Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers Push Knicks to Brink

If the New York Knicks are to return to the NBA Finals, it’ll take more than one comeback this time around.

A packed box score from Tyrese Haliburton placed the Indiana Pacers one win away from the NBA Finals, as they earned a 130-121 win over the Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday night.

Haliburton put up 32 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds in the monumental victory, earned in front of his father John. The elder Haliburton’s de facto exile from Gainbridge Fieldhouse was lifted on Tuesday as he was put up in the luxury box for the proceedings.

Such a postseason output, one where a player put up at least 30, 15, and 10 in the respective categories, is just the third of its kind and was previously earned by only Nikola Jokic (2023) and Oscar Robertson (twice). Haliburton is also the first to pull it off without a turnover since the stat first started being recorded in 1984.

Jalen Brunson put in 31 points in defeat for the Knicks while Karl-Anthony Towns (24 points, 12 rebounds) and Josh Hart (12 points, 11 rebounds) each earned double-doubles, the latter doing so off the bench as the Knicks once again placed Mitchell Robinson in the starting five.

However, the defensive lapses proved to be far too much for New York to handle and self-inflicted errors such as 17 turnovers (five different Knicks had at least two) were equally deadly. Indeed, Tuesday marked just the fourth time that the Knicks dropped a regulation playoff games while scoring at least 120 points and their first in such a scenario since 1990.

Indiana foreshadowed its takeover from the get-go, shooting over 68 percent from the field (including 6-of-8 from deep) to build an eight-point advantage after the opening period. The 43 points allowed by New York was the most it had ever surrendered in a playoff game's first dozen.

A strong second quarter appeared to even things out, as Towns and OG Anunoby united for 21 tallies in the frame. But the Pacers more or less swiped momentum for good with a 7-0 run at the end of the half, pushing the run of unanswered points to 13 in the third quarter before Mikal Bridges stemmed the bleeding after a timeout.

May 27, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the hoop past Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the first quarter of game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

From there, the Knicks made several futile runs at the lead, never getting any close than five the rest of the way. Magic officially ran out in the fourth quarter, which saw Brunson shoot just 1-of-3, Hart foul out, and Towns endure an apparent knee injury after contact with Aaron Nesmith, who had 16 points and was a game-best plus-20 despite enduring an ankle injury scare in the prior contest. Pascal Siakam scored 11 of his 30 points in the closer while ex-Knick Obi Toppin delivered the dagger with a three-point that created a double-figure game with 45 seconds remaining.

Now up 3-1 in the best-of-seven set, Indiana is one win away from its first NBA Finals showing since 2000. The Knicks will have to pull off just the 14th comeback from 3-1 down and the first in franchise history. New York previously forced a seventh game in a similar situation back in 1995’s conference semifinals but fell short in Game 7.

Game 5 will return to Manhattan, as Madison Square Garden re-opens its doors on Thursday night (8 pm ET, TNT).

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