Knicks' gutsy performance not enough in Game 3 loss to Pacers
-The Pacers punched back to secure their first win of the series, 111-106, over the Knicks in Game 3 on Friday night.
Here are the takeaways
-Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana with 35 points and seven assists on 26 shots, while Pascal Siakam added 26 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-14 shooting.
-Donte DiVincenzo had a career night with 35 points on 7-of-11 shooting from three, tying a Knicks playoff record for made threes. Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and dished out six assists while playing on a sore right foot that had him questionable for Friday's game.
-With their backs against the wall, the Pacers struck first, jumping out to a 20-8 lead just past the midway mark of the first. Haliburton picked up where he left off in the first half of Game 2, scoring 10 points, including a couple of threes, in the opening frame.
-Indiana put Aaron Nesmith on Brunson, who started 0-for-3 and sat early in the first after hobbling on his injured right foot a bit. He would return minutes later, but the Knicks failed to retake control due to their five first-quarter turnovers, trailing the Pacers 28-20 after one.
-Alec Burks and Jericho Sims saw real action off the bench for the first time these playoffs due to the injuries to OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson. Burks had a massive second quarter, putting up 13 points on 4-of-4 shooting in a comeback effort.
-Despite having to go deeper into their bench, the Knicks retook the lead early in the second quarter behind a flurry of DiVincenzo threes. He finished with 15 points in the half, but Indiana fought back to lead 63-58 at the half.
-The game of runs continued in the second half. An 8-0 Indiana run gave them a 77-66 lead, and New York immediately responded with a 7-0 run of their own. DiVincenzo exploded in the third with 17 points as the Knicks stormed to a 90-85 lead at the end of the third quarter thanks to a late 10-0 run.
-New York took as much as a nine-point lead early in the final period, but Indiana fought back, eventually retaking the lead at the midway point of the fourth quarter.
-Down one with a minute to play, Brunson missed a post-scoop shot, leading to a Siakam transition bucket on a goaltending violation. Brunson walked it down and buried a size-up three to tie it back up at 106 apiece.
-With the shot clock running down after multiple chances, Andrew Nembhard hit a 35-foot stepback from the wing at the buzzer to go back up three.
-Brunson got swarmed off a double screen, but felt enough contact to force up a three, but he didn’t get the whistle. The Pacers put the game away at the free-throw line.
Game MVP: Tyrese Haliburton
After a rough Game 1, Haliburton has looked comfortable in this series, now recording back-to-back 30-point games. He was lethal from deep range and found his touch slithering into the paint, constantly keeping the Knicks' defense guessing.
Highlights
What's Next?
The Knicks and Pacers will meet again for Game 4 on Sunday. at 3:30 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
