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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Defiant Knicks keep season alive with Game 5 win over Pacers in East finals
The Madison Square Garden crowd had waited all week for a spark. On Thursday night, they got a firestorm. With their season dangling by a thread, the New York Knicks delivered a wire-to-wire 111–94 beatdown of the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, keeping their playoff hopes alive and forcing a Game 6 in Indianapolis on Saturday. Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds – despite a bruised left knee that had left his status uncertain until shortly before tipoff – as the Knicks trimmed the Pacers' lead to 3–2 in the best-of-seven-games series and gave their home fans something to believe in. 'It was do or die,' Towns said. 'Nothing was going to stop me from playing this game.' Brunson, held in check during a blowout loss in Game 4, bounced back in familiar fashion. He dropped 14 points in the first quarter alone, finishing 12-of-18 from the field and adding four assists in his 21st career playoff game with 30 or more points, extending a Knicks franchise record he set last week. 'We were just able to get stops early and we would convert,' Brunson said. 'We just found a way.' New York never trailed, flipping the script after a week of frustration that had included two home losses, one unprecedented collapse and a series deficit that left them staring down elimination. But the Game 5 version of the Knicks looked far more like the team that had been among the class of the East all year: tough, urgent, together. The defense set the tone early. After surrendering 43 points in the first quarter of Game 4, the Knicks gave up just 23 in the opening frame Thursday and held Indiana to 45 at the intermission. Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers' star playmaker who had posted a 30-point triple-double two nights earlier, was held to just eight points on 2-of-7 shooting with six assists. 'He didn't get the same looks,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. 'Give their defense credit. They had a lot to do with that.' Indiana's other weapons couldn't make up the difference. Bennedict Mathurin led the team with 23 points off the bench, but the Pacers as a whole struggled to find their rhythm. Game 2 hero Pascal Siakam had 15. Obi Toppin added 11. As a team, they shot just 40.5% from the field and coughed up 19 turnovers. 'We didn't play with the level of force that we needed to,' Carlisle said. 'To start the game, we didn't have the right level of attitude necessary in this environment. It was a bad start.' It was also the first time in these playoffs Indiana, who came in with a six-game road win streak, had been held under 100 points. After taking a 3-1 series lead on Tuesday's behind Haliburton's latest masterclass, the Pacers had looked like a team on the cusp of their second ever NBA finals appearance. But on Thursday, they looked rattled from the jump and New York took complete advantage. Brunson keyed a 23–13 start in the first quarter, and when the Pacers briefly cut the deficit to four, the Knicks responded with a 14–2 second-quarter run to stretch their lead to 48–34. Towns, who scored 12 points in the period, helped New York take a 56–45 lead into half-time. In the third, the Knicks poured it on. Brunson scored their first eight points of the quarter to build a 20-point cushion. Though Indiana briefly clawed back to within 10, a 12–0 New York run – capped by a Brunson four-point play and a Miles McBride jumper – restored order. By the time the fourth quarter began, the Knicks were up 90–73. From there, the Garden crowd could begin to dream in full throat. Fans chanted 'Knicks in seven! Knicks in seven!' as the home team closed the show, leading by as many as 20 and never letting Indiana seriously threaten down the stretch. Josh Hart finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges added 11 and 12 points respectively. More than just scoring, though, it was the Knicks' collective urgency and defensive cohesion that defined Game 5. 'We played to our standards,' Brunson said. 'That's what it's going to take.' With Thursday's win, the Knicks extended their first trip to the conference finals since 2000 and moved one step closer to history. Only 13 teams in NBA history have overturned a 3–1 series deficit, with none having done it in a conference finals after losing the first two games at home. Game 6 will be played Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Pacers will have another chance to clinch their first NBA finals berth since 2000, when they bowed to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. But if the Knicks can replicate Thursday's effort, they will bring it back to the Garden for a winner-take-all Game 7 that few would have imagined just days ago. Guardian
