The No Quit Knicks do it again.
KAT ignites another 20-point New York rally to take Game 3 of the East Finals.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Another One: KAT sparks a historic Knicks comeback to cut their series deficit to 2-1
New York Grit: With their season on the line, the Knicks’ depth delivered
Pack Clawing Back: Wolves ride Game 3 momentum into tonight’s pivotal Game 4
Rookie Spark: Terrence Shannon Jr. wasn’t just ready for Game 3 – he changed it
Ready To Respond: How OKC looks to reestablish its identity tonight
BUT FIRST … ⏰
A massive Game 4 in Minnesota…
Game 4 of the West Finals tips off tonight (8:30 ET, ESPN), as Anthony Edwards and the Wolves look to even the series at 2-2 against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the top-seeded Thunder.
1. TOWNS POWERS EPIC KNICKS RALLY IN GAME 3
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty ImagesAfter dropping Game 2 of the East Finals, Karl-Anthony Towns was asked about the Knicks’ mindset, with history showing teams down 2-0 in the Playoffs have lost the series 92.3% of the time.
His response was clear:
- KAT: “What did I [tell] y’all about with the word history? I’m not here to repeat it – we’re here to make it.”
In Game 3, staring at a 3-0 deficit on the road, Towns and the Knicks did exactly that.
Knicks 106, Pacers 100: After trailing 55-35 in the 2nd quarter, Towns (24 pts, 15 reb) sparked yet another 20-point Knicks rally, as they stormed back in the 2nd half to stun Tyrese Haliburton (20 pts, 7 ast, 3 stl) and the Pacers on their home floor, cutting New York’s series deficit to 2-1. | Recap
- Historic Playoffs: Entering 2025, there had been 21 20+ point Playoff comebacks in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98). This year alone has seen six
- Historic Heart: Three of those comebacks have been completed by one team – the New York Knicks – breaking a tie with this year’s Pacers for the most in a single postseason in the PxP era
- “Never Quit Mentality”: New York is now 6-1 on the road this postseason, matching its franchise record (1999) for the most road wins in a single Playoff run
David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images
In a building where it was 0-9 all-time in Playoff games, New York looked on as Indy sent Gainbridge Fieldhouse into a frenzy with a 13-0 run in the 2nd quarter to go up 20.
But the Knicks never blinked. They trimmed the deficit to 13 entering the half, then to 10 entering the 4th – where Towns took over.
- KAT Catches Fire: After scoring four points in the opening three quarters, Towns scored 12 points in the first 3:25 of the 4th, capped by a 3 to cut New York’s deficit to one
- Then? A momentum-shifting poster for three the hard way, giving the Knicks their first lead since the 1st quarter ⬇️
- Kan’t Miss: After trading buckets, it was KAT who was responsible for the game’s final lead change, hitting two free throws and a 31-foot stepback triple to put New York up four
Big Impact: Towns finished with 20 points and eight boards in the 4th, marking the highest-scoring quarter of his postseason career.
In the last 25 years, only one other player has posted such a statline in the 4th quarter of a Playoff game – Dirk Nowitzki in 2006.
- One Of Two: Towns is also just the second Knick in the PxP era to score 20+ points in the 4th quarter of a postseason game
- The First? Jalen Brunson in Game 1 of last year’s Playoff series against the Pacers. The Captain added a tiebreaking floater with 1:17 left and two late free throws to ice the game Sunday
- “I just wanted to do whatever it takes to help put us in a position to win,” said KAT postgame. “This is a great team win. But we know we need to be better than we were tonight to get another one.”
What’s Next: After 3 straight classics — all won by road teams — in the series, the Knicks stay in Indy for a shot to even the series on Tuesday in Game 4 (8 ET, TNT).
2. KNICKS’ DEPTH DELIVERS DOWN THE STRETCH
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In Games 1 and 2, Towns and Brunson carried the scoring load for New York, combining for 79 and 55 points. But the Knicks still came up short.
In Game 3, their combined total dropped to 47. Yet the Knicks pulled off the first 20-point comeback in the Conference Finals since 2017.
The difference? A complete team effort fueled by heart and unselfishness – two keys powering the Knicks’ ‘No Quit’ mentality all season.
