The New York Knicks showed plenty of hustle and heart to defeat the Indiana Pacers 111-94 in Game 5 of the East Finals.
Jalen Brunson started the game like a house on fire and was unstoppable throughout. He finished with 32 points, five rebounds and five assists, shooting 12-for-18 from the field.
Karl-Anthony Towns put in a brave performance dealing with a left knee contusion. No one on the Pacers could deal with him 1-on-1 as he racked up 24 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
New York used a ton of ball pressure to set the tone early, using the size of Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby to deter Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers All-Star was limited to just seven field goal attempts, making just two. It was a far cry from his historic triple-double performance in Game 5.
Indiana was unable to match New York’s intensity outside of a few stretches and will now have to regroup at home. It’s telling that Pascal Siakam was the only Pacers starter to reach double-figures in scoring and he only got 15.
Now the Pacers will know they don’t want to head back to New York for a Game 7. The Knicks have new life, exactly the ingredients needed for a playoff classic.
Game 6 will be on Saturday.
How Will Pacers Adjust To Knicks’ Changes?
Throwing more size and pressure at Haliburton was quite literally a big adjustment for New York and it worked wonders. He is the head of the snake for the Pacers and nullifying his impact was always going to be vital to winning.
Indiana is going to need to find a way to dictate the pace of the game even when Haliburton is being pressured. Andrew Nembhard was largely ineffective and he is going to need to assert himself more. Myles Turner also finished with just two shot attempts.
Another big concern for the Pacers will be the play of Aaron Nesmith. While has fought admirably on the defensive end, the hesitancy is palpable offensively. He won’t disclose exactly how much the right ankle injury is bothering him but he shot just 1-for-5 from three in this game. Several of those looks were wide open and he seemed to take more time than necessary.
He only played 16 minutes in this contest.
