Brunson’s 44 points gave the Knicks a 121-91 victory over the Pacers, while MVP Jokic led the Nuggets to a victory over the Timberwolves in Game 5.
The New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets each took 3-2 leads by winning their home games in the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals.
Jalen Brunson scored 44 points for the host Knicks, who defeated the Indiana Pacers 121-91 in Game 5 at a star-studded Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
The Knicks, who lost Games 3 and 4 in Indianapolis, now have a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. New York will try to clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals with a win on the road in Game 6 on Friday.
Brunson, who scored at least 40 points for the fifth time in 11 playoff games this spring, had seven assists and four rebounds in 43 minutes.
Josh Hart recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, and Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed 17 rebounds. Hartenstein’s 12 offensive boards tied the franchise playoff record set by Charles Oakley against the Chicago Bulls on May 15, 1994.
Alec Burks had 18 points off the bench, while Miles McBride scored 17 points for the Knicks.
“To me, that’s a hallmark of the team,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said of New York’s high energy level.
“We have been understaffed all year and this is our path. We have to play hard every possession and we have to keep doing that. So we have to do this for 48 minutes.
“And we know that if we defend and rebound, take care of the ball, we have a good chance of winning.”
Jalen Brunson recorded his fifth 40-plus point game of the postseason, the second 40-plus point game in a single postseason in Knicks playoff history. He follows Bernard King (6 – 1984).
-NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) May 15, 2024
MVP ‘Joker’ shines for Nuggets
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic celebrated his third MVP trophy by scoring 40 points and dishing out 13 assists as the Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-97 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Aaron Gordon recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 16 points each for Denver, which leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 after losing the first two at home.
Game 6 is Thursday night in Minneapolis.
Jokic received his MVP trophy from NBA commissioner Adam Silver before kickoff, then scored 12 points in the first quarter and seven in the second to put Denver up 50-44 at halftime.
40 points.
13 assists.
7 rebounds.
0 turnover.O #KiaMVP leads the charge for @nuggets to take the series lead 3-2 pic.twitter.com/CxAIVr86ot
-NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2024
Edwards attempted just eight shots in the first half, making just one, and didn’t make a shot in the first seven minutes of the third quarter. After the Nuggets took a 76-63 lead, he got aggressive, hitting a layup and converting a three-point play to quickly cut the deficit to eight points.
Jokic took over the rest of the period, hitting a hook shot, converting two three-point plays and making two more free throws to put Denver ahead 88-74 heading into the fourth.
Jokic finished third with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
Minnesota made one last effort to get within 101-90, but Murray hit three shots in the final minutes to seal the victory.
Christian Braun scored 10 points off the bench for Denver.
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