Knicks stun Pacers with 20-point comeback win to claw their way back into Eastern Conference Finals

NBA teams have been warned: a 20-point lead isn’t enough to beat the New York Knicks. 

Trailing 2-0 entering Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday in Indianapolis, Tom Thibodeau’s team pulled off a 22-7 run over eight minutes in the third and fourth quarters to take an 86-85 lead on a Karl-Anthony Towns dunk. 

This was the second time the Knicks found themselves down 20 points on the road in an all-important playoff matchup, just as they had in Games 1 and 2 of their second-round upset of the Boston Celtics. 

Of course, it was the Knicks who blew the big lead in Game 1 in the East Finals, surrendering a 17-point advantage before appearing to lose at the buzzer on a Haliburton 3-pointer.

But while he was giving the Knicks the ‘choke’ sign, just as Pacers great Reggie Miller did against New York at the Garden in 1995, officials were ruling that Haliburton’s toe was on the line. Regardless, the game went to overtime, where Indiana pulled out a 138-135 win.

Things only got worse for New York in Game 2, where the Knicks lost 114-109 as Pacers forward Pascal Siakam dropped 39 points.

Thibodeau went with a more defensive lineup in Game 3, moving 7-footer Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup for Josh Hart.