Karl-Anthony Towns Sparks Knicks’ Stunning 20-Point Comeback Against Pacers in Game 3 Thriller
Knicks Survive Do-or-Die Night Thanks to Towns’ Massive Fourth Quarter
A playoff game can tilt on a single player’s hot streak, but what Karl-Anthony Towns did Friday night was on a different level. The crowd in Madison Square Garden went from quiet frustration to wild hope as Towns dropped 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, trashing what seemed a comfortable Pacers lead and pushing the Knicks to a 106-100 victory in Game 3. Suddenly, New York’s postseason pulse looks a lot stronger with Indiana’s series lead cut to 2-1.
Through much of the first half, the Knicks looked like a team that was about to be swept. The Pacers opened the game with energy, fueled by Tyrese Haliburton’s smooth shooting and creative playmaking. Indiana couldn’t miss from deep early on, and with Haliburton dropping 20 points and making hustle plays at both ends, the Pacers led by as many as 20.
Towns Takes Over As Knicks Flip the Script
But the Knicks didn’t fold. Instead, they dug in for what became one of the more dramatic fourth quarters in recent playoff history. Towns, who’d been relatively quiet all night, suddenly ignited. He started the final period with back-to-back threes, finding a rhythm that the Pacers’ defense couldn’t disrupt. By the time he drilled his third triple and muscled in a rebound putback, the vibe had flipped from desperation to deafening confidence in the Garden.
Towns’ shot chart in the fourth was all over the place—fadeaways, catch-and-shoot threes, tough layups inside. He finished the night with 24 points and a towering 15 rebounds, imposing himself in the paint and on the glass whenever the Knicks needed it most. With every basket, New York’s deficit shrank. The Pacers tried to counter behind Haliburton’s crafty play, but they started settling for bad shots and turned the ball over under the Knicks’ pressure.
As Indiana’s offense got stuck in the mud, New York’s bench came alive. They forced key turnovers, made the extra pass, and on defense, they held the Pacers to just 15 points in the final quarter—a massive drop from their earlier pace. Towns wasn’t the only hero, but he was the one who made the key baskets and emotional plays when it really mattered.
The Garden crowd had already seen their team drop the first two games. But by the final whistle, all that frustration had been replaced with hope. Now, with Indiana still leading 2-1, the series is wide open—and the Knicks, thanks to their Karl-Anthony Towns fueled comeback, are very much in the fight.