Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Knicks needed to win Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night after going down 0-2 at home, and they found a way to pull it off despite trailing by 20 points. Now, New York is right back in series. After the Pacers had such a big lead in Game 3, it looked like they were going to go up 3-0 in the series, and that would've likely been too much for the Knicks to overcome. However, they are now just one road win away from regaining home-court advantage.
Indiana was so close to taking complete control of the Eastern Conference Finals in Game 3, but now we've got a series on our hands. The Pacers still have a 2-1 series lead, but the Knicks have to be feeling good after pulling off yet another huge playoff comeback.
After the loss, the Pacers are in a tricky spot. If you told any Indiana fan that the team would be up 2-1 in this series with Game 4 at home, they would take that all day. However, after blowing a 20-point lead, it feels like the Knicks have the momentum right now. Still, the Pacers are the ones with the control, and they need to realize that.
If the Pacers are going to turn things around and win Game 4, they need to limit the big runs. The Knicks would've been eliminated against the Celtics if Boston was able to limit the runs. The Celtics lost multiple games in which they led by 20+ points. Indiana can't get complacent when that happens.
Losing Game 3 after having such a big lead will certainly leave a sour taste in the mouths of Pacers players and fans, but a win in Game 4 would make everybody feel a lot better. It's easy to be upset about that loss, but the Pacers are still in control of this series, and a win on Tuesday would put them in a golden spot to make the NBA Finals.
How the Pacers and Knicks got here
Not a lot of people expected either of these teams to make it this far. Both the Pacers and Knicks were underdogs during the second round, but one of them will end up playing for an NBA championship in a couple of weeks. New York was favored in this series, but that has changed now that Indiana has a 2-1 lead. It should be a good finish.
The Knicks have played in two incredible series
The Eastern Conference was a puzzling one this season. The Celtics and Cavaliers finished with the two best records as Cleveland was 64-18 and Boston was 61-21. After that, there was a massive drop-off.
New York ended up in third place in the East with a 51-31 record, 10 games back of the Celtics. Teams seeded 3-5 were separated by just three games. Boston and Cleveland were both well ahead of the pack, and that's why everyone was expecting to see them both in the conference finals.
The Knicks started their playoff run against the Detroit Pistons, who came in sixth place in the East. This was arguably the best series of the first round as every game down to the wire.
New York was in a bit of trouble after losing Game 2 at home, but two wins in Detroit after that put the Knicks up 3-1. The Pistons again found a way to win at Madison Square Garden in Game 5, but New York erased a seven-point deficit with under three minutes to go in Game 6 to secure the series.
It's crazy to think about the fact that the Knicks are four wins away from the NBA Finals after the way that series with Detroit went. Outside of Game 3, the Pistons had comfortable fourth-quarter leads in every game, but they just couldn't finish.
Article Continues Below
The Knicks moved on to take on the Celtics, and Boston was a massive favorite. You could see why as the Celtics took a 20-point lead during Game 1, but the Knicks somehow stormed back to win the game. Then, the exact same thing happened in Game 2. All of a sudden, New York was heading home with a 2-0 lead.
The Celtics took care of business in Game 3 on the road, but things got bleak when Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the Game 4 loss. Boston was able to force a Game 6 after that, but the Knicks easily took care of business at home to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Pacers have been on cruise control
Indiana has looked incredibly impressive throughout the playoffs so far. The Pacers finished with a 50-32 overall record to earn the four-seed in the East. They started their playoff run against the Milwaukee Bucks, and it took just five games to eliminate their division rival.
After going down 3-1, the Bucks looked like they locked up a Game 5 win on the road to send the series back to Milwaukee. They had a big lead with under a minute to go, and the Pacers somehow pulled off a miraculous comeback to earn the victory. Tyrese Haliburton finished things with a bucket in the final seconds.
Like the Knicks, the Pacers were big underdogs in the second round of the playoffs. Also like the Knicks, they stole the first two games of the series on the road.
Cleveland looked much better in Game 3 as it earned a blowout win on the road, but the Pacers took care of business in Game 4 to go up 3-1. Everyone expected the Cavaliers to win Game 5 at home to force a Game 6 back in Indiana, but the Pacers ended up going 3-0 in Cleveland.
Now, after more clutch heroics from Haliburton, the Pacers are just two wins away from the NBA Finals.
Game 4 between the Pacers and Knicks will get underway at 8:00 ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday night, and the game will be airing on TNT/Max. The Pacers are currently favored by 1.5 points.
