INDIANAPOLIS — Hold off on those obituaries.
The Knicks suddenly have a pulse.
After another playoff shocker, they have life in the Eastern Conference finals.
Appearing on the brink of defeat in the second quarter, they astonishingly clawed back from a 20-point gap for the third time in this chaotic and uncertain postseason.
Karl-Anthony Towns spearheaded a frenetic rally in the fourth quarter, while Jalen Brunson, who spent much of the second half sitting due to foul issues, nailed the decisive shot in the Knicks’ thrilling 106-100 triumph in Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Towns scored 20 points in the final quarter and Brunson hit a floater in the lane with 1:17 left that snapped a tie.
Josh Hart and Brunson made six clutch free throws in the final 19.6 seconds as the Knicks cut the deficit in the series to 2-1.
Game 4 is Tuesday night.
Coach Tom Thibodeau switched up his starting lineup, replacing Hart with Mitchell Robinson, but it didn’t really have an impact on the game.
The difference was the Knicks defending in the second half like they hadn’t the entire series and Towns coming alive when he was needed most.
Towns finished with 24 points, Brunson added 23 and OG Anunoby scored 16.
Hart had eight points, 10 rebounds and four assists in his first game of the year off the bench.
Tyrese Haliburton had 20 for the Pacers, who shot just 5-of-25 from 3-point range and were outscored 36-20 in the final 12 minutes.
The Knicks trailed by 13 points at halftime, and it felt very fortunate they weren’t down more.
Thibodeau’s team was that bad in the first half.
That shaky on both ends.
That soft inside.
Brunson picked up four fouls.
Miles McBride and Towns had three apiece.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series.
They were outrebounded by six and outscored in the paint by four.
They allowed a whopping 14 points in transition and shot a woeful 38 percent from the field.
In the final minute of the half, Tony Bradley beat three stationary Knicks to an offensive rebound.
The Pacers looked like the desperate team, when it should’ve been the Knicks.
Brunson made only 2-of-9 shots and was a minus-15. Hart, coming off the bench for the first time this season, was a minus-16.
Towns was again a nonfactor.
The Pacers blew it open with a 17-3 run in the second quarter, building a 20-point lead.
Knicks misses and turnovers turned into Indiana runouts, a series-long trend.
Over the final 3:20 of the half, the Knicks did go on a mini 10-3 run to get the lead down to 13.
Anunoby and Bridges, invisible much of the series, each hit a 3-pointer.
The Knicks had the deficit at 10 early in the third quarter, but it was a tease.
Brunson and Bridges turnovers led to Pacers baskets, and it was a 16-point difference again.
It was a 10-point game entering the final period, and it didn’t feel like the game was within reach for the Knicks.
Then, Towns arrived.
He scored 15 points in the first 3:58 of the period, spearheading a 25-6 run that carried over from the third quarter.
It gave the Knicks a four-point lead with 8:02 left.