The 42
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
Brunson and Towns keep Knicks alive in Pacers rout
JALEN BRUNSON AND Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 56 points as the New York Knicks kept their NBA playoff campaign alive with a 111-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks roared back to life in front of a star-studded Madison Square Garden crowd with a wire-to-wire win that sets up a game six in Indianapolis on Saturday. Knicks talisman Brunson was once again the standout performer for New York, finishing with 32 points including four three-pointers. Towns, whose presence in the New York line-up was only confirmed shortly before tip-off following a left knee injury in game four, was also a pivotal figure with 24 points and 13 rebounds. 'We were just able to get stops early and we would convert. We just found a way,' Brunson told TNT television. 'I just felt like we played better. We played to our standards. Give them credit for the way they played, but we played Knicks basketball tonight.' Towns said there was never any chance of him not lining up. Advertisement 'It was do or die — nothing was going to stop me from playing this game,' Towns said. Brunson set the tone from the get-go, rattling in 14 points as the Knicks sprinted into an early 23-13 lead in the first quarter. Although Indiana came back to cut the lead to 27-23 at the end of the first, the Knicks continued to control possession, unsettling Indiana with the speed of their fast break offense and neutralising Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo - 'A bad start' - New York led 56-45 at half time with Haliburton scoring just four points in the first half. Haliburton would go on to finish with a series-low eight points, shooting just two-of-seven from the field. The Pacers had staged an epic comeback to take the opening game of the series in New York last week, overturning a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Knicks. There was a hint that another fightback might be in the offing when Indiana slashed a 20-point New York lead to just 10 points in the third quarter. But the Knicks regrouped and stretched their lead once more before closing out the win to keep the series alive. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle blamed his team's failure to threaten the Knicks — it was the first time in the series Indiana had been restricted to less than 100 points — on their sluggish start. 'We didn't play with the level of force that we needed to,' Carlisle said. 'We lost the rebound battle, we lost the turnover battle and we didn't shoot well. 'They had a lot to do with that, so give them credit, but we're going to have to play much better. 'To start the game we didn't have the right level of attitude necessary in this environment. It was a bad start. We never had a lead in the game. There were a multitude of things that were going wrong. 'There were little stretches where we got traction, but it was never enough.' – © AFP 2025
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Knicks' Jalen Brunson enters Michael Jordan territory after epic Game 5 effort
The post Knicks' Jalen Brunson enters Michael Jordan territory after epic Game 5 effort appeared first on ClutchPoints. Jalen Brunson entered Michael Jordan territory after his excellent performance in the New York Knicks' 111-94 victory against the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night. Advertisement In 34 minutes of action, Brunson was active with his scoring ability. He finished with a stat line of 32 points, five rebounds, five assists, and a block. He shot 12-of-18 from the field, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. This marked the 10th time this postseason that Brunson scored 30 or more points. As a result, he joined Jordan, Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson as the only players to accomplish the feat of having double-digit 30-point games, per StatMuse. What's next for Jalen Brunson, Knicks Brad Penner-Imagn Images Jalen Brunson and the Knicks refused to quit, especially at home in Madison Square Garden. Advertisement The Knicks controlled the momentum from start to finish. They landed the first punch with a solid lead and never gave up any distance. They also did an excellent job limiting the Pacers' starters to 37 points, including Tyrese Haliburton's six points after his historic triple-double in Game 4. New York applied a lot of pressure on Indiana's shot selection. They held the Pacers to 40.5% shooting from the field, including 33.3% from three. Indiana also turned the ball over 19 times, paving the way for the Knicks to secure the win in convincing fashion. Five players scored in double-digits on New York's behalf, including Brunson. Karl-Anthony Towns delivered a strong performance with 24 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. He shot 10-of-20 overall, including 1-of-4 from downtown, and 3-of-5 from the charity stripe. Josh Hart came next with 12 points and 10 rebounds, Mikal Bridges had 12 points and five assists, while OG Anunoby provided 11 points and four rebounds. The Knicks will continue fighting to keep their season when they face the Pacers in Game 6. The contest will take place on May 31 at 8 p.m. ET. If they win, they will host Game 7 on June 2 at 8 p.m. ET.