By The Athletic NBA Staff
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Tyrese Haliburton posted a dazzling 32-point, 15-assist and 12-rebound triple-double to will the Indiana Pacers to a 130-121 win and suffocating 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

With it, Haliburton became the first player in Pacers history with multiple playoff triple-doubles.

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Indiana led 102-91 to start the fourth, but unlike past games that saw New York overcome double-digit deficits in the fourth quarter, the Knicks walked into the final frame without momentum on their side.

Still, they found it with roughly four minutes to play, pulling the game within six. But they couldn’t catch up to their past mistakes.

The Pacers stifled the Knicks in most categories, scoring 22 fast-break points to New York’s nine and posting 29 assists to New York’s 17.

Pascal Siakam had 30 points and Bennedict Mathurin 20. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson scored 31, Karl-Anthony Towns posted 24 and OG Anunoby 22.

Game 5 returns to New York on Thursday.

Haliburton’s first playoff triple-double

The celebratory skip said it all.

After Haliburton pushed the ball in transition early in the first quarter, the Knicks blew their defensive rotations and somehow left the Pacers’ star wide open on the right wing. His teammates on the bench raised their hands in anticipation as Haliburton hoisted a 3-pointer.

When the ball went through the hoop, Haliburton’s body took over as he pranced down the court after giving Indiana a 16-9 lead.

The Knicks called a timeout to try to stymie him, but it was to no avail.

That 3-pointer was only Haliburton’s first points of the game, yet it was as if he knew he was beginning to paint a masterpiece.

Voted the NBA’s most overrated player in ‘s annual unanimous player poll that was released last month, Haliburton had arguably the best game of his career in Tuesday night’s victory.

The two-time All-Star was 3-for-3 on 3-pointers and scored 15 points in the first quarter — tying the most points he’s ever scored in any quarter of a playoff game — and finished with his first-ever playoff triple-double.

Haliburton’s outing helped move the Pacers within one victory of their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000.

Knicks on the verge of elimination

The Knicks’ season is now on the brink, but they’ve shown they’re capable of winning any of these games. New York had some big defensive stretches and created good 3-point looks at times in the fourth quarter, but the Pacers’ defense effectively took Brunson out of crunch time.

Brunson couldn’t get into the paint once the Knicks clawed back into the game, while Haliburton never lost his pulse on the game. His triple-double was great, but the zero turnovers is the biggest feat. The Knicks’ inability to force him into a bad pass has been confounding.

They need to win the transition battle to stay alive and that won’t happen if Haliburton is perfect.

The Pacers’ defense has been connected enough to take away New York’s primary option in the fourth quarter and that allows their offense to rely on transition buckets to keep things going when the Knicks get close. It’s the reason they could be heading to the NBA Finals, as Haliburton is peaking at just the right time and the Knicks aren’t getting nearly enough 3s to keep up with Indiana’s stellar offense.

Nesmith, Mathurin provide spark for Pacers

Aaron Nesmith showed no signs of being injured in Game 4, some 48 hours after limping around the Pacers locker room following a right ankle sprain he sustained in the third quarter of Game 3. The 25-year-old, who was a game-time decision, drilled his first two 3-point attempts and threw down a fast-break tomahawk dunk in the first quarter that garnered a roar from the crowd.

Mathurin gave Indiana a spark, too. The 2022 No. 6 pick struggled in this series, scoring 11 points combined through the first three games, but he came alive Tuesday to help Indiana push New York to the brink of elimination. Mathurin, who was sidelined last year during the playoffs due to a torn labrum, nailed a midrange jumper just four seconds after he entered the game in the first quarter and totaled 20 points off the bench in 12 minutes.

KAT concerns

Towns went down in pain due to a left knee collision late in the fourth quarter. Towns has been struggling with pain in that knee the past few games and played through it for the final two minutes, though he clearly was struggling. Even when standing on the sidelines at the end of this loss, he was hunched over in discomfort.

New York needs Towns to carry their offense when the Pacers take the paint away from Brunson, so the Knicks’ best counterpunch may be limited for Game 5.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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