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Jalen Brunson delivered, and the Knicks have new life against the Pacers

Washington Post

7 hours ago

Entertainment
Washington Post

Jalen Brunson delivered, and the Knicks have new life against the Pacers

NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson was being picked on defensively by the Indiana Pacers and picked apart by pundits for his ball-dominant game as the New York Knicks returned home to Madison Square Garden on Thursday, one loss from having their best season in 25 years end with a whimper. Brunson accepted the blame for the Knicks' 3-1 series deficit in the Eastern Conference finals, claiming he had to be better, even if his teammates felt any criticism of their competitive and compact captain was ridiculous, unfair or both.

Knicks sent a message to Pacers in Game 5. Here's why Indiana should be worried

New York Times

8 hours ago

Entertainment
New York Times

Knicks sent a message to Pacers in Game 5. Here's why Indiana should be worried

NEW YORK — What the Knicks did Thursday night, with their season on the line, their goals hanging on by a thread, is make you believe. Force. Intention. Detail. The stuff that makes champions. New York looked like a team that not only didn't want its season to end in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, but could pull off the impossible, recover from a 3-1 series deficit and then go into finals and make something of it. Advertisement New York ripped Indiana's spirit from the jump and eventually won by 17 to close the gap in the Eastern Conference finals to a 3-2 deficit. The Knicks sent a message to the Pacers: We're not lying down. Indiana should take that seriously. 'I'm just happy the way we responded, honestly,' Knicks star Jalen Brunson said. 'We came out, had some energy in the way we played. I'm very proud of what we did. We just have to replicate it in the first quarter of next game and continue to build on that.' New York took 15 more shots than the fast-paced Pacers. The Knicks won the rebuilding battle. They had five fewer turnovers. Everything that usually culminates into a beatdown of this level, New York excelled at. It was the stars, though, who set the tone. Brunson scored six straight points in the opening minutes en route to a 14-point first quarter (Brunson finished the game with 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting). The New York guard got inside. He was tough, crafty. He made jumpers. Brunson brought the party to the Pacers and forced their knees to buckle early. Karl-Anthony Towns then soon followed. The star big man scored 12 of his 24 points in the second quarter. Indiana had no answer for him. He scored inside at will. He didn't need to make 3-pointers because it felt like every drive to the basket ended with a made shot and a free throw. The Knicks' two stars set the table and ate all the food. New York took 21 shots in the restricted area in the first half. Everything had a purpose and was done with intent. 'I came into the game just thinking about being ultra-aggressive, and if I get a chance to go down hill or impact the game, I wanted to do that,' Towns said. 'Tonight was a great night for us executing or game plan defensively and it helped us get going offensively, too, with transition points.' Advertisement On the other end of the floor, the Knicks were equally as purposeful and forceful. That includes Brunson, who has been targeted nonstop in this series. As a collective, the Knicks' rotations were sharp. Their showing on pick-and-rolls was aggressive. They guarded the ball. Mikal Bridges even picked up Tyrese Haliburton, who was held to eight points on seven shots, before he broke the half-court line sometimes. OG Anunoby had three steals. Mitchell Robinson turned back into the 'Blockness Monster,' recording two blocks and deterring the Pacers ballhandlers from getting to the rim. Landry Shamet came off the bench and, on one possession, single-handily demolished an Indiana offensive possession. This team, on this night, were connected, physical and focused. 'It started at the point of attack, with Mikal, just picking up and making things hard,' Knicks guard Miles McBride said. 'Everybody talked and communicated a lot more. I just felt like we had an edge to us tonight.' The Knicks pull off these types of performances here and there. It's part of how they draw you back in just when you might think they're done. This team has the potential to play this level of defense more than just every few games. This team has the players to be imposing. The issue, though, is they rarely put two of these performances together in a row. That's New York's last magic trick, the final piece to the puzzle. In order to do what felt like the impossible two days ago and become the first Eastern Conference finals team in 44 years to come back from a 3-1 deficit, this has to be the norm for two more games. There's no reason for it not to be. This is it. It's win-or-go-home. In grabbing the victory Thursday, the Knicks put all of the pressure back on Indiana. The Pacers are expected to close this series at home. If they don't … a Game 7 inside Madison Square Garden? Against Brunson? With that crowd? My money is on the Knicks. Advertisement For the last 26 years, the world's most famous arena has been hollow in June. Seats folded up. Empty. The only noise comes from the streets outside. That can change, finally, after all these years. The Knicks just have to do what they did in Game 5 again. And then again. It's a tall task but that's what separates good teams from championship teams, and New York doesn't appear satisfied with just being good. The Knicks won't walk away on their own. We've learned that time and time again throughout these playoffs. The Pacers will have to be the first team to make them. 'We never give up,' Josh Hart said. 'That's the biggest thing. That's just how we play. We know when we're messing up and we'll hold each other accountable. We pick it up when we need to. 'It's the same situation, going into their place, which is a tough place to play. They have great fans, great energy. We have to be even better.' (Photo of Jalen Brunson: Al Bello / Getty Images)

News.com.au

9 hours ago

Entertainment
News.com.au

Knicks' season alive with Game 5 win

NBA: New York have found a way to keep their hopes of making the NBA Finals alive with a Game 5 win at Madison Square Garden.

Pacers vs. Knicks score, recap: New York forces Game 6 with another stellar night from Jalen Brunson

Yahoo

12 hours ago

Entertainment
Yahoo

Pacers vs. Knicks score, recap: New York forces Game 6 with another stellar night from Jalen Brunson

The New York Knicks found a lead that was safe against the Indiana Pacers. In a 2025 Eastern Conference finals that has seen both teams choke away big leads, the Knicks found a Game 5 advantage and kept it against their fellow comeback artists in a 111-94 win. Game 6 is scheduled for Saturday in Indiana (8 p.m. ET, TNT). Advertisement It was Indiana's first loss in a Game 5 all playoffs after closing out the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the same situation. The mechanics of the blowout came down to two major factors: Jalen Brunson and a miserable night on offense for the Pacers. The Knicks star posted 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting with five rebounds and five assists, continuing a stellar series in which he was averaging 33.3 points per game entering Thursday. Brunson joined LeBron James, Michael Jordan and potential NBA Finals opponent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the only players to post at least 10 games of 30 points and five assists in a single postseason. Brunson's point guard counterpart, Tyrese Haliburton, was a bit quieter. He posted eight points on 2-of-7 shooting with six assists and two rebounds. As a team, the Pacers shot 40.5% with 20 turnovers. The Knicks went wire-to-wire, with some scares None of that is to say the Pacers were dead all night, though. The Knicks never trailed and were up by as many as 22 points late in the third quarter, but Indiana cut it to 12 early in the fourth quarter. Any fan in Madison Square Garden who says they weren't worried at that point is lying. Advertisement It might be hyperbole to say that about a second half in which the Knicks led by double digits throughout, but that's the reputation the Pacers have earned given what they've done in all three of their series this postseason. Tom Thibodeau was certainly concerned, as that was when the Knicks head coach reinserted his starters. That group held on until Indiana finally waved the white flag with two minutes remaining. "Knicks in seven" chants rang out soon after. Now comes the harder part for New York. The Knicks staved off elimination at home with a loud crowd behind them, but Game 6 will feature a Gainbridge Fieldhouse audience fully aware of how close its team is to its first Finals since 2000. It will be loud, and it won't even be the only game the Knicks need to win. But for now, they can say they definitely looked like the better team on Thursday.