- Starting Spark: For the first time this postseason, Mitchell Robinson got the start for New York, anchoring a defense that held Indy to a Playoff-low in both points and 2nd-half FG% (36.8)
- Winning Wings: OG Anunoby (16 pts, 3 blk, 1 stl) and Mikal Bridges (15 pts, 2 stl) also came up big defensively while combining for 31 points
- Bench Boost: Miles McBride (9 pts) and Josh Hart (8 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl) led the bench, which saw Delon Wright (13 mins, 2 pts, 1 ast) and Landry Shamet (11 mins, 3 pts, 2 ast) step up in their first minutes of the series
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NY Resolve: After entering the break down 13, New York outscored Indiana 61-42 in the 2nd half, with its bench chipping in 15 points compared to the Pacers’ two.
But perhaps no stretch epitomized the Knicks’ top-to-bottom resilience more than when Brunson left the game with five fouls and just 7:03 left.
- Depth Delivers: With the Kia Clutch Player in foul trouble and their season on the line, the Knicks’ depth came through, beginning with a personal 5-0 run from Towns to take the lead
- More Answers: After a Pascal Siakam bucket, Bridges responded with a pair of free throws. Then Anunoby came up with a big block on the other end, leading to a trip to the line for McBride, who also knocked down both
- When McBride subbed out for Brunson, 1:37 remained. The Knicks had gone over five minutes without their star and held a one-point lead
- Twenty seconds later, following a Siakam free throw, a well-rested Brunson made his mark – splashing the tiebreaking floater to give New York a two-point lead it never relinquished
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
The game-sealing play, however, came from the man swapped out of the starting lineup for Robinson. After forcing a Pacers miss on the ensuing possession, Josh Hart outleaped a sea of bodies for the rebound, drawing a foul in the process to earn two free throws with 19 ticks left.
He calmly hit both to put the Knicks up four, as they walked out of Indy with their series deficit split in half.
- Stepping Up: The Knicks finished the night +12 with Brunson on the bench — their best mark since February – and outscored Indy 36-20 in the 4th to secure the win
- “This team is special,” said Towns postgame. “That locker room is special. For us to have the grittiness that we have, it’s because of the characters and the personalities and the sacrifices in that locker room that everyone is willing to make.”
3. WOLVES LOOK TO TIE WEST FINALS TONIGHT
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After two road losses, the Timberwolves rallied in front of a roaring home crowd in Game 3, firing from deep and controlling the paint to gain a foothold in the West Finals.
Tonight (8:30 ET, ESPN), Anthony Edwards and the Wolves will look to carry that momentum into Game 4, where they have a chance to send the series back to OKC tied 2-2.
- The Keys: The Wolves are 3-0 this season (reg+post) when holding their opponent to under 41% shooting and making over 20 3s, as they did in Game 3
- Controlling Thunder: Minnesota is one of three teams to beat OKC twice this season (HOU, DEN), holding the Thunder to 118 ppg – the lowest of the three
- Eyeing History: Of the 177 teams that went down 2-0 on the road in a Best of 7 series, then had the chance to tie it up at home in Game 4, 88 did so (49.7%)
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Minnesota will look to become team No. 89, with Edwards once again leading the charge.
- Ant Ignition: Edwards dropped 16 points in the 1st quarter of Game 3, marking his 20th quarter with 16+ points this season. In those games, the Wolves are 17-3
- Winning Number: Edwards finished with 30 on the night, improving Minnesota’s record to 24-7 this season when he drops 30+
- “He’s learning so fast and seeing so much,” said Wolves coach Chris Finch of Ant. “He’s more comfortable out there in what he’s trying to do.”
- “Just keep trusting it,” Edwards said on his approach to the game. “That’s all.”
4. HOW TERRENCE SHANNON JR. ANSWERED THE CALL
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Entering Saturday, Terrence Shannon Jr. had played just 20 minutes this postseason and two in the West Finals.
But in the 2nd quarter of Game 3, with his team looking to avoid going down 3-0, the rookie’s number got called – and he was ready.
