Knicks Revive in the Eastern Conference Finals, Defeat Pacers
In an emotional night at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks held on to their playoff lives in the Eastern Conference Finals by defeating the Indiana Pacers with a score of 111-94 in Game 5. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks’ offense with 32 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 24 points and 13 rebounds, despite playing with a left knee contusion.The Knicks, fueled by the support of their fans, secured their first home win of the series, preventing the Pacers from advancing to their second NBA Finals appearance in franchise history.
The atmosphere in the stadium was electrifying, with fans chanting “Knicks in 7!” in the final minutes, celebrating the opportunity to extend their first conference finals appearance since the year 2000 and keep alive the hope of becoming the fourteenth team to come back from a 3-1 deficit.
After a challenging first quarter in Game 4, where they allowed 43 points, the Knicks adjusted their defense, limiting the Pacers to only 45 points in the first half. Furthermore, they managed to control Tyrese Haliburton, who had an outstanding performance on Tuesday, reducing him to just eight points and six assists.
Brunson, who didn’t have his best performance in the previous game, bounced back with a stellar performance, achieving his twentieth playoff game with 30 or more points, a franchise record for the Knicks.
Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench for the Pacers, who saw their six-game winning streak on the road snapped. The Indiana team had a low field goal efficiency, with 40.5%, their worst mark in the postseason.Brunson scored 14 points in the first quarter, leading the Knicks to a 27-23 lead. Towns, despite the injury to his left knee, contributed 12 points in the second quarter, while Brunson did not score.
Brunson came back strong in the third quarter, scoring the first eight points for the Knicks, which allowed them to extend their lead to 20 points. Although the Pacers managed to reduce the gap, the Knicks responded with a 12-0 run, highlighted by a four-point play from Brunson, setting the score at 86-64.
