NEW YORK (AP) – The crowd erupted with chants of “7! Knicks in 7!” as Jalen Brunson dazzled with a stunning performance on this unforgettable New York night.
Perhaps the series still belongs to the Knicks.
Brunson scored 32 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 24 points and 13 rebounds despite nursing a left knee injury. The Knicks kept their Eastern Conference Finals hopes alive by defeating the Indiana Pacers 111-94 in Game 5.
This marked the Knicks’ first home victory of the series, thwarting the Pacers’ quest for a second NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. Indiana gets another opportunity at home on Saturday night.
“This is proof that our team is answering the call,” Towns stated.
New York aimed to extend its first conference finals journey since 2000, aspiring to become the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a series. Historically, no team has advanced past the Conference Finals after dropping their first two home games.
Just two nights after allowing 43 points in the first quarter, the Knicks limited the Pacers to only 45 points in the first half. Tyrese Haliburton, who had a stellar performance with 32 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds on Tuesday, was held to just eight points and six assists.
Brunson, who had a tough game against his point guard counterpart on Tuesday, rebounded strongly in this 21st postseason match with the Knicks, achieving the franchise record for 30+ point games.
“Our backs were against the wall, which means we have to give it everything we’ve got,” Brunson remarked.
Benedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the Pacers’ bench, attempting to continue their streak of six straight road wins. Indiana struggled with a field goal percentage of just 40.5%, marking their lowest-scoring game of the postseason.
“We clearly didn’t play with the strength we needed,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “We lost the battle for rebounds and turnovers. Our shooting was off, and they had a lot to do with it.”
Brunson netted 14 points while shooting 6-for-9 in the first quarter, helping the Knicks take a 27-23 lead. They allowed 20 fewer points than the first quarter of Game 4, which was 43-35 in favor of Indiana.
Towns, who was questionable to play following a late-game injury in Game 4, stepped up significantly in the second quarter when Brunson had a scoring drought.
Brunson led the Knicks on an offensive surge, scoring the first eight points of the third quarter as they opened up a 20-point lead. While the Pacers narrowed the gap, New York quickly regained control with a 12-0 run, highlighted by Brunson’s four-point play, bringing the score to 86-64.
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This story has been updated to confirm that Jalen Brunson reached his 21st game with over 30 points as a Knick. Previous versions inaccurately reported it as his 20th game.
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Source: apnews.com