Downs' hardest moment is now

Another 20-point comeback, and the Knicks are still alive in the Eastern Conference finals series. And this 20-point reversal process, for Downs, is the transition from hell to heaven, and it is a person's reversal of fate.

In the last game, Downs was DNP for a long time in the last quarter, almost losing the trust of coach Thibodeau, and at the last moment, Miro was cut, and Downs' re-entry played extremely badly, indirectly putting the Knicks into a 0-2 situation.

So today the Knicks changed the lineup, when I knew that Miro was going to start, I thought Towns was going to be demoted to the bench, but I didn't expect it to be Hart who came off the bench, and the Knicks put the starting lineup of the two towers, and it turned out that this change of lineup was also very bad.

The twin towers stood on the inside, and the Knicks' offensive space was compressed. At the same time, the Knicks still haven't learned to suppress the rhythm of the Pacers, the Pacers are playing fast, and the Knicks are running with the rhythm of the Pacers. In the first quarter, when they were able to control the turnovers, the score could still be entangled.

In the second quarter, the Knicks made 6 mistakes in a single quarter, so the game collapsed, and the Pacers once played a 16-0 fast-break score, so why did the Knicks run with the Pacers?

The Knicks' lowest moment of the game was when Towns singled Haliburton and was whistled for an offensive foul, and then the Pacers went on a 13-0 run to stretch the margin to 20 points. The Knicks' season was on the line, and by the end of the quarter, they were still trailing by 10 points.

At that time, Brunson was in foul trouble, and the Knicks broke the jar in the final quarter and put on a lineup of McBride, Shamet, Wright, Hart, and Towns. Thibodeau means, Downs and Wheat, you two go up and do it, turn it back and count your ability, if you can't turn it back, you can't blame me for being stubborn, I put Shamet on the table.

Before the fourth quarter, Towns played three quarters, with 4 points, 7 rebounds, 4 fouls and 0 assists, shooting 2-of-8 from the field and 0-of-3 from three-point range, playing what may be the worst first three quarters of his playoff career. He couldn't play Haliburton's misalignment, kept getting into foul trouble, had no shooting touch, and struggled extremely under the Twin Towers lineup.

With that background, with nothing to lose and nothing worse to play, Towns stepped onto the court and led the Knicks to a comeback. Against Turner, Towns liked to play the opposite position, as he hit a three-pointer from the outside and a strong shot from the inside, scoring five straight points while sending a wonderful pass to stop the Pacers.

After the timeout, Downs continued to score, and the Knicks' first 17 points in the fourth quarter were all related to Downs, of which 15 points were scored by Towns. The Knicks went from behind to overcome, climbing over the 20-point mountain, while Towns' madness continued.

By the time he hit a difficult three-pointer from both Turner and Siakam, he had 20 points and eight rebounds in the final quarter. In the first 24 points of the fourth quarter, Towns scored 20 points alone!

It's a real man saving a team, much more tragic and dramatic than the first game of Nesmith. After all, Downs's reputation in the first three quarters has fallen to the bottom, as if everyone (including me) is criticizing him for his soft cowardice.

When everyone is not optimistic about you, you are the only one who can save you. Downs used one shot after another, and pulled himself out of the abyss with tough physical confrontations again and again. He controlled every possession, his leadership temperament reached the highest point of his career, and the victory or defeat was up to him, turning the tide and giving the Knicks a hope of survival.

So Brunson re-entered the game and hit a key throw, and Hart finally jumped up despite his height to fight for the most critical backcourt rebound, even if he injured his knee, he still hit both free throws. The Knicks handed the Pacers their first key loss of the playoffs this year, after a 7-0 record.

This 20-point reversal is even more difficult than the previous two games combined. The Knicks were in a real desperate situation, losing this season to the end, and the desperate situation forced Towns and forced the whole team to be more resilient. Downs and Brunson, both with five fouls on their backs, gritted their teeth and made it to the final whistle.

One of the images that touched me the most in this year's playoffs was when Towns prayed to God after seeing Tatum injured. "I was right on the sidelines, and no matter what injuries he had, I was looking down and praying to my mother, asking God to bless him and comfort him, hoping that he was only slightly injured," Downs said. ”

Today is Mother's Day in Dominica (Downs is Dominican), and in his post-match interview, Downs mentioned this and paid tribute to his mother.

Mom, you in heaven must have seen my toughness today.