The New York Knicks made history with their 106-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cardiac Knicks did it again. Just when everyone thought they were out, they dragged everyone back in, and now we have a series. Tom Thibodeau threw everything at the wall on Sunday night, and finally, some things stuck. Thanks to Karl-Anthony Towns and some unsung heroes, this team is still alive and now has a chance on Tuesday to even this emotional series.

It certainly didn't come easily as New York looked in complete disarray during the second quarter and was down by as much as 20. That's a deficit that this group is very familiar with, and slowly but surely, the Knicks worked their way back into the game. Shockingly, especially for a Tom Thibodeau, nine players saw 10+ minutes tonight, including Delon Wright and Landry Shamet. The two were critical in shifting the game's momentum, especially on defense, and getting a well-oiled machine Indiana offense finally out of rhythm.

Then the Knicks' All-NBA center took over the game with 20 fourth-quarter points. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart also had critical plays down the stretch that led to this victory, putting New York down just 2-1 now. As fans of both teams deal with the collective shock of what they both witnessed, the Knicks set an NBA record with this performance.

The Knicks will need to build on the momentum of this gritty win

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It was all-hands on deck on Sunday night, and the Knicks once again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. While the shot-making from particularly Karl-Anthony Towns was critical, the key to this victory was on defense. Even the starting unit that has struggled on this side of the floor for most of it, and didn't even start this game, had a good performance in Game 3. OG Anunoby finished with one steal and three huge blocks, and Mikal Bridges did an excellent job making Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam work for their offense.

This is the kind of effort that will be required to slow Indiana down, and playing nine guys in this game was a wise decision from Thibodeau. To keep up with this team that likes to get out in transition as much as possible, it's essential to consistently throw fresh bodies out of the floor to stifle this strategy. The effort of the bench, including Josh Hart in this game, while Brunson was out of the game with foul trouble, was critical in raising everyone's level on defense.

Overall, this was a fantastic win for a franchise that was staring elimination in the mirror. But it's going to take a much cleaner performance, with the same effort level, to win Game 4. The Pacers are sure to be more efficient from the field in Tuesday's affair and play with more of a sense of desperation. Still, it's late May, and the Knicks still have all of their goals ahead of them.