The Indiana Pacers lost in Game 3 after blowing a 20-point lead to the New York Knicks. To make things even more difficult for Indiana, there was an obvious adjustment they could have made to ensure a victory, and that was to get the ball out of Karl-Anthony Towns' hands as much as possible, including doubling him when Jalen Brunson and Mitchell Robinson were off the court.
Towns was phenomenal against Indiana and played a major role in their comeback win. In Game 3, the 29-year-old recorded 24 points on 8-for-17 shooting and 15 rebounds. In the fourth quarter alone, he recorded 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting and eight rebounds.
Rick Carlisle has [been fantastic all postseason](https://8points9seconds.com/rick-carlisle-getting-enough-love-current-masterclass), but he was not at his best on Sunday night, and it was costly. Given how well he was playing, it would have been difficult for the Pacers to outright stop Towns. However, if they had done things just a little bit differently, the result could have been completely different.
Karl-Anthony Towns was borderline unstoppable in Game 3
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It's hard to stop a seven-footer who can shoot lights out when they get hot, and the Pacers saw that firsthand in Game 3. However, they had a chance to stop the bleeding, and their best bet would have been to deny him the ball at all costs. The Pacers had plenty of opportunities to do exactly that, but they didn't capitalize on any of them.
Despite their losses in Games 1 and 2, the Knicks got a big boost out of Towns in each game. In his first two games of the series, he averaged 27.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1 assist while shooting 54.8% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc. Now that the Knicks have won a game in the series off the heels of a great game from Towns, it will be worth monitoring how Carlisle adjusts from here.
The Pacers are still up 2-1 in the series and have a shot to [take a commanding 3-1 lead](https://8points9seconds.com/star-s-postgame-quote-reveals-why-pacers-can-win-nba-finals) on Tuesday night. They are in a good spot, but as Towns and New York proved in Game 3, the series is not over just yet. Adjustments will be crucial for both teams the rest of the way, and for the Pacers, how they respond could be what decides their playoff fate.