When the New York Knicks fell down by 20 during the second quarter and trailed the Indiana Pacers by 13 at halftime in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, just about everyone felt that the team's season was more or less cooked.
That group included Charles Barkley, analyst for NBA on TNT. Chuck was blunt as ever during TNT's halftime coverage: "Now, this game is pretty much over," he said. "This is a wrap because the Knicks can't play fast and beat the Pacers. But they're down 13, so they gotta play fast. They're gonna get ran out of this damn building."
Barkley was unable to see what was to come. Despite being down 20 with 3:20 left in the second quarter, the Knicks went on to close the half on a 10-3 run. Even though the 13-point gap still felt insurmountable, it left the game manageable. By the end of the third quarter, New York had cut it to 10. Just four minutes into the fourth, a thunderous Karl-Anthony Towns dunk gave the Knicks an 86-85 lead, which carried them to a 106-100 victory, trimming their deficit in the series to 2-1.
For the third time this postseason, the Knicks came back and won after being down by at least 20 points. New York got contributions from up and down the roster, including Miles McBride, Delon Wright and Landry Shamet. But none were more important than Towns, dropping 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to go with eight rebounds.
Barkley, once again, was proven wrong. The Knicks resiliency has been a mantra for them all season. And as Knicks fans left Gainbridge Fieldhouse, they let Barkley know, chanting "Knicks in six."
Knicks fans hopped online to flame Charles Barkley after Game 3 comeback
Barkley, known for gambling, is also known for things often going south whenever he makes a "guaranteed" bet. Knick fans rejoiced in Barkley saying "it's over", because it clearly wasn't.
There's nothing that Knicks fans enjoy more than their team proving an analyst(s) wrong. Against Boston, every ESPN expert picked the Celtics, with a perfect 11-0 sweep in pre-series predictions. There were some who believed the Detroit Pistons could beat them, too. They were wrong, and a perfect icing on the cake would be for them to come back and beat the Pacers.