NBA conference finals takeaways: Knicks steal Game 3 behind Towns’ 4th-quarter surge

The 2025 NBA league finals person tipped off, with 4 teams warring for a spot successful the Finals.

The No. 1 effect Oklahoma City Thunder took a commanding 2-0 bid pb against the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves successful the West finals. But the Wolves, backmost astatine location for Game 3, posted a dominating triumph against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC down Anthony Edwards' 30-point performance.

In the East, the No. 4 effect Indiana Pacers took a 2-0 pb against the 3-seed New York Knicks astatine Madison Square Garden. But the Knicks bounced backmost connected the Pacers' location tribunal successful Game 3 aft a fourth-quarter surge from Karl-Anthony Towns.

As these elite teams look off, our NBA insiders interruption down their biggest takeaways from each matchup and what to ticker for successful some showdowns.

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Eastern Conference

(4) Indiana Pacers pb (3) New York Knicks 2-1

Game 3: Knicks 106, Pacers 100

For 3 quarters Sunday night, some Karl-Anthony Towns individually and the Knicks collectively looked wholly lost. Towns, 1 of the champion scoring bigs successful the league, had lone 4 points and was hardly involved. New York, already down 2-0 and with its play hanging by a thread, had been routed for astir of the contention and trailed by 10 points entering the fourth.

Then, retired of nowhere, Towns took implicit with 20 fourth-quarter points -- including 14 successful the archetypal 4 minutes -- to assistance the Knicks flight with a triumph and springiness New York a accidental to adjacent the bid Tuesday night.

It lone happened due to the fact that Towns -- the prima the Knicks acquired connected the eve of grooming campy past fall, the section kid who had an All-NBA play -- delivered precisely the benignant of infinitesimal a subordinate with that résumé is expected to successful a concern similar this.

There was plentifulness of unit connected Towns coming into this game. His antiaircraft struggles played a important relation successful New York losing Game 2 connected Friday nighttime -- and successful manager Tom Thibodeau choosing to spell with Mitchell Robinson successful the starting lineup successful spot of Josh Hart to enactment different antiaircraft large alongside him.

For overmuch of the Game 3, it looked similar Towns and the Knicks were going to beryllium conscionable a punchline. Instead, a 4th fourth for the ages became the latest infinitesimal successful 1 of the NBA's astir storied rivalries, and it keeps New York's NBA Finals dreams alive. -- Tim Bontemps

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Knicks stun Pacers with 20-point comeback to instrumentality Game 3

The Knicks flooded a 20-point shortage successful a stunning Game 3 triumph against the Pacers.

Biggest takeaways for the Knicks:

All it took was the Knicks needing different 20-point comeback for them to get backmost into this series. All jokes aside, this was apt New York's gutsiest triumph of the play fixed what was astatine stake.

Even with KAT's unthinkable fourth-quarter run, determination was nary warrant that Jalen Brunson would travel done successful the clutch with what turned retired to beryllium the game-winning bucket aft sitting with 5 fouls until the 1:37 people successful the last period. A batch of players would not support capable bushed to deed specified a pugnacious changeable astatine that moment.

All of a sudden, the Knicks -- aft trailing by 20 successful Game 3 -- tin rotation the communicative to immoderate extent. Their strategy to alteration the starting lineup near them successful a amended spot done 1 4th than it did successful the archetypal 2 games of the series. Thibodeau got much players from his seat involved, possibly giving him much options for the remainder of the series. Whatever assurance issues Towns had aft 2 games -- antiaircraft oregon different -- should vanish aft a stellar 4th that saved New York's season. -- Chris Herring

Biggest takeaways for the Pacers:

After the Pacers "got smashed" -- to punctuation manager Rick Carlisle earlier Sunday's Game 3 -- by the Cleveland Cavaliers pursuing victories successful the archetypal 2 games connected the roadworthy successful the league semifinals, the question was whether Indiana would execute amended with a accidental to enactment this bid retired of scope against its long-standing rivals Sunday night.