- Instant Energy: Nine seconds into the quarter, Shannon Jr. got the ball for the first time. Instead of settling for a contested corner 3, he pump faked, attacked the cup, drew contact and dropped in a floater – and-1
- Twenty seconds later, the ball found his hands again, and he wasted no time: dribble, dribble, pull-up, splash
- When the rookie went to sit back down, he did so to a standing ovation. He had scored 9 points in just over four minutes, sparking a 12-6 run to put the Wolves up 26
- “We knew we would need him in this series and coach has a lot of trust in him,” Julius Randle said on Shannon Jr. postgame. “He brought a lot of energy and intensity. He was just huge.”
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Shannon Jr. finished the game with 15 points in 13 minutes. But it wasn’t just his scoring that made a difference. It was his aggression, his energy and his impact on both ends.
- Meeting The Moment: Shannon Jr.’s 15 points are his third-highest total of the season and his most in a win since Feb. 24
- Protecting the Pack: In his 13 minutes, he posted an 87.1 DefRtg – the third best among all those who played 10+ minutes in the win
- “You’re definitely going to see him more,” said coach Finch postgame. “He’s going to bring energy and competitiveness, that’s what we really love about him.”
The 27th overall pick in the 2024 Draft, TSJ flashed with a poster jam in Summer League, before averaging 4.3 ppg in just over 10 minutes this regular season. But despite the limited minutes, he’s always shown up against OKC.
- Lightning Jolt: In the regular season and postseason, Shannon Jr. has logged 18.4 mpg against the Thunder while averaging 10.8 ppg
- Defensive Plus: The Wolves are now +18 in his minutes versus OKC this season, holding Aaron Wiggins, Jalen Williams and SGA to a combined 6-of-13 shooting
- “I always worked,” said Shannon Jr. after Saturday’s win. “I always stayed ready for when my name was called. And I’ll be ready when it’s called again.”
5. OKC LOOKS TO ANSWER AFTER RARE LOSS
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The first two games of the West Finals didn’t see a single double-digit lead in the 1st half.
In Game 3, the Wolves broke that pattern – quick and decisively.
- First Jab: Within seven minutes of Saturday’s game, Minnesota claimed the first double digit 1st-half lead of the series, jumping out to a 21-9 advantage
- 1st-Quarter Haymaker: By the end of the frame, the Wolves were up 20 – marking the Thunder’s largest deficit after a 1st quarter all season
- “They blitzed us pretty early and we were never able to get back because of it,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander postgame. “They came out with a sense of urgency and we didn’t.”
All-Out Start: Minnesota limited SGA to two points in the opening frame, while Anthony Edwards single-handedly outscored OKC 16-14. But Minnesota’s early blitz – and big win – didn’t start with buckets, it began with hustle.
- Muscle: After getting outrebounded in both Games 1 and 2, the Wolves won the rebounding battle 50-31 in Game 3
- Mayhem: They also recorded 17 deflections to OKC’s 10, forcing more steals than the Thunder for the first time this series. That included three swipes in the opening quarter, which contributed to five OKC turnovers
- “Energy plays and little plays like loose balls add up, especially early in the game,” said SGA postgame. “They’re at home, their crowd’s behind it and then they get comfortable … It’s all a trickle effect, but it starts with playing with energy.”
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OKC’s offensive surges often start on the defensive end, where it produced 53 points off turnovers in Games 1 & 2 compared to Minnesota’s 20. But on Saturday, the Thunder struggled to get stops, and their offense never clicked.
- SGA: “We were taking the ball out of the net the majority of the game, so they can get back and set up their defense. I don’t care who you are, in the NBA against a good defense, it’s hard to score when they’re set.”
- “Their force was better than our physicality and pressure, things that we typically do well,” added OKC coach Mark Daigneault. “We’ll address it and be a better team.”
OKC knows how to answer, with an NBA-best 15-2 record following a loss this season, including a 3-0 mark this postseason. In those games, SGA is averaging 31.7 ppg on 55.9% shooting and the Thunder are scoring 123.5 ppg.
But the Kia MVP said it all about their hustle and mindset.
- “[When] you get punched, it’s about getting back up – it’s about responding,” said SGA on Saturday. “That’s what the next challenge is … but it starts with playing with energy and being focused.”
