Shorthanded Knicks battle to the wire, but fall in Game 3 to Pacers - Takeaways
The Knicks were on their way to taking total control of their series with the Pacers, but they couldn’t hold on.
Indiana pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback on the way to a 111-106 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to cut the Knicks' series lead to 2-1.
Game 4 will be Sunday at 3:30 p.m., also in Indiana.
The Knicks were without OG Anunoby because of a hamstring strain he suffered in Game 2. The Knicks already were without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic because of injuries.
This was a wild, back-and-forth, momentum-shifting game that saw both teams blow sizeable leads.
But in the end, the Pacers avoided falling into a three-game hole.
The Knicks in the first half trailed by as many as 12 points before climbing back and later taking complete control of the game to go up by nine with early in the fourth quarter.
But then Indiana came back and retook the lead midway through the period on a free throw by Pascal Siakam.
The game was tight until the end.
After Jalen Brunson missed a layup with a minute left, Siakam drove the basket for a bucket and the Knicks were called for goaltending.
Brunson hit a long three on the other end to tie the game at 106.
Andrew Nembhard, who had made just one basket all game, drained a three-pointer with 16.4 seconds left to put the Pacers back up by three.
Brunson missed a three (he thought he got fouled) and the Knicks were forced to foul Aaron Nesmith, who hit both foul shots to make it a five-point game.
DiVincenzo missed a three as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
Time expired and the Pacers had a win they badly needed.
Takeaways
Jalen Brunson clearly not 100 percent, but battles through it
Brunson came into the day questionable for Game 3 because of the foot injury he suffered in Game 2. He went through pre-game warmups and ultimately was in the starting lineup – it’s hard to think Brunson would’ve ever elected to sit.
Clearly not 100 percent, Brunson actually went to the bench for a few minutes in the first quarter, something that hardly ever happens.
Yet Brunson still managed to finish with 26 points on 10-of-26 shooting (2-of-6 from deep) in 38 minutes.
Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith did a solid job of guarding Brunson as much as possible.
After Indiana went up 100-99, Brunson hit a short jumper to put the Knicks back ahead by one with just less than four minutes remaining.
Tyrese Haliburton dominant for Indiana
The Pacers star guard had just six points in a rough Game 1 but has bounced back the last two games – especially in Game 3.
Haliburton finished with 35 points on 14-of-26 shooting, including 6-of-16 from deep, with four Rebounds and seven assists.
'STICKING TOGETHER NO MATTER WHAT' Shorthanded Knicks won't let anything stand in their way
Donte DiVincenzo with a huge game to keep the Knicks in it
What a performance by DiVincenzo.
He delivered big shot after big shot to keep the Knicks in the game.
DiVincenzo again gave the Knicks exactly what they needed.
He finished with 35 points on 12-of-26 shooting, including 7-of-11 from deep.
One of his threes came in the first minute of the fourth quarter and it gave the Knicks an eight-point lead.
Indiana just didn’t have an answer for him.
Alec Burks gives the Knicks production off the bench
Leave if to Alec Burks, of all people, to give the Knicks crucial production off the bench.
Burks played 44 seconds in Game 2 and didn’t play at all in the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Yet with the Knicks’ injury situation, he was called into action Friday night and responded well. He had 13 points in the first half, and ended up finishing with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting (2-of-4 from long distance with three rebounds and two assists.
Burks drained a three with 11.1 seconds left in the first half right after the Pacers had gone up by six.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Knicks lose in Game 3 to Pacers amid slew of injuries: Takeaways
