NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson scored 44 points, reaching 40 for the fifth time this postseason, and the New York Knicks got a win in their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000 by defeating the Indiana Pacers 121-91 on Tuesday night. on Friday, in game 5.
The Knicks bounced back from a loss and secured at least one more game at Madison Square Garden in front of their fans who were eager to see big late spring games again. Josh Hart had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Deuce McBride scored 17 points after being inserted into the starting lineup.
The No. 2 seed Knicks can win the series Friday night in Indiana after the first two-day break between games in the series. Caitlin Clark’s WNBA home debut with the Indiana Fever is set for Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, causing the extra day that could perhaps benefit a Knicks team that is playing without four key players.
Game 7, if necessary, would be on Sunday afternoon.
“We still need one more win, so we can’t get too excited about that,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We have to understand what we need to do, stay focused on the task at hand. If you feel good about yourself, you will get knocked down in this league. We have to be ready to go.”
Brunson injured his right foot in Game 2 and was limited to a postseason-low 18 points on Sunday as the Pacers blew the Knicks off the court in a 121-89 romp. He continued to insist that he was fine and that there was no reason to question it that Tuesday.
Quickly rising to 3-point shots off the dribble or using his series of fakes and spins to set up soft jumpers in the lane, Brunson made 18 of 35 and again looked like the player who finished fifth this season in MVP voting, not the one who made it. 10 of 26 in Game 3 and 6 of 17 on Sunday.
He scored 28 in the first half, a Knicks playoff record, and then put the game away in the fourth quarter with seven straight points, capped by a three-point play that made it 106-86 with 7:57 remaining.
Brunson, who scored 43 points in Game 1 and became the fourth player in NBA history with four consecutive 40-point games in the playoffs, had plenty of help.
Alec Burks, who was completely out of the rotation until he reemerged after a series of injuries, added 18 points off the bench and Isaiah Hartenstein had seven points and 17 rebounds. Hartenstein scored 12 points on the offensive end, helping the Knicks defeat the Pacers 53-29 on the glass, with 20 offensive rebounds leading to 26 second-chance points.
“We were annihilated with lost balls and rebounds. He gave up 20 offensive rebounds and 29 more shots. So we all own it,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “But very embarrassing. Very embarrassing and a difficult lesson.”
Pascal Siakam scored 22 points for the sixth-seeded Pacers, who will try to remain undefeated at home in the postseason to force the deciding game. Myles Turner added 16, but All-Star Tyrese Haliburton had just 13 after averaging 29.7 over the last three games.
Indiana got off to a strong start and led 25-20 before the Knicks went on an 11-0 run en route to a 38-32 lead after one. Carlisle spent three timeouts in the fourth, the crowd seemingly growing louder and louder.
Brunson made back-to-back baskets for a 13-point lead early in the second quarter and then made the first basket in a 9-0 run that made it 65-47 with 2:11 left.
The Knicks haven’t reached the conference finals since the Pacers beat them in 2000, the sixth meeting between the teams in eight years. This one had some of the 1990s Knicks-Pacers ferocity in a game with five technical fouls.
Isaiah Jackson was fouled for a difficult pick that knocked Donte DiVincenzo to the court in the first half. Hartenstein approached and came face to face with Jackson, and Burks also entered and appeared to raise his hand and make contact with Jackson. All three players were cited for technical fouls.
Later, after DiVincenzo hit Brunson’s heel, he and Turner got involved as DiVincenzo tried to fight for a pick. They then yelled at each other after a foul was called and both received technical fouls as the crowd chanted DiVincenzo’s name as the referees reviewed the play.
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