That Game 3 win for the Knicks in Indiana? Unreal. Down 0-2 in the series and trailing by 20 during the game, they clawed their way back for a gritty 106-100 victory to keep their Finals hopes alive. But with a battle that brutal, two questions always follow: Who’s still standing? And what exactly was going through Tom Thibodeau’s mind with some of those lineup choices? After the buzzer, Thibs offered a glimpse.

First off, let’s talk injuries, because every Knicks fan probably had their heart in their throat a few times. Karl-Anthony Towns was seen grabbing his knee pretty good during the game, and Josh Hart took an awkward tumble that also involved his knee. With how banged up this team has been, you couldn’t help but worry about Game 4.

So, when a reporter asked Thibs if he had any concerns about KAT or Hart, you know what he said? Classic Thibs. “No,” he deadpanned. Then, with that little smirk, he added, “I don’t know if you’re aware, but our medical team is voted the best in the league. So we—yeah.” He went on to praise his guys, saying, “They are tough-minded, and I think at this time of the year, the mental toughness is probably more important than the physical toughness, and both of those guys are mentally tough, which I think is huge.” Translation: They’re Knicks. They’ll play. Don’t ask silly questions.

However, one of the biggest eyebrow-raisers was Josh Hart not starting Game 3, with Thibs instead giving Mitchell Robinson the nod alongside KAT. When Thibs was first asked to explain what went into that, he joked: “We could, you could—we won’t though.” Typical. But when pressed, Thibs opened up a bit.

He claimed it “really didn’t impact either guy from a minute standpoint,” calling both Hart and Mitch “starters” whether they’re on the floor for the opening tip or not. He also gushed about Hart’s unselfishness, saying, “The thing that I love about Josh is the unselfishness, you know, like—he’s—he’s wanted—like, you know, like, you’re concerned because you’re not only impacting him, but you’re impacting other guys… So you got to make sure that that’s all good.”

But here’s where the real story comes out. It wasn’t just Thibs making a tough call. Josh Hart himself, was the one who actually suggested the move! Hart, while talking to the media post game, revealed he met with Thibodeau and selflessly volunteered to come off the bench so Mitchell Robinson could start.

“It was never going to be a tough day for me because I had a hand in that decision,” Hart said. “When I’m in a decision like that and kind of got the ball rolling on that… it was kind of my decision. I was comfortable with it.” He even mentioned he’d thought about it before Game 6 against Boston because he was struggling with a specific matchup. Down 0-2, he figured the team needed a spark. Now that is a teammate.

What finally clicked for the Knicks in game 3?

Okay, so the Knicks pulled a rabbit out of the hat in Game 3, right? Down 20, looking like they were about to get swept, and they somehow storm back to win. It was their third 20-point comeback this postseason alone! That’s just insane. Well, for starters, Karl-Anthony Towns finally decided to join the party in a big way. After looking pretty quiet for the first three quarters – just four – KAT absolutely exploded in the fourth. He dropped 20 points in that final period!

Then there’s the Thibs factor, and this is where it gets interesting. For a coach who usually sticks to his guns and runs his starters into the ground, Thibs actually went deeper into his bench in Game 3. Guys like Delon Wright and Landry Shamet, who’d barely sniffed the court before, got real minutes. And guess what? It kinda worked! That never-before-seen lineup with Wright, McBride, Shamet, Hart, and Towns actually helped spark the comeback. Coach Carlisle of the Pacers even mentioned the Knicks had “a lot of their better defenders in the game in the second half.”

You also can’t ignore what happened on the Pacers’ side. Their offense, which looked unstoppable in the first two games, kind of dried up. They shot a miserable 5-for-25 from three. That’s just not going to win you many playoff games, especially when you’re used to lighting it up from deep. When a team that averages 14 threes a game suddenly can’t buy one, it gives the other team a massive opening. Moreover, the Aaron Nesmith injury definitely played a part.

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But at the end of the day, you just have to give it up for the Knicks’ sheer refusal to lose. Jalen Brunson said after the game that even when they were down big at halftime, they talked in the locker room about sticking together and not falling apart.

That kind of mental toughness, that ability to stare a 20-point deficit in the face for the third time in one playoff run and still find a way to win? That’s special. They know they can do it and they need to keep doing it.