Brunson bags another 40-plus haul over the Pacers and has Knicks one game away from series win
Jalen Brunson has scored 44 points, reaching 40 for the fifth time in this post-season, and New York moved a win away from their first Eastern Conference finals trip since 2000 by beating Indiana 121-91 in Game 5.
The Knicks rebounded from a blowout loss and guaranteed themselves at least one more game at Madison Square Garden in front of their roaring fans who have been aching to see big games in late spring again. Josh Hart had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Deuce McBride scored 17 points after he was inserted into the starting line-up.
The No.2 seeds can win the series on the road after the first two-day break between games in the series.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Brunson hurt his right foot in Game 2 and was limited to 18 points in Game 4, his lowest of the post-season when the Pacers ran New York off the floor in a 121-89 romp. He kept insisting he was fine and there was no reason to question that on Wednesday (AEST).
Pulling up quickly for three-pointers off the dribble or using his series of fakes and spins to set up soft jumpers in the lane, Brunson shot 18 for 35 and again looked like the player who finished fifth this season in MVP voting, not the one who shot 10 for 26 in Game 3 and 6 for 17 on Sunday.
He scored 28 in the first half, a Knicks playoff record, and then put away the game in the fourth with seven straight points, capped by a three-point play that made it 106-86 with 7:57 to go.
Brunson, who scored 43 in Game 1 to become the fourth player in NBA history with four consecutive 