The Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns came into Game 3 needing a response. What did they give us? A meltdown in slow motion. It was all square early, and then the Pacers hit the NOS—ripping off a 12-4 run that bridged the first and second quarters like they had somewhere to be.

One minute it was tied, next thing you know it’s 38-30 Pacers—and that was before Knicks fans even settled into their stress positions. By halftime, it was 58-45. Indiana had their foot on the gas while New York looked like they were treating this like a preseason scrimmage in Des Moines.

Karl-Anthony Towns? He spent more time standing next to the scorer’s table than actually hooping. Picked up three fouls before halftime and clocked his fourth like he was chasing a loyalty punch card. He finished with just 9 points on 4-of-10 shooting, including 1-of-4 from deep, and coughed up four turnovers in just 23 minutes. That’s not a max contract night—that’s “yo, is Taj Gibson still around?” type energy.

Jalen Brunson tried to carry, but he wasn’t safe either. He logged 17 points—mostly from the line (8-of-8 FT)—but bricked his way to a 4-of-14 shooting night and picked up four fouls by the third quarter. The man looked like he was moving through airport security—cautious, slow, and scared to make contact. A -15 plus/minus summed it up.

Even Mitchell Robinson couldn’t escape the foul bug, racking up three of his own. He was efficient with his 6 points on 3-of-4 shooting, grabbed six boards (three offensive), and even chipped in a steal and block—but the Pacers’ relentless small-ball pace left him gasping and chasing.

With all three of Thibs’ core dudes in foul jail, the rotations got weird fast. Bench guys got tossed into the fire, and the Pacers? They smelled blood. Haliburton and Siakam hunted mismatches like it was open season. Every drive felt like a trap to see if the Knicks could count to five.

Fans Aren’t Holding Back: Knicks Foul Trouble Sparks Fire on Twitter

As the Knicks sputtered through a brutal second quarter—just nine points with 3:20 left and suddenly staring at a 55–35 deficit—Twitter lit up like Times Square. One fan summed up the frustration perfectly: “This has been a shameful performance. Pacers playing like the desperate team.” The Knicks looked flat, lifeless, and overwhelmed while Indiana smelled blood and went for the jugular. The energy gap? Painfully obvious. The fans felt it. The timeline felt it. Everyone felt it.

Then came the challenge. Rick Carlisle rolled the dice on a call that had fans scratching their heads. “I don’t like this challenge by Rick Carlisle. It’s a lot like the one Tom Thibodeau did in the third quarter of Game 1. Pretty low value, plus I don’t see them winning it – Haliburton was hanging on Towns’ arm before the push-off.” It felt like a momentum-saver at best, a waste of a challenge at worst. Carlisle looked like he was reaching.

But then—plot twist. That same fan had to eat his words seconds later: “I stand corrected – Carlisle wins it, and gets a third foul on Karl-Anthony Towns, instead of an and-one. Winds up being a huge swing. I did not see that one going that way, nor did anyone around me on press row.” That call turned the tide. Instead of KAT gaining momentum, he picked up another foul and sat again. It wasn’t just a swing—it was a sledgehammer.

Still, as foul trouble piled up—Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, and Mitchell Robinson all in the danger zone—the Knicks didn’t fold. Down ten heading into the fourth, they mounted a gutsy run, and the fans felt the shift. One tweeted mid-fourth: “Karl-Anthony Towns has seven points in the 4th quarter after having four points in the first three quarters.” The big man woke up, finally answering the call when it mattered most. And it wasn’t just seven—Towns ended with 24 points and 15 rebounds, flipping the switch when the Knicks needed him most.

And with the Knicks clawing to an 89–88 lead, that cautious optimism crept back onto the timeline. Another fan dared to hope: “Do I smell a comeback?,” Yes, you manifested the comeback.

And just like that, the Knicks flipped the script in epic fashion. Facing a 20‑point hole and staring down an NBA‑history‑making 3‑0 deficit, New York uncorked a fourth‑quarter blitz for the ages. Karl-Anthony Towns wrote his name into the record books with 20 points in the final frame—the most by a Knick in any playoff fourth quarter since they started counting in ’97—while Jalen Brunson wove his usual magic despite foul trouble. The bench dug in, the defense clamped up, and the Pacers simply had no answer for that 36‑20 onslaught.

And one fan? he took the revenge for Game 2. In what way? see for yourself.

Now the series is 2‑1, the momentum pendulum has swung back into Madison Square Garden’s hands, and Indiana’s cozy 2‑0 cushion is gone. Game 4 looms as a true pivot point: the Pacers must prove they can close it out, or the Knicks will ride this newfound energy all the way toward a historic comeback. Buckle up—this rivalry just got a whole lot juicier.