The New York Knicks came into Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers with their backs against the wall, and things went from bad to worse during the first half in Indianapolis. Both Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson battled serious foul trouble in the first half as the Pacers jumped out to a 20-point lead.
However, the Knicks battled back and took the lead in the fourth quarter before closing the game on an 8-2 run to win 106-100 and get back in the series.
Brunson had a brutal night with the foul trouble, some struggles on the defensive end of the floor and just an overall inefficiency that you don't normally see from him. However, when the Knicks needed him in crunch time, Brunson came through as usual. He hit a tough floater in the lane in the final minutes to break a 98-98 tie and give New York the upper hand in crunch time.
After the game, Brunson talked about his mentality to rebound from his rough night, and he got the co-sign from Towns.
Jalen Brunson: "It's an emotional game. It's a long game. Things can happen… You can easily obviously crash out or you can respond the right way."
Karl-Anthony Towns: "Crash out, I love that." 😅
(via @sny_knicks)pic.twitter.com/xp45RxNs2p
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 26, 2025
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“It's an emotional game. It's a long game. Things can happen, things can not go your way,” Brunson said. “You can easily obviously crash out or you can respond the right way.”
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“I love that,” Towns added.
Brunson was spectacular during the first two games of the series, both of which ended in close Knicks losses in front of their home fans at Madison Square Garden. He scored 79 points over those two contests, so it was a bit odd to see him so out of sorts on Sunday night.
The good news for Brunson is that Towns was there to pick up the slack when the Knicks needed it. The star big man battled through his own struggles over the first three quarters and came into the final frame with just four points. However, he dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points to help the Knicks get back in the game before Brunson and a hyper-aggressive New York defense got them over the finish line.
The work is far from done for the Knicks, as they must win Game 4 in Indiana as well to avoid going down 3-1 in the series. A Game 4 victory would also earn home-court advantage back for the Knicks, so there is plenty on the line on Tuesday night.