The fact that the New York Knicks avoided a gentleman’s sweep and are now headed back to Indiana for Game 6 on Saturday is more a testament to New York’s heart and the way Jalen Brunson refuses to quit than anything else. As much as some fans despise the Pacers, they will likely win the Conference Finals. Let’s just get that part out of the way. Indiana’s been deeper, more consistent, and honestly better coached throughout this second-round matchup. But if the Knicks can somehow pull off a win forcing Game 7 on Monday night, it’s hard not to imagine what the Garden might feel like. The place would shake.
Coming back from a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA isn’t just difficult—it’s rare. Teams in that position lose the series about 95% of the time. It usually means your opponent has figured you out, adjusted better, and taken control of the series. It means your margin for error is gone, and that you now have to be near-perfect for three straight games. But history has shown us that every once in a while, the team that’s counted out finds a way to flip the script. The Knicks aren’t done yet, and that puts them in a special kind of conversation.
The most iconic comeback in NBA history came in 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers erased a 3-1 deficit in the Finals against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. That moment didn’t just win Cleveland a championship—it defined careers. LeBron James led the way with a combination of leadership, dominance, and pure will. He and Kyrie Irving both dropped 41 points in Game 5, then LeBron added another 41 in Game 6. Game 7 brought “The Block,” “The Shot,” and “The Stop.” It was basketball poetry. It was also a reminder that no matter how dominant a team looks, the right combination of confidence and resilience can change everything.
It’s hard to top that, but the 2020 Denver Nuggets tried their best. Not only did they come back from a 3-1 deficit once, they did it twice—first against the Utah Jazz and then again against the heavily favored Los Angeles Clippers. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić were brilliant, but what stood out even more was the way Denver kept its poise when most teams would have unraveled. They just kept grinding. They trusted each other. That Clippers team had Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and one of the deepest benches in the league. Didn’t matter. Denver exposed them in Game 7 and turned the playoffs on their head.
Before Denver did it twice in a single postseason, 3-1 comebacks happened once in a blue moon. The 2003 Detroit Pistons pulled it off against the Orlando Magic in the first round. That was a younger version of the group that would go on to win the title in 2004. It was also the series where Tracy McGrady, after going up 3-1, infamously said it felt good to finally get out of the first round—only for the Pistons to storm back and win three straight. That comeback became part of a bigger Pistons identity. Toughness. Defense. Relentlessness.
The 1995 Houston Rockets don’t get enough credit for their comeback either. Down 3-1 to the Phoenix Suns in the West Semifinals, the Rockets leaned on Hakeem Olajuwon to turn the tide. They won Game 5, took Game 6 on the road, and then sealed the deal in Game 7. That team didn’t have homecourt advantage in any series but still won the title. That’s how good they were when it counted. Their run is still one of the most underappreciated title defenses in NBA history.
Going even further back, there were some old-school comebacks that helped define franchises. In 1981, the Boston Celtics came back from down 3-1 to beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Larry Bird was in the early stages of becoming a legend, and that comeback was part of his origin story. In 1970, the Lakers did it against the Phoenix Suns with Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain leading the charge. And in 2006, the Phoenix Suns pulled off their own rally from 3-1 down to eliminate the Kobe-led Lakers in a wild first-round matchup.
What all of these comebacks have in common is more than just great players. They all featured teams that adjusted, dug deep, and got unexpected contributions from role players. You don’t pull off three straight wins against a team that’s already beaten you three times without changing something. Coaches have to mix up rotations. Someone has to get hot. And defensively, you have to take away the other team’s comfort zones.
That’s what the Knicks are up against now. They’re a team missing major pieces—Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby—leaving them playing with a tight, exhausted rotation that includes multiple players dealing with nagging injuries. Yet here they are, still alive. Jalen Brunson continues to be the heart of the team, carrying them through brutal stretches and hitting huge shots down the stretch of games. Josh Hart is battling on both ends of the floor. Donte DiVincenzo is giving them timely threes and hustle plays. The Knicks haven’t given up.
The problem is the Pacers are healthy, confident, and balanced. Tyrese Haliburton is running the show, and their supporting cast—guys like Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, and even former Knick Obi Toppin—have been excellent. Indiana plays fast, shares the ball, and keeps pressure on opponents from start to finish. And in a long series, depth usually wins out.
Here’s the thing, folks: Anything can happen on Saturday in Game 6. If the Knicks can come out early and control the tempo, if Brunson can keep being Brunson, if the defense can hold up long enough to force a few bad Pacers possessions, we could absolutely be looking at Game 7. And once it’s Game 7 at the Garden, all bets are off. You don’t walk into Madison Square Garden for a Game 7 and assume anything. The history, the energy, the pressure—it hits different. The Knicks haven’t been to the Conference Finals since 2000, and you can be sure the crowd will treat Monday like the biggest night in 24 years.
With that….The Knicks are underdogs and shorthanded, but they’ve earned this shot. With Brunson leading and the Garden waiting, it’s not crazy to believe. We’ve seen 3-1 comebacks before—win Game 6, and suddenly the pressure flips. Game 7 becomes a coin toss. They haven’t made history yet, but the door’s still open.
If you cannot play with them, then root for them.