With the Indiana Pacers having gone up by 20 in the first half of Game 3, it looked like they were on their way to taking a 3-0 series lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, the Knicks stayed in the game and chipped into their lead heading into the fourth quarter, which paved the way for a Karl-Anthony Towns explosion and a complete meltdown from the Pacers en route to a 106-100 Game 3 defeat.

In today's NBA, there is no such thing as a safe lead. The Knicks may not have looked like their best selves in the first half, but they've made it this far in the playoffs for a reason. They're resilient beyond belief, as evident by their multiple comebacks from 20-plus points down in the previous round against the reigning champion Boston Celtics, and on Sunday, it was the Pacers' turn to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

In the end, all Pacers forward Pascal Siakam can do is admit that the Knicks outplayed them; Siakam was a team-worst -21, which is a bit surprising considering how dominant he was in Game 2.

“We didn't make 3s. We didn't play as fast. We didn't attack the paint as much. They had guys that got going. They made plays. They played better on defense better than we did,” Siakam admitted, per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.

It's safe to say that the Knicks' adjustments on defense worked; playing huge lineups for longer stretches prevented Siakam from getting everything he wanted like he did on Friday night. Siakam was forced into tough jumpshots towards the end of the game and couldn't find a way to bust the Pacers out of their stagnancy on offense.

Nonetheless, this is not the first time this postseason that the Pacers lost a Game 3, so they should be counted on not to lose the mental warfare even after relinquishing a 20-point lead.

Head coach Rick Carlisle may have thought that he could buy his best players a few crucial extra minutes of rest since they had a huge lead, but the Pacers looked lost out there, especially with the TJ McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin, and Tony Bradley lineup that they played.

The Pacers have to approach Game 4 with a greater sense of urgency. They will not want to go back to Madison Square Garden with the series tied especially after knowing how hard they must work to secure a win in the Mecca of Basketball.