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Landry Shamet's heartfelt tribute to Knicks fans after Game 5 ovation
The post Landry Shamet's heartfelt tribute to Knicks fans after Game 5 ovation appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New York Knicks drew on every decibel of energy that Madison Square Garden could deliver in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and no one embodied that connection more than Landry Shamet. As the final minutes ticked down in their 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers, Shamet checked out to a thunderous standing ovation that shook the arena. What followed was even more powerful—an emotional tribute from the guard that transcended stats and minutes, captured by SNY TV and shared on X (formerly Twitter). 'I love New York. I love these fans. I've seen how they ride the wave with us — the highs, the lows. It's just important for me to give everything I've got to them.' Advertisement That emotional quote, shared by Shamet via SNY's Knicks postgame coverage, captured the spirit inside MSG—a fan base not only celebrating the Game 5 victory but honoring a player who gave his all in limited minutes. Shamet played just 14 minutes but made a tangible impact with timely defense, a steal, and a corner triple that helped slow Indiana's only serious second-half run. His modest stat line—five points, one rebound, one steal—belied the crowd's appreciation for his grit and effort. The Knicks, powered by a 32-point outing from Jalen Brunson and a bruising double-double from Karl-Anthony Towns, now lead the NBA Playoffs series 3-2. Their defensive tenacity forced 19 Indiana turnovers, and even as the Pacers cut the lead to 12 in the fourth, the crowd's energy—sparked in part by Shamet's hustle—held strong. Shamet's heartfelt postgame message reflects the bond between role players and loyal fans in New York. For a team that prides itself on depth, his's performance was symbolic. The Knicks head to Indiana for Game 6, but win or lose, Shamet's ovation and words have already earned him a special place in Garden lore.
New York Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Thibodeau on Knicks' Game 5 performance
Knicks beat Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals to force Game 6 Saturday night in Indiana Getty Images Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns set the tone for New York, combining to score 56 points and paved the way for a 111-94 Knicks win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden. Brunson scored the Knicks' first six points of the night, eventually finishing with 32 points on 12-18 shooting to go with five rebounds and five assists. Towns battled through foul trouble but still finished with 24 points and 13 boards. Tyrese Haliburton followed his magical Game 4 with a muted performance, with just eight points on 2-7 shooting and six assists. Bennedict Mathurin had another strong night, scoring 23 points in 25 minutes, and Pascal Siakam scored 15 points on just 5-13 shooting. Game 6 will be Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in Indiana. GO FURTHER NBA playoffs takeaways: Jalen Brunson-led Knicks top Pacers, force Game 6 Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms The Knicks looked more like an old-school Tom Thibodeau team than at any other point this series with how they defended. "I thought our guys were tied together in trying to make (Tyrese Haliburton) work for everything," Thibodeau said. "That's what you have to do. You have to make them fight on every possession." Offensively, Thibodeau said Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns' aggression in the first quarter "set the tone" for the game. "We gotta make sure we stay aggressive, and we have to stay disciplined." All of a sudden, Bennedict Mathurin has scored 20+ points in consecutive games for the Indiana Pacers. After scoring just 11 points across the first three games of the series, he scored 20 points in Game 4 and followed that up with a 23-point night in Game 5. Mathurin shot 6-10 from the field and got to the line nine times, converting on each