The Knicks played like they know how precious this opportunity is
Now comes the hard part.
After dropping the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks refused to bow out on their home floor, saving their season with Thursday night's wire-to-wire Game 5 win, 111-94, over the Pacers.
The teams will meet Saturday in Game 6 in Indiana with the Pacers still just one win from reaching the NBA Finals. Only 13 of 284 teams facing a 3-1 deficit in the NBA playoffs have come back to win the series.
Advertisement
Jalen Brunson carried the team early — scoring 14 of his game-high 32 points in the first quarter — and the Knicks never eased off the pedal, exhibiting the ideal blend of desperation and focus, tightening their defense and attacking the rim, maintaining a double-digit lead through the entire second half.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
36 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pacers try to take advantage of 2nd chance to eliminate Knicks and advance to NBA Finals
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers will try to take advantage of a second chance to eliminate the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals at home on Saturday night. Indiana is looking to make the second NBA Finals appearance in franchise history and the first in 25 years. The Pacers lead the series 3-2 after losing Game 5 to the Knicks 111-94 on Thursday. Tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern and will be televised on TNT, and a Pacers win would mark the final chapter in the network's long history of broadcasting NBA games. TNT will not carry games next season. A Knicks win would send the series back to New York on Monday night for Game 7. The series winner will open the the finals on Thursday at Oklahoma City. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is 11-2 all-time in playoff home games. He had a historic stat line in his most recent contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, finishing with 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, four steals and no turnovers Tuesday. The two-time All-Star became the first player to record at least 30 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds and have no turnovers in a playoff game since turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78. And he did it in front of his father, John, who had an eight-game ban lifted following his on-court confrontation with Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo when his son's last-second layup eliminated the Bucks in their first-round series. New York lost the first two games of this series at home but has rebounded to win two of the last three since inserting Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup. Coach Tom Thibodeau expanded New York's rotation and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns started driving to the basket more frequently. Anthony-Towns has averaged 24 points and 13.3 rebounds in the last three games while All-Star guard Jalen Brunson has averaged 28.7 points over that span. Brunson also has topped the 30-point mark in each of the last two to extend the Knicks' postseason record for most 30-point games in franchise history with 21. New York is trying to become the 14th team in league history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win a series. It hasn't reached the finals since 1999 and hasn't won a title since 1973. The road team won each of the first three games in this series while the home team has prevailed in each of the last two.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LeBron James Makes Major Announcement Featuring Luka Doncic on Saturday
LeBron James Makes Major Announcement Featuring Luka Doncic on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Over the past week, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic made waves on social media with his noticeably slimmed-down offseason look while attending a Real Madrid game in Spain. Advertisement Following those initial photos, Doncic shared images of himself working out at Real Madrid's facilities—further drawing attention to his improved fitness. His conditioning has long been a point of criticism from fans and media alike, despite his status as one of the NBA's elite talents. Doncic is known for keeping a low profile during the offseason, but on Saturday, LeBron James made a major announcement that brought him back into the spotlight. James revealed that Doncic will be the next guest on Season 2 of the Mind the Game podcast, which he co-hosts with NBA legend Steve Nash. 'Look who we got on the pod tomorrow,' read the post from the "Mind the Game" social accounts, teasing Doncic's upcoming appearance. Fans reacted to the news: Advertisement "Bron and Luka ring szn next year confirmed," a fan said. Someone else added, "Omgg we will be tuned in no matter what." Another fan posted, "Oh y'all are about to trigger ESPN with this one!" "3 of the best basketball minds the game has ever seen the IQ is insane," one more fan commented. Los Angeles Lakers stars Luka Doncic (77) and LeBron James (23)Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Doncic and James only played together during the second half of the season, and while there were some growing pains—especially evident in the playoffs due to roster limitations—their chemistry developed quickly. By season's end, they proved they're more than capable of playing together at an elite level as the Lakers hope to build around Doncic for years to come and continue to maximize whatever time James has left in the NBA. Advertisement The first season of James' "Mind the Game" podcast was co-hosted by JJ Redick before he took the Lakers' head coaching job. Now, in Season 2, fans will get the rare opportunity to watch three of the highest basketball IQs in the game—James, Doncic, and Steve Nash—sit down and talk hoops. Related: Fans Stunned by Luka Doncic's Physical Transformation in New Workout Photos This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Pacers try to take advantage of 2nd chance to eliminate Knicks and advance to NBA Finals
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers will try to take advantage of a second chance to eliminate the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals at home on Saturday night. Indiana is looking to make the second NBA Finals appearance in franchise history and the first in 25 years. The Pacers lead the series 3-2 after losing Game 5 to the Knicks 111-94 on Thursday. Tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern and will be televised on TNT, and a Pacers win would mark the final chapter in the network's long history of broadcasting NBA games. TNT will not carry games next season. A Knicks win would send the series back to New York on Monday night for Game 7. The series winner will open the the finals on Thursday at Oklahoma City. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is 11-2 all-time in playoff home games. He had a historic stat line in his most recent contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, finishing with 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, four steals and no turnovers Tuesday. The two-time All-Star became the first player to record at least 30 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds and have no turnovers in a playoff game since turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78. And he did it in front of his father, John, who had an eight-game ban lifted following his on-court confrontation with Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo when his son's last-second layup eliminated the Bucks in their first-round series. New York lost the first two games of this series at home but has rebounded to win two of the last three since inserting Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup. Coach Tom Thibodeau expanded New York's rotation and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns started driving to the basket more frequently. Anthony-Towns has averaged 24 points and 13.3 rebounds in the last three games while All-Star guard Jalen Brunson has averaged 28.7 points over that span. Brunson also has topped the 30-point mark in each of the last two to extend the Knicks' postseason record for most 30-point games in franchise history with 21. New York is trying to become the 14th team in league history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win a series. It hasn't reached the finals since 1999 and hasn't won a title since 1973. The road team won each of the first three games in this series while the home team has prevailed in each of the last two. ___ AP NBA:
