RALLYING on their home court with a strong defensive effort and key contributions, the New York Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 111-94 in Game 5 on Thursday (Friday, May 30, 2025, PH time), keeping their Eastern Conference finals hopes alive.
From a determined start to the echoing “Knicks in 7! Knicks in 7!” chants at the finish, this was a pivotal night for New York. Maybe it can still be the Knicks’ series.
While Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds despite a bruised left knee, as the Knicks secured the crucial home victory and prevented the Pacers from potentially clinching their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Indiana will have another opportunity at home on Saturday night (Sunday in PH).
“It’s a testament to our team answering the call,” said Towns.
New York extended their first trip to the conference finals since 2000 and maintained their aspiration of becoming the 14th team in history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit. Notably, no team has ever won a conference finals series after losing the initial two home games.
Displaying a significant defensive improvement, the Knicks limited the Pacers to just 45 points in the first half, a stark contrast to the 43 points they conceded in the first quarter of Game 4. They also contained Tyrese Haliburton, who had a dominant performance in Game 4, to just eight points and six assists.
Brunson, looking to bounce back from Tuesday’s game, delivered his franchise-record 21st postseason game with 30 or more points for the Knicks.
“Our backs were against the wall. So, I mean, we’ve got to give it everything we got,” Brunson said.
Bennedict Mathurin contributed 23 points off the bench for the Pacers, whose six-game road winning streak came to an end. Indiana struggled offensively, shooting just 40.5 percent from the field in their lowest-scoring game of the postseason.
“We obviously didn’t play with the level of force that we needed to,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “We lost the rebound battle. We lost the turnover battle. We didn’t shoot well. They had a lot to do with it. So, give them a lot of credit and we’re going to have to play better.”
Brunson’s 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the first quarter helped the Knicks establish a 27-23 lead, a 20-point improvement compared to their first-quarter performance in Game 4.
Towns, despite being questionable due to a knee injury sustained in Game 4, stepped up with 12 points in the second quarter when Brunson was held scoreless.
Brunson then ignited the Knicks’ offense in the third quarter, scoring their first eight points as they opened a 20-point lead. Although the Pacers managed to cut the deficit in half, New York responded with a 12-0 run, punctuated by Brunson’s four-point play, pushing their lead to 86-64. / FROM THE WIRES