For overmuch of the game, the Pacers did. Despite not shooting the shot well, they mostly unopen down Towns and Brunson, and Indiana led by treble digits for astir of the mediate information of the contest. But aft the Pacers stole Game 1 successful New York, this 1 tin lone consciousness similar Indiana allowed the Knicks to instrumentality the favor.

The Knicks had nary concern winning. And if they hadn't, the Pacers could commencement preparing for the NBA Finals. Instead, the Knicks are present conscionable 48 minutes distant from tying the bid and heading backmost to New York for what would beryllium an unthinkable ambiance successful Madison Square Garden for Game 5.

The different happening to watch: Indiana guardant Aaron Nesmith, a captious subordinate successful this series, sprained his close ankle successful the 3rd 4th and didn't look large aft returning successful the fourth. With games coming each different time moving forward, his presumption and mobility volition beryllium a cardinal storyline to watch. -- Tim Bontemps

Game 4: Knicks astatine Pacers (Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET, TNT)

What to watch:

Towns deserves a ton of recognition for his fourth-quarter burst. But the Knicks won Game 3 mostly due to the fact that of their defense, which held Indiana to 100 points aft allowing 138 successful Game 1 (125 successful regulation) and 114 successful Game 2.

With a accidental to instrumentality a commanding 3-0 bid lead, the Pacers suffered their worst shooting crippled of the playoffs, with their fewest 3-point makes, fewest attempts and lowest percentage. Entering Sunday, the Pacers were the hottest squad successful the playoffs, making 41% of their 3s; for context, among teams that won astatine slightest 1 round, cipher other was northbound of 36%. But successful Game 3, Indiana changeable conscionable 5-for-25 from distance.

How overmuch of that alteration is simply a recognition to the Knicks' defence versus specified flukish single-game luck could dictate who wins Game 4. Indiana astir apt won't marque conscionable 20% of its 3s again -- but lone 25 attempts is simply a triumph for New York, which forced Indiana to instrumentality much than fractional its shots from the less-efficient midrange.

On the different end, a cardinal for Game 4 is however Nesmith's ankle recovers pursuing his midgame sprain. After sitting for a agelong long of the 2nd half, Nesmith returned for -- and was ineffective successful -- crunch time. But if helium is compromised going forward, Indiana could conflict to incorporate Brunson.

Nesmith isn't conscionable effectual from the perimeter, arsenic helium demonstrated to large fanfare successful Indiana's Game 1 comeback. He besides is the Pacers' champion enactment to support Brunson. Through the archetypal 2 games of the league finals, the Knicks' starring scorer had a 48% effectual tract extremity people erstwhile Nesmith was his superior defender, according to GeniusIQ tracking, versus 63% against Ben Sheppard and 73% against Andrew Nembhard.

Granted, Brunson had his worst crippled successful weeks connected Sunday, adjacent arsenic helium mostly went up against non-Nesmith defenders. But each different Knicks-Pacers playoff crippled dating backmost to past outpouring suggests Indiana's different options can't instrumentality with Brunson arsenic good arsenic Nesmith can. -- Zach Kram

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder pb (6) Minnesota Timberwolves 2-1

Game 3: Timberwolves 143, Thunder 101

Biggest takeaways for the Timberwolves:

Facing an 0-2 bid shortage successful the Western Conference finals with his team's third-quarter woes successful Oklahoma City inactive caller successful his mind, Timberwolves manager Chris Finch presented a assured beforehand earlier Game 3.

"We cognize what we person to do," Finch said. "We person to debar the five-minute meltdown."

And the Wolves delivered.

As shaky arsenic Minnesota looked during the Thunder's 17-2 tally successful the 3rd 4th of Game 1 and OKC's 14-2 spurt successful the 3rd successful Game 2, the Wolves made the Thunder look conscionable arsenic susceptible virtually each nighttime Saturday.

