Knicks Stay Alive in Eastern Conference Finals NEW YORK — From Jalen Brunson’s electric start to the fervent chants of “Knicks in 7! Knicks in 7!” that swept through Madison Square Garden, New York belonged to the Knicks on Thursday night.
Brunson had 32 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 13 rebounds — despite playing through a left knee injury — as the Knicks outlasted the Indiana Pacers 111-94 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The victory kept their championship dreams alive, extended the series and delayed Indiana’s chance to make it to the NBA Finals.
New York celebrated its first home win of the series and avoided a series sweep. The Knicks are now one step closer to overcoming a 3-1 deficit and becoming the 14th team in NBA history to win a playoff series. Notably, no team has ever come back to win a conference final after losing its first two games at home — a challenge that now looms large for the Knicks.
Two nights after surrendering 43 points in the first quarter of Game 4, the Knicks held their own, holding the Pacers to just 45 points in the first half. Among them was Tyrese Halliburton, who torched them with 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds on Tuesday. This time, Halliburton managed just eight points and six assists.
Brunson, who was outplayed in Game 4, bounced back in a big way, marking his franchise-record 21st postseason game with 30 or more points as a Knick.
“With our backs against the wall, we knew we had to give it everything we had,” Brunson said after the game.
Benedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 23 points off the bench, but Indiana struggled to find its rhythm. The Pacers shot just 40.5% from the field — their lowest output of the playoffs — and they couldn’t match the Knicks’ intensity.
“We didn’t play with the intensity we needed to,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle admitted. “They outrebounded us in rebounding, turnovers and shooting. Credit to them, but we know we need to play better.”
Brunson scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the first quarter to help the Knicks take a 27-23 lead, a vast improvement over the 43 points they surrendered in the first quarter of Game 4.
With Brunson scoreless in the second, Towns led the way with 12 points, helping the Knicks build momentum. Brunson then came out on top, scoring New York’s first eight points of the third quarter and extending the lead to 20 points.
Although Indiana managed to cut the deficit to 10, New York responded with a decisive 12-0 run, capped by Brunson’s four-point play to take an 86-64 advantage.
Knicks Stay Alive in Eastern Conference Finals The Pacers will look to bounce back at home on Saturday night, aiming for just their second trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history. But for now, the Knicks’ hopes are alive — and with the energy of their home crowd and a blistering performance, they have reminded everyone that the streak is far from over.
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