Despite a bruised left knee, Jalen Brunson scored 32 points; Karl-Anthony Towns added 13 rebounds and; the New York Knicks kept alive in the Eastern Conference finals by defeating the Indiana Pacers 111-94 on Thursday night in Game 5.
For the first time in the series, the Knicks prevailed on their own floor, therefore stopping the Pacers from booking a second Finals trip in franchise history. Indiana will try once more Saturday night at home.
In the last minutes, Knicks supporters yelled “Knicks in 7! Knicks in 7! New York is on its first trip to the conference finals since 2000 and hopes of being the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series are kept alive.” After losing the first two games at home, no team has won a conference finals series.
Two nights after giving up 43 points in the first quarter, the Knicks kept the Pacers to just 45 in the first half and limited Tyrese Haliburton, who had 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds Tuesday, to just eight points and six assists.
Outplayed by his point guard rival Tuesday, Brunson rebounded with his franchise-record 20th postseason game of 30 or more points with the Knicks.
For the Pacers, who had won six consecutive away games, Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench. Indiana’s lowest-scoring game in the postseason, at just 40.5% from the field,
With a 27-23 advantage, Brunson scored 14 in the first quarter; he dropped 20 less points than in the first quarter of Game 4, when they trailed 43-35.
After injuring his left knee in a collision late in Game 4, Towns, who was dubious about playing, took up the slack with 12 in the second when Brunson went scoreless.
Middle of the third quarter Brunson returned with the Knicks opening a 20-point lead midway through the period. Brunson’s four-point play highlights how the Pacers trimmed it in half before New York reclaimed control with a 12-0 blast to make 86-64.
