Jalen Brunson delivered an impressive 32 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 24 points and 13 rebounds despite a bruised knee.
This performance helped the New York Knicks secure a 111-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. The win on Thursday night kept the Knicks’ hopes alive and marked their first home victory in this series.
The Knicks’ fans were optimistic, chanting “Knicks in 7! Knicks in 7!” as they extended their first conference finals appearance since 2000. They aim to become the 14th team to overturn a 3-1 series deficit. Historically, no team has won a conference finals after losing the first two games at home.
Brunson, who was outperformed by his counterpart earlier, bounced back with his franchise-record 20th postseason game scoring over 30 points for the Knicks. He scored 14 points in the first quarter, helping New York lead 27-23, significantly improving from their previous game where they trailed by eight points.
Karl-Anthony Towns, despite being questionable due to a knee injury from Game 4, stepped up with 12 points in the second quarter when Brunson was scoreless. This effort helped maintain momentum for New York.
The Pacers struggled offensively, shooting just 40.5% from the field, marking their lowest-scoring game of the postseason. Bennedict Mathurin added some spark off the bench with 23 points but it wasn’t enough to overcome New York’s defense.
Tyrese Haliburton, who had an outstanding performance earlier with a triple-double, was limited to just eight points and six assists as the Knicks tightened their defense significantly compared to previous games.
Game Dynamics
In the third quarter, Brunson scored the first eight points for New York as they built a commanding 20-point lead midway through. Although Indiana managed to cut this lead in half, New York responded with a decisive 12-0 run highlighted by Brunson’s four-point play, extending their advantage to 86-64.
The Pacers will have another opportunity to secure their second NBA Finals trip in franchise history when they host Game 6 on Saturday night. Meanwhile, New York aims to continue its momentum and push for a historic comeback in this series.