The Indiana Pacers, despite leading by 13 points at the half, allowed the New York Knicks to get back into their Game 3 showdown, losing 106-100. Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, and Karl-Anthony Towns got in early foul trouble, which boded well for Indiana, although Towns was able to get hot in the second half.
On top of that, Josh Hart played like the Knicks needed him to, crashing the boards and bringing some extra physicality in the second half.
The Pacers were led by Tyrese Haliburton's 20 points, as he shot 7-15 from the floor. New York enjoyed 24 points from Town, although Jalen Brunson shot only 33.3 percent from the floor for his 23 points.
The Knicks relied on bench players like Mitchell Robinson, McBride, Landry Shamet, and Delon Wright, who all got early run, although the starters ended up stepping up in the second half, getting the Knicks back in the game for a thrilling finish.
Indiana received a mixed bag from its bench players, with Obi Toppin scoring eight points with some thunderous dunks, and TJ McConnell offering 12 of his own. He led the Pacers' scoring effort in the first half, being the only player in double digits. On the other side of the coin, Bennedict Mathurin offered only two points.
In the third quarter, Aaron Nesmith appeared to roll his ankle and had to be helped to the locker room. He did not return, quelling any concerns about his long-term availability for the rest of the series.
The Pacers led by as many as 20 points, but allowed the Knicks to take over in the third and early fourth quarters, in large part thanks to Towns, who played with five fouls late into the game.
The Pacers will hope to get back on track in Game 4 on Tuesday before heading back to Madison Square Garden.
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