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Twice in the previous 10 days the Knicks had wasted opportunities to push their record to 0.500 in unsightly losses against the Magic and Warriors.
They seemed to be heading for another failed chance to tie their record and advance into the crowded Eastern Conference on Saturday night. Tom Thibodeau’s booming squad came back from a 16-point first-half deficit, however, and tied for fourth place in the playoff standings with a 110-107 victory over the Pacers at the Garden.
“We didn’t start the game well, it was great, and we had to make our way,” said Thibodeau. “It’s a long game, but the most important thing was just to find a way to win at the end.
“We had a lot of guys who stepped in and made some big plays. … We just erased it.
RJ Barrett had two free throws with 14.6 seconds left, but Derrick Rose’s steal and Frank Ntilikina’s two free throws with 2.9 seconds left sealed the Knicks’ sixth victory in eight games as ‘they improved to 17-17. They notably started last season 17-42 and finished with 21 wins in 66 games.
Big man Taj Gibson suffered a sprained left ankle in the first quarter and did not return. Starting center Mitchell Robinson is already sidelined following hand surgery.
Rose started in place of Elfrid Payton (hamstring) for a second straight game and scored 17 points with 11 assists and five steals for the Knicks, who will visit the worst Pistons in the conference (9-24) on Sunday evening.
All-star forward Julius Randle also filled the stat sheet with 28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, including two key free throws in the last minute. Barrett scored 24 and Immanuel Quickley finished with 10 in 13 minutes – including his second four-point game in as many games in the fourth quarter – as the Knicks won the series of the season (2-1) of the Indiana.
Myles Turner’s 3-point pointer gave the Pacers a 94-91 lead with 6:37 left, and his practice extended the lead to five with just four minutes to go. But Barrett connected to his fourth 3-point pointer of the night and then converted a traditional three-point play to regain the Knicks lead at 3:32.
Randle also scored from long distance and Barrett added an inside scoop for a 104-98 game with 2:22 to go. The Pacers came back with the next five points, but Nerlens Noel sank two free throws after stealing eight points in 41 minutes, a season high.
Randle’s All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis has been limited to 15 points for the Pacers, who have played without point guard Malcolm Brogdon (knee) for the first time this season. Former Knicks Doug McDermott (20 points) and Justin Holiday (13) combined for 33 for Indiana (15-17).
To start the day, the fourth-place and 10th-place teams in the East were separated by a game, but the Knicks were tied with the inactive Raptors.
“It’s a long season and that’s what we need to understand,” said Thibodeau. “Every game is just as important. One game does not make more sense than another. They all count the same. No matter where you are, it can be the difference between a lot of things. “
The Knicks missed their first five shots and spotted Indiana an 8-0 lead, with Holiday nailing a few first three points to prompt Thibodeau to call a timeout just two minutes into the game.
The Knicks, who scored 77 points at halftime and a season-best 140 overall in Thursday’s win over the Kings, followed up to 16 points in the half. But their defense pulled off a 24-6 closing run, culminating in Rose’s triple at the buzzer for a 54-52 lead in intermission.
The push also included Quickley’s second 3-point halftime, two Randle dunks and two more downtown Barrett marks.
Barrett’s breakaway dunk with four minutes left in the third, a free throw from Rose after a technical foul to Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren and seven straight points from Randle helped the Knicks carry an 81- lead. 78 in the last quarter.
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