98 lead and held up because the game-winner.
The Knicks now path 2-1 within the best-of-seven sequence.
“Anytime you can win, it’s a good feeling,” Cities mentioned throughout a postgame interview on TNT. “So down 2-0, finding a way to win tonight should raise our confidence, raise the morale of the team.”
Cities entered the fourth with solely 4 factors on 2-of-8 capturing, however he opened the quarter with a 3-pointer and scored on 4 of the Knicks’ first six possessions, all with Brunson on the bench.
Brunson checked again on the 8:48 mark, and Cities scored on the following two possessions — with one other 3-pointer and a driving and-1 dunk — to offer the Knicks an 87-85 lead. That was their first lead because the first quarter.
The Knicks led 89-88 when Brunson’s fifth foul pressured him again to the bench with 7:03 left within the recreation. He didn’t return till there was 1:37 to go.
However Cities’ shot-making — and a tightened-up staff protection — stored the Knicks afloat. Cities shot 6-of-9 from the sphere within the fourth and completed with a game-high 24 factors and 15 rebounds.
“Shoutout to the Dominicans, man, on Dominican Mother’s Day,” mentioned Cities, who misplaced his mom in 2020 to problems from COVID-19.
It was an evening of redemption for the All-Star, who spent practically seven minutes of Recreation 2’s fourth quarter on the bench. He was a -20 that night time and struggled defensively.
“When I got a chance tonight to do what I do in the fourth, I made sure I was gonna seize the opportunity,” Cities mentioned. “I just wanted to go out there and give our team a chance to win.”
It was additionally an evening of redemption for the Knicks after they blew a 17-point lead within the fourth quarter of Recreation 1 and faltered defensively once more within the fourth quarter of Recreation 2.
After Brunson’s go-ahead basket on Sunday, the Knicks made all of their free throws down the stretch — one thing they didn’t do in Recreation 1. Brunson completed with 23 factors on 6-of-18 capturing.
“We’re built on togetherness,” Brunson mentioned on TNT, referring to his staff’s efforts with him on the bench.
The Knicks search to develop into the primary staff in NBA historical past to win a convention finals after shedding the primary two video games at house.
In search of a spark after these losses, Knicks head coach Thibodeau inserted middle Mitchell Robinson into his Recreation 3 beginning lineup rather than Josh Hart.
The Knicks’ starters have been outscored by 29 factors over the primary two video games, and Indiana jumped out to a first-quarter lead each nights. Robinson, along with his relentless rebounding and rim safety, had posted a plus/minus of +41 off the bench this postseason.
Nonetheless, it was a daring transfer contemplating the Knicks hadn’t strayed from a beginning 5 of Brunson, Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Cities all season.
The choice paid early dividends as Robinson collected a pair of offensive rebounds and turned each into put-backs, serving to the Knicks take an 11-6 lead via 5 minutes.
Robinson performed practically the primary 11 minutes, giving the Knicks six factors and 4 rebounds earlier than taking his first breather. The Knicks caught with their new beginning lineup till the 5:36 mark of the primary quarter, when Hart checked in for Cities.
The Pacers began 2-of-11 from the sphere, nevertheless it wasn’t lengthy earlier than Indiana’s high-powered offense discovered its footing.
Again-to-back 3-pointers by Myles Turner and Ben Sheppard put Indiana up 16-15 for its first lead, and the Pacers led 30-26 after one quarter.
Cities didn’t rating within the first quarter for the second recreation in a row.
Indiana stored coming within the second, scoring on six consecutive possessions in a three-minute span. T.J. McConnell gave the Pacers a lift off the bench, scoring or helping on 4 baskets as Indy went up 42-32.
In one other swing, Indiana challenged a capturing foul known as towards Tyrese Haliburton on a Cities dunk. The decision was overturned, and Cities was charged with the foul — his third. He checked out with 6:10 earlier than halftime and spent the remainder of the quarter on the bench.
It unraveled for the Knicks shortly thereafter.
About 4 minutes earlier than halftime, Haliburton stripped the ball from Brunson and located Obi Toppin for an alley-oop dunk in transition, placing the Pacers up by 15 factors.
On the following possession, Haliburton pulled up and drilled a 3-pointer.
Haliburton then jumped an errant cross from Hart and turned it into one other fastbreak dunk — capping a 13-0 run that put the Pacers up 55-35 with 3:20 earlier than halftime.
Indiana led 58-45 after a second quarter by which it shot 10-of-16 from the sphere, pressured six turnovers, scored 11 fast-break factors and outscored the Knicks, 28-19.
The Pacers took a 16-point lead on the 8:02 mark within the third, and so they led 78-63 with below three minutes left within the quarter. However Miles McBride scored seven fast factors, reducing the Knicks’ deficit to 80-70 getting into the fourth.
The Knicks then outscored Indiana 36-20 within the fourth, going 9-of-19 from the sphere whereas limiting the Pacers to 5-of-19 capturing.
Hart performed the total fourth quarter, throughout which he recorded 4 factors, 5 rebounds and two assists.
The Knicks additionally overcame 20-point deficits in Video games 1 and a couple of of their second-round sequence towards the Boston Celtics, with each cases approaching the street. The Knicks are actually 6-1 on the street this postseason.
Sunday’s stunner was much more essential, contemplating an NBA staff has by no means come again from an 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven sequence.
The Knicks will look to even the sequence in Recreation 4 in Indiana on Tuesday night time.
Initially Printed: Could 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM EDT
