INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Nembhard made a 31-foot 3-pointer to break the tie with 16 seconds remaining, Tyrese Haliburton had 35 points, and the Indiana Pacers came from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat the injury-riddled New York Knicks 111-106 on Friday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Knicks are still ahead in the best-of-seven series 2-1, and Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday in Indianapolis. New York led by nine with 9:45 left and had the chance to take a commanding 3-0 lead, but with Jalen Brunson slowed by a right foot injury, the Knicks couldn’t hold on.
Nembhard only scored five points, all in the final minute, while Haliburton achieved his second consecutive playoff career high. Pascal Siakam added 26 points and seven rebounds, and Myles Turner had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Donte DiVincenzo led the Knicks with 35 points, making 7 of 11 3-pointers. Brunson had 26 points and six rebounds, including a tying 3-pointer with 42 seconds left, but he missed another 3-point attempt with 13 seconds to go.
Alec Burks, who had played only 1 minute in the postseason, scored 14 points in 21 minutes for the Knicks, who were without starting forward OG Anunoby. It’s uncertain whether Anunoby can recover from his injured left hamstring to play on Sunday, although he traveled with the team to Indianapolis.
The Knicks had already lost All-Star Julius Randle and key contributors Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson to season-ending injuries.
After losing second-half leads in the first two games, it was the Pacers who turned the tables. With New York fans chanting “Let’s Go Knicks” in the Pacers’ arena, Indiana found the finishing burst it lacked earlier this week as new WNBA star Caitlin Clark watched the game from a suite with her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, and Indiana Fever teammates.
Haliburton sparked the comeback after Indiana trailed 98-89 with 9:45 to go.
He completed a three-point play and then made consecutive layups, reducing the deficit to two. Siakam tied the score at 99 with a three-point play with 5:42 left, and when DiVincenzo broke free on a fast break, Haliburton helped force a turnover. Siakam responded by making one of two free throws to give Indiana a 100-99 lead with 5:42 remaining.
The teams traded the lead four more times, and Brunson’s 3-pointer made it 106-all. Nembhard made the shot as the shot clock expired, the Pacers’ defense got the stop it needed, and Aaron Nesmith closed it out with two free throws.
