KAT: Knicks 'just didn't have that magic' in Game 4 loss
The New York Knicks have historically erased deficits this postseason, but the same couldn't be said about Tuesday night's 130-121 Game 4 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks have had three 20-plus point comebacks these playoffs, and Karl-Anthony Towns believes his team might be getting too comfortable falling behind.
"In true fashion to our whole playoff run, we put ourselves in a deficit, got ourselves out of the deficit, and then usually we feel good about us going into a close game in the fourth quarter and showing our resilience," Towns said, according to ESPN's Chris Herring. "But you get burned if you put yourself in that position too many times. We think coming into the fourth quarter that we're going to find that one trick again. We just didn't have that magic tonight."
New York stole Game 3 after trailing by 20 and managed to shrink a 15-point deficit down to just six on Tuesday. However, six was as close as the Knicks got in the fourth quarter of Game 4 as they couldn't find another miracle.
The Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam combined for 62 points and shot 50% from the field. Indiana as a team shot 51% overall and 40% from three.
The Knicks struggled to contain Indiana's fast-pace offense, and they helped the Pacers by giving up 17 turnovers.
"I think it's difficult for any team (to stop). You can stop one action, but then it's the next action and the next action," Knicks wing Josh Hart said. "If one domino falls. ... That one person's mess-up is messing up the whole possession. Obviously they're running good stuff, but we have to make sure that we're physical and locked in and just make it tough for them."
Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson had a good offensive game with 31 points, but was targeted on defense.
"I'm not doing enough," Brunson said. "There has to be a difference on my part when it comes to that."
The Knicks now trail 3-1 in the Eastern Conference finals and will look to keep their season alive Thursday in Game 5. Despite the series deficit, Towns is remaining optimistic.
"We've been a team that has kind of found a way to do the impossible when it always seemed impossible," Towns said, per SNY Knicks. "We just keep fighting. It's gonna be a testament to our whole playoff run. Now we have to be in one of the biggest fights of our lives and of our season."