The New York Knicks stayed alive in the 2024–25 NBA Eastern Conference Finals with a dramatic road win over the Indiana Pacers, pulling off a 106–100 victory to cut the series deficit to 2–1. Not only did the win keep their playoff hopes intact, but it also etched their name into the NBA record books.
New York’s resilience once again defined the night. Dubbed the “Cardiac Knicks,” this team delivered when the odds seemed bleak. Trailing by as many as 20 points in the second quarter, New York overcame adversity and chaos to claw back in a hostile Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It was their third 20-point comeback of the postseason—an NBA record in the play-by-play (PxP) era.
That statistic alone underscores the heart and grit of this squad. No team in NBA playoff history has ever mounted three separate comebacks from 20+ point deficits in a single postseason. And yet, these Knicks have done it, proving their mettle under pressure and further solidifying their reputation as clutch performers.
New York looked completely out of sync in the first half, particularly during a brutal second quarter stretch. Yet head coach Tom Thibodeau showed faith in his bench. Nine Knicks logged over 10 minutes of game time, including Delon Wright and Landry Shamet, whose energy helped spark the turnaround.
Karl-Anthony Towns was the emotional and statistical engine behind the comeback. He poured in 20 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, stepping up in the game’s most critical moments. But for Towns, the performance carried extra meaning tied to family and personal legacy.
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Sunday’s Game 3 win fell on Dominican Mother’s Day—a day close to Towns’ heart. His late mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, who passed away in 2020, was Dominican, and the Knicks forward took the floor with added motivation knowing his family would be watching from home.
“My mom’s side of the family hit me up and told me they were going to be watching the game with my aunts,” Towns said postgame, according to The Athletic. “It just meant a lot that I was able to play on a day like today. Obviously, I didn’t know my mom was expecting a game like tonight, but I’m just happy that this team was able to get a win on her day.”
With the emotional weight of the moment and the magnitude of the result, Towns and the Knicks have breathed new life into their playoff campaign. Now down just 2–1 in the series, they return to the drawing board with belief—and NBA history—on their side.