Minnesota led by 20 aft the archetypal quarter, 31 astatine halftime and 37 heading into the 4th earlier Thunder manager Mark Daigneault metaphorically waved the achromatic emblem (to lucifer the oversea of achromatic T-shirts successful the stands astatine Target Center) and pulled his starters.

Anthony Edwards (30 points connected 12-for-17 shooting, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) single-handedly outscored the Thunder 16-14 successful the opening frame, and the onslaught continued from there.

While Edwards rested to commencement the 2nd quarter, Finch switched up his rotation by putting successful rookie guardant Terrence Shannon Jr. He instantly delivered with 9 points successful 4 minutes to widen Minnesota's cushion -- and smashed Shane Heal's Wolves franchise grounds for points disconnected the seat by a rookie successful a postseason crippled (six connected April 24, 1997, against Houston) by finishing with 15 connected 5-for-8 shooting.

The Wolves flipped the publication connected astir everything that plagued them to commencement the series. They won the turnover battle, with conscionable 10 miscues, compared to 15 for the Thunder. They recovered their range, shooting 20-for-40 from heavy (50%) aft going 26-for-90 connected the roadworthy (28.8%). And Julius Randle, benched successful the 4th fourth of Game 2 portion struggling done a 2-for-11 shooting night, sat retired the 4th fourth again Saturday with the triumph already successful hand, acknowledgment successful portion to his 24 points connected 9-for-15 shooting.

Finch's assurance figures to beryllium adjacent greater going into Monday's Game 4. -- Dave McMenamin

Biggest takeaways for the Thunder:

The Thunder got punched successful the rima and ne'er recovered. This was the worst show of the play for Oklahoma City. Compared to the Thunder's 29-point shortage rally successful their Game 3 against the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma ne'er seemed to make immoderate anticipation against the Wolves successful Target Center. Coach Mark Daigneault pulled the plug with much than 2 minutes remaining successful the 3rd quarter, erstwhile the Timberwolves led by 40. SGA's 14 points were his lowest full successful immoderate crippled this play -- and inactive led OKC successful this disappointing loss. -- Tim MacMahon

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Ant Edwards' 30-point nighttime helps Wolves instrumentality Game 3

Anthony Edwards notches 30 points with 9 rebounds and 6 assists arsenic the Timberwolves rout the Thunder successful Game 3.

Game 4: Thunder astatine Timberwolves (Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

What to watch:

Will we ever get to spot a adjacent crippled successful the Western Conference finals?

Through 3 games, the mean borderline of triumph is 28 points; successful the closest contest, Oklahoma City led by 22 aft 3 quarters and won by 15. A operation of turnovers, acold shooting by the roadworthy squad and home-court momentum has pushed each 3 games to blowouts, and Game 3 was the biggest 1 yet.

Game 4 should connection a premier accidental for accrued competitiveness. Humbled by their Game 3 shellacking, successful which they came retired level and sloppy and paid the price, the Thunder should beryllium much engaged, portion the Timberwolves tin anticipation to thrust the Target Center assemblage to different up-tempo triumph and a bid tie.

One inclination worthy monitoring is whether location cooking continues to assistance Minnesota's shooters portion harming Oklahoma City's. After making 20 of 40 3-point attempts Saturday, the Timberwolves are shooting 39% from region astatine location successful the playoffs, versus 32% connected the road. (In the regular season, it was overmuch much even: 38% astatine location and 37% connected the road.)

Meanwhile, the Thunder person connected connected conscionable 27% of their 3-point attempts connected the roadworthy successful the postseason, versus 36% astatine home.

Shooting luck isn't the lone crushed that Minnesota romped successful Game 3; the Timberwolves were superior successful each facet of the game. But if that luck regresses to the norm successful Game 4, we mightiness yet beryllium successful for a tense Western Conference finals contest, alternatively than different blowout. -- Zach Kram