There are basketball games, and then there are 12-round heavyweight fights that happen to be played on a hardwood floor. Game 3 between the Knicks and Pacers? That was the equivalent of “Rocky II”—with Karl-Anthony Towns randomly deciding to go full Ivan Drago in the fourth quarter and Jalen Brunson playing the role of Coach Rocky during halftime. You had drama, you had chaos, you had Knicks fans debating whether to scream into a pillow or order another round of fries. And somehow, New York survived.

Let’s set the scene: Knicks down 20, Pacers looking like they’re auditioning for a “How to Run a Clinic on Off-Ball Movement” documentary, and Jalen Brunson sitting on the bench with foul trouble. Things were spiraling faster than James Harden’s playoff narratives. Then came the halftime huddle, where Brunson didn’t just sit there and vibe—he rallied the troops.

“In the locker room, we talked… we can quickly start to point fingers, turn on each other. But we got together as a team & made sure everyone was encouraging each other, it’s not over, keep fighting, keep chipping away. I’m just proud,” said Brunson. He basically gave the team their own “last dance” moment. He wasn’t punching teammates like Jordan, but the motivational effect? Same energy.

For a hot second, it looked like Karl-Anthony Towns was determined to redefine “rollercoaster.” In the first three quarters, he was all over the place—foul trouble, bizarre decisions, and defense softer than a vintage Mike D’Antoni squad. Then, like he was fueled by vintage Amar’e Stoudemire clips, Towns went absolutely nuclear in the fourth.

Twenty points in a little over six minutes. Man was shooting like he unlocked the NBA Jam “he’s on fire” cheat code. He didn’t care if it was Myles Turner, a double team, or the laws of physics—he was getting buckets. And he wasn’t just standing on the perimeter like a discount Dirk; he was mixing it up in the post, taking contact, hitting 3-of-4 from deep and 5-of-6 from the line in the fourth quarter alone.

Even Coach Thibodeau, who treats timeouts and rotations like they’re bank passwords, left Brunson on the bench longer than expected. That’s how hot KAT was.

Brunson? He still delivered when needed—23 points on a night where his shot was more inconsistent than Ben Simmons’ jumper. But even with foul trouble and a minus-6 on the +/- chart, his impact came in leadership.

And with just under two minutes left in the fourth, Tom Thibodeau made a crucial call—subbing out Miles McBride. Jalen Brunson, now fully commanding the floor, delivered when it mattered most. With Aaron Nesmith draped all over him, Brunson buried a tough floater to extend the Knicks’ lead to a two-possession cushion, using the clock as their sixth man.

His voice in that locker room likely saved the Knicks from emotional collapse, and possibly, the entire direction of their season.

This Game Was the Knicks in a Nutshell

The Knicks, as currently constructed, live and die by the duality of Brunson’s consistency and Towns’ unpredictability. OG Anunoby went 4-of-6 from deep, Mitchell Robinson was a presence inside, and Josh Hart hustled like he was still trying to make the roster. But let’s be honest—New York doesn’t sniff a comeback without Towns deciding to finally look like the offensive unicorn everyone’s been begging him to be since 2016.

Anunoby’s steady play is great. Mikal Bridges’ shooting? Well, let’s just say 1-of-6 from three won’t win any horse contests. But KAT? He has the tools to dominate, and when he uses them like this, it makes you wonder why it doesn’t happen more often. Of course, Knicks fans are still holding their breath every time he makes a spin move in traffic or jumps for a pump fake with three fouls.

Let’s not forget—no team in NBA history has lost the first two games of a best-of-seven series at home and still made the Finals. That’s the path the Knicks are trying to bulldoze through. They gave up seven first-round picks to go all-in. This isn’t the fun, overachieving squad of yesteryear. This is the “you-better-make-it-count” era, and that weight showed in the first half of Game 3.

In the 2024-25 offseason, the Knicks made it clear they were done playing the long game. They swung big—first by acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Nets in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick, and a pick swap.

Then came the blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, sending Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and draft picks to Minnesota. To cement the core, they re-signed OG Anunoby to a five-year, $212.5 million deal. Every move screamed urgency. Every decision carried the weight of expectations. And now, with history stacked against them, the Knicks are learning what going all-in really demands.

With Brunson’s leadership and Towns’ second-half eruption, they kept the ship from sinking. If anything, they just gave Knicks fans a reason to believe again, while also giving them a brand new source of stress.

Because let’s be real: if KAT can be this guy more than once every five games, the Knicks might not just survive this series—they might make history. If he can’t? Well, let’s just say those seven first-round picks might end up haunting the Garden louder than Charles Oakley in the stands.

Either way, Brunson gave them the halftime words, and KAT followed up with the fireworks. For one night at least, it was enough.