With a chance to take a commanding 3-0 series lead, the Pacers couldn’t hold a substantial double-digit point lead.
Their Game 3 loss continues an interesting streak that dates back to the last postseason and has even been a trend in the playoffs over the last decade.
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What Game 3 trend has Indiana had recently?
This postseason, the Pacers are 10-3 in games so far.
All three of their losses have come in Game 3s, including two home games.
They are on a four-game losing streak for Game 3s, dating back to when Jrue Holiday had an iconic steal to start the streak in last year’s ECF.
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Indiana is just 4-11 in their last 15 Game 3s, dating back to 2013.
The Pacers still technically have a homecourt advantage, and they only have to win Games 4 and 6 at home to advance to the NBA Finals.
Going back to Madison Square Garden with the series tied 2-2 would be very deflating with all the work Indiana put in early this series, and could change the dynamic of the series.
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The Pacers had by far their worst shooting performance this postseason from beyond the arc in Game 3, shooting just 20.0 3P% on 5-25 from three-point range.
The Pacers are back in action Tuesday night as they look to bounce back and go up 3-1, to give themselves a chance to win the series in New York for Game 5.
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