Knicks v Pacers: Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Ben Stiller, cheer on New York in crucial NBA playoff win
The Eastern Conference series finale is alive and kicking with the New York Knicks beating the Indiana Pacers by 17 points to reduce the deficit to 3-2 in Game 5.
The Knicks won 111-94 on Thursday night, with Jalen Brunson scoring 32 points and Karl-Anthony Towns adding 24 points and 13 rebounds despite a bruised left knee.
Cheered on by a host of Hollywood celebrities including Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Ben Stiller and, ofcourse, Spike Lee, the Knicks won on their home floor for the first time in the series.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The victory prevented the Pacers from earning the second NBA Finals trip in franchise history. Indiana will try again Saturday night at home.
Knicks fans chanted “Knicks in 7! Knicks in 7!” in the final minutes as New York extended their 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.
Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench for the Pacers, who had won six straight road games. Indiana shot just 40.5 per cent from the field in by far their lowest-scoring game of the postseason.
Brunson scored 14 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 doubtful 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 went 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.
