May 11, (THEWILL) – Tyrese Haliburton scored 35 points and Andrew Nembhard hit a clutch three-pointer as the Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks 111-106 on Friday, cutting their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series deficit to 2-1 in a gritty comeback.
Trailing by nine in the fourth quarter, the Pacers refused to go down 0-3 in the best-of-seven series. Haliburton drilled six three-pointers and Pascal Siakam added 26 points. However, Nembhard’s late triple with 17.8 seconds left proved decisive, putting Indiana ahead 109-106.
The seemingly knackered Knicks, missing Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Bojan Bogdanovic, and OG Anunoby, led briefly in the third quarter before the Pacers rallied. Donte DiVincenzo scored 35 points and Jalen Brunson had 26 points and six assists, including a late game-tying three-pointer.
Haliburton praised Nembhard’s clutch shot, stating, “He really stepped up to the moment when we needed him most.” The Pacers, energised by their home crowd, will aim to level the series on Sunday.
In the West, the defending champion Denver Nuggets faced the Minnesota Timberwolves, who led the series 2-0 and welcomed back Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
