You ever watch a playoff game that just gives you chills, not just ’cause of a crazy shot, but because of something real? That was Game 3 for the New York Knicks. Down 0-2, stuck in a loud Indiana arena, season pretty much on life support – it felt like they needed a miracle. And they got one, mostly in the form of Karl-Anthony Towns absolutely losing his mind in the fourth quarter. But after he dragged his team back from the dead for an unbelievable win, it wasn’t just about the box score. KAT shared something that hit everyone right in the feels.

Before we even break down how Towns went supernova, you gotta understand the day. As he stepped on that court, with everything on the line, it was Dominican Mother’s Day. That’s huge. So, after the game, with the adrenaline probably still making his hands shake, Towns made sure everyone knew who was on his heart. “It’s Dominican Mother’s Day, man,” he said, and you could hear it in his voice during that on-court interview. “Shoutout to my mom.”

That was for Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, his mom, who the world tragically lost to COVID-19 back in 2020. Just a simple, powerful message. A reminder of the love that fuels him, the strength he carries. And on that day, of all days, her son went out and balled out of his mind. Ray Santiago from ESPN summed it up perfectly in his tweet: “Karl-Anthony Towns saved the season on Dominican Mother’s Day. I mean, do I even need to say anything?”

For a long stretch, the Knicks were getting absolutely punked. They were down by 20 points on the road! It looked like it was curtains. The Pacers were feeling it, their crowd was going bananas, and the Knicks just looked lost. To make things even uglier, both KAT and Jalen Brunson were in foul trouble pretty much the whole night. It was shaping up to be one of those games you just want to forget.

But then the fourth quarter started. And Karl-Anthony Towns just decided, “Nope, not happening.” With the Knicks’ season basically hanging by a thread, KAT threw the whole team on his back and went into beast mode. He dropped an insane 20 of his 24 points in that final quarter. And it wasn’t just him chucking shots – he was doing everything.

He was snatching huge rebounds (15 for the game!), making those tough, hustle plays that slowly, agonizingly, started to reel the Pacers back in. You could just see the fire in his eyes. Towns willed the Knicks back. They grabbed the lead and somehow, some way, gutted out a 106-100 win.

So, they stole one. Now how do the Knicks actually win this thing?

That Game 3 win was epic, no doubt about it. But let’s be real, it’s just one win. They’re still down 2-1, and now the real work begins: how do they actually build on this incredible comeback and take the series from a very good Pacers team? It’s not just about hoping for another miracle.

First things first: they need that Karl-Anthony Towns every single night. He showed off his entire offensive arsenal – post-up drop-steps, cutting for dunks, curling off screens for deep threes, even a ridiculous step-back 30-footer. But to be that guy consistently, he absolutely has to stay out of foul trouble, which has been an issue. And those quiet stretches he sometimes drifts into? Can’t happen. His health is a bit of a worry too, as he was seen limping a bit near the end of Game 3. They need him at his best.

Next up, the Knicks have to capitalize if Aaron Nesmith isn’t 100% for the Pacers. Nesmith, who sprained his ankle in Game 3 but toughed it out to return, is absolutely crucial for Indiana, especially as their primary defender on Jalen Brunson. If he’s hobbled or limited in any way, that puts a huge strain on the Pacers’ defense and their bench.

Speaking of benches, the Pacers’ reserves, usually a strength, looked flat in the second half of Game 3. Guys like T.J. McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin, and Ben Sheppard couldn’t get anything going. In fact, a Knicks lineup full of deep reserves like Delon Wright and Landry Shamet – a group that had played zero minutes together all season – actually outplayed them.

And let’s talk about star power. KAT outscored the entire Pacers team in the fourth quarter of Game 3. That’s insane. Indiana’s main guys, Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, just couldn’t match that level of dominance when it mattered most. Haliburton had his Game 1 heroics, but couldn’t replicate it. Siakam, after dropping 39 in Game 2, was a ghost in Game 3, finishing with 17 points and a team-worst minus-21. If the Knicks’ stars – KAT and a (hopefully less foul-prone) Jalen Brunson – can consistently outshine or at least match the output of Indiana’s top players, especially in crunch time, that’s how you steal road games and take control of a series.

Finally, this Knicks team has proven they have some serious fight. They know they can dig out of deep holes. Now, the trick is to not fall into them in the first place, but also to carry that belief, that “never say die” attitude into every remaining minute of this series.