The Indiana Pacers dropped a perfect opportunity to take a 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals over the New York Knicks. Despite the team holding a 20-point lead at one point in Game 3, New York was able to come back to earn a massive win.
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It was an epic collapse by the Pacers, and one that the team will need to quickly move on from. After the game, Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton kept things real on what happened in the game.
“I have to watch film to give you a better answer, but it felt like the game was just, like, stuck there,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “Which is a weird feeling. It felt like every time we scored, they scored. Every time we didn’t, we got a stop. We never were able to really pull away. I don’t really know the real answer. … (but) I felt the ball got stuck a little bit. I felt like a lot of our turnovers (eight of 12) happened in the second half. I just felt like we did a better job of valuing the ball in the first half.”
The Pacers couldn't slow down the Knicks in the fourth quarter, leading to the big comeback win. The Pacers' defense seemed a little off, and they committed some sloppy play on the offensive end of the floor.
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If Indiana wants to take a 3-1 lead in this series, they will need a better game plan for the entire 48 minutes next time out. New York will be entering the game with a renewed sense of confidence, so the Pacers will need to squash that fairly quickly.
But despite everything, the Pacers seem ready for Game 4.
"It is what it is. You flush it and get ready for Game 4.", Haliburton said.
Game 4 between the two sides is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, at 8 p.m. ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
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