The [New York Knicks](https://fansided.com/nba/new-york-knicks/) are, against all odds, just a Game 4 win away from snatching back the momentum in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the franchise has some unexpected heroes to thank. Delon Wright and Landry Shamet, two deep bench reserves who had hardly played at all in these NBA playoffs, had their number called by Tom Thibodeau in Game 3 on Sunday night. And with their team's back against the wall, both were able to play extremely well in meaningful minutes.
Before Game 3, Shamet had seemingly fallen out of New York's rotation as the former Phoenix Suns guard has struggled to actualize the 3-and-D potential that he showcased coming into the 2018 NBA Draft. Wright, meanwhile, was on the tail end of a solid 10-year career as a role player in the league.
But with the Knicks desperate for more depth against the Indiana Pacers, and both Jalen Brunson and Deuce McBride facing early foul trouble, Thibodeau dusted off the end of his bench. Shamet only scored three points, but he finished the game with a +12 point differential and made several big plays defensively. Wright was a menace at the point of attack against Tyrese Haliburton and was able to keep the Pacers guards in check in the 13 minutes that he played. While [Karl Anthony Towns](https://fansided.com/karl-anthony-towns-saved-the-knicks-season-in-game-3-vs-the-pacers) was the star down the stretch, it's clear that unexpected heroes saved the Knicks' season for at least one more day.
Unexpected heroes saved the Knicks in Game 3
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Wright and Shamet were not the only veterans that showed up in the team's win, as Towns scored 24 points on 47% shooting despite facing the Pacers best defense with Jalen Brunson out until the final possessions of the fourth quarter. But Cameron Payne simply could not play in this series, and with Brunson out and McBride in foul trouble, New York's backcourt could have been on life support. Instead, Thibodeau was flexible enough to give two veterans a chance, and they delivered exactly the sort of toughness and poise that the Knicks needed, offering far more resistance defending the pick and roll and helping New York get into its actions more quickly on the offensive end.
The Knicks still need one more win to make this a best-of-three series, with two of those games at home. Lose Game 4, and all of these good vibes immediately go out the window. But it's easy to think that Game 3 felt like a turning point; the Pacers should have won, considering they had a 20-point lead with New York's two stars in foul trouble, and the Knicks appear to have found a rotation that makes more sense for this matchup.
Those starters were replaced by deep reserve guards who otherwise would not have played if head coach Tom Thibodeau didn't have the guts to empty the bench. Whether the franchise wins Game 4 or not, it's clear that the team won Game 3 due to the unexpected heroes that had solid performances.