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Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers built a lead as large as 20 points and appeared poised to take a 3-0 stranglehold in their Eastern Conference finals showdown with the New York Knicks. But the tide quickly turned, as Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks stormed back to claim Game 3 and trim the series deficit to 2-1.
“All four of the guys that played off the bench are really defensive guys and they come in and wreak havoc,” Haliburton remarked during his post-game interview.
"All four of the guys that played off the bench are really defensive guys and they come in and wreak havoc."
Tyrese Haliburton talks about how the Knicks' bench changed tonight's game: pic.twitter.com/WLoYdBOwT6
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 26, 2025
Haliburton acknowledged the major contributions from Josh Hart, Delon Wright, Deuce McBride, and Landry Shamet, who all made a difference off the bench to help the Knicks engineer yet another 20-point comeback victory in the playoffs.
Indiana also had no way to contain Karl-Anthony Towns, who erupted for 20 points in the fourth quarter to spearhead the Knicks' 106-100 comeback. The All-Star forward capped off the performance with 24 points and 15 rebounds.
Haliburton contributed 20 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in the game. He shot 46.7 percent from the floor but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 2 of his 8 attempts.
While Haliburton didn’t have a poor game overall, he acknowledged that some of the Pacers’ second-half offensive struggles fell on him. As the team’s primary playmaker, he took responsibility for not being able to generate enough rhythm and flow on offense when it mattered most.
The Pacers collapse against the Knicks
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The Pacers carried a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter, but it vanished quickly as they failed to slow down the Knicks’ offense, which was fueled by Towns. New York erupted for 36 points in the final period, while Indiana managed just 20.
Jalen Brunson chipped in 23 points, though foul trouble limited his minutes as he picked up five fouls. Even with him sidelined at times, the Knicks kept their energy high and continued to control the pace of the game.
Indiana held a 70-57 advantage with just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter when Aaron Nesmith left for the locker room due to what was later identified as a sprained right ankle. By the time he rejoined the action in the fourth, New York had surged ahead. Despite the timing, head coach Rick Carlisle dismissed the notion that Nesmith’s absence was the turning point in the Pacers’ collapse.
“You lose a guy like that, it affects your ability to close a quarter, so maybe there's a factor there, but we're not gonna make excuses,” said the Pacers head coach.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It will be intriguing to see how Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers respond to a Knicks team that has tightened up defensively. The victor of this series will advance to face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference finals. The Thunder hold a 2-1 lead as they gear up for Monday’s Game 4 in Minneapolis.