of these attempts. He has now shot 20 free throws in the last two games over just 27 minutes of action. Including playoffs, the Indiana Pacers are only 3-10 this season when Tyrese Haliburton scores fewer than 10 points this season. Haliburton had only 8 points on 2-of-7 field goals, his fewest field goal attempts in a game since December 26. "We just found a way," Jalen Brunson tells TNT on the court after the final buzzer sounds on the Knicks' Game 5 win. "I feel like we just played better. We played to our standards. We give them a lot of credit for the way they play, but we played Knicks basketball tonight." On the pressure in Game 6 with the Knicks still facing elimination: "Just focus on one thing at a time, one quarter and go from there." That lack of aggression from Indiana starts with the Pacers' superstar. A stat line of eight points on 2-for-7 shooting in a potential close-out game is worthy of criticism if it game from a 20-minute-a-game bench player, let alone Tyrese Haliburton. He did have six assists, but if he wants to lead the Pacers to the NBA Finals, he can't afford another performance like that this series. With the Knicks needing a win to prolong their season, Karl-Anthony Towns met the moment just like he did in Game 3. New York's center scored 24 points on 10-20 shooting and grabbed 13 boards. He was aggressive from the outset, putting pressure on the rim, especially in his minutes with Jalen Brunson. Towns picked up a few silly fouls and had to navigate foul trouble in the second half, otherwise this could have been an even bigger game for him. "If we find a Pacer highlight, it'd be a miracle." — Charles Barkley, on the "Inside the NBA" postgame show New York had 10 steals in Game 5. They weren't able to turn Tyrese Haliburton over. But the 10 steals is the most the Knicks have had since Game 2 of the semifinals at Boston. The Pacers finished the game shooting 40.5 percent from the field. That is their lowest field goal percentage in any of their 15 postseason games this season. Their previous low was 43.3 percent in their Game 3 loss to the Bucks. Myles Turner was the only Pacers starter to shoot better than 50 percent and he only scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting. The rest of the starters shot less than 40 percent from the field. Pascal Siakam: 5-of-13 from the field Aaron Nesmith: 1-of-8 from the field Andrew Nembhard: 3-of-8 from the field Tyrese Haliburton: 2-of-7 from the field The Indiana Pacers attempted only 74 field goals tonight, a byproduct of 22 New York fouls, but also a postseason high 19 turnovers while also getting only eight offensive rebounds. The 74 attempts is Indiana's fewest in the 97 games they have played this season. Feels like the Knicks have found themselves a legitimate 9-10 man rotation over the last 3 games with Landry Shamet and Delon Wright. Pacers were searching a little bit tonight. Interested to see how they punch back in Game 6. For the third time in these Eastern Conference finals, Jalen Brunson poured in the points at Madison Square Garden. But for the first time, it resulted in a win. Brunson set the tone early in the first quarter and finished with 32 points, five assists and five rebounds to help force a Game 6. FINAL - Knicks 111, Pacers 94 There will be a Game 6 in the 2025 Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks keep their season alive behind heroic games from Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns and their best defensive performance of this series. See you Saturday in Indianapolis. In all seriousness, it is interesting that Nembhard is the one starter finishing this game. He is now 5 for 27 in the last three games. Maybe Carlisle is hoping he can get any sort of positive moment to help propel him on Saturday. There's a loud "Knicks in 7" chant at MSG and the locals are projecting confidence. The Pacers just didn't bring the requisite level of energy and fight to tonight's game. To end a team's season, you need to be willing to play with the same level of desperation as the team with their back against the wall. Indiana was not ready to do that tonight and now they will have to go back home to try to end the Knicks' season on Saturday. Great response by the Knicks, their two stars brought their A games and the whole squad really dialed up the defense. Indiana's starting unit has had dominant numbers all season, but they were totally outclassed tonight. Q4 1:29 - Knicks 108, Pacers 90 Madison Square Garden is on its feet. The Knicks are about to win a home game for the first time in this series. We're less than 90 minutes from Game 6 in Indiana on Saturday. Rick Carlisle has pulled all his starters except for Andrew Nembhard. Knowing this series, this is when the Pacers comeback starts. Page 2
