Brunson, Towns carry Knicks to
111-94 victory that cuts Pacers' series lead to 3-2
[May 30, 2025]
By BRIAN MAHONEY
NEW YORK (AP) — From Jalen Brunson's sizzling start to the “Knicks
in 7! Knicks in 7!” chants at the finish, this was New York's night.
Maybe it can still be the Knicks' series.
Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13
rebounds despite a bruised left knee and the Knicks stayed alive in
the Eastern Conference finals by beating the Indiana Pacers 111-94
on Thursday in Game 5.
The Knicks won on their home floor for the first time in the series
and prevented the Pacers from earning the second NBA Finals trip in
franchise history. Indiana will try again Saturday night at home.
“It’s a testament to our team answering the call,” Towns said.
New York extended its first trip to the conference finals since 2000
and kept alive hopes of becoming the 14th team to overcome a 3-1
deficit to win a series. No team has won a conference finals series
after dropping the first two games at home.
Two nights after giving up 43 points in the first quarter, the
Knicks held the Pacers to just 45 in the first half and limited
Tyrese Haliburton, who had 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds
Tuesday, to just eight points and six assists.
Brunson, outplayed by his point guard counterpart Tuesday, rebounded
with his franchise-record 21st postseason game of 30 or more points
with the Knicks.
“Our backs were against the wall. So, I mean, we’ve got to give it
everything we got,” Brunson said.
Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench for the Pacers,
who had won six straight road games. Indiana shot just 40.5% from
the field in by far its lowest-scoring game of the postseason.
[to top of second column] |
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) puts up a shot against
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) and guard Bennedict Mathurin
(00) during the third quarter of Game 5 of the NBA basketball
Eastern Conference final, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in New York. (AP
Photo/Frank Franklin II)
“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 scored 14 on 6-for-9 shooting in the first quarter as the
Knicks held a 27-23 lead — giving up 20 fewer points than in the
first quarter of Game 4, when they trailed 43-35.
Towns, who was questionable to play after hurting his left knee in a
collision late in Game 4, picked up the slack with 12 in the second,
when Brunson was scoreless.
Brunson came back with the Knicks’ first eight of the third quarter
as they opened a 20-point lead midway through the period. The Pacers
cut that in half before New York regained control with a 12-0 burst,
highlighted by Brunson’s four-point play, to make it 86-64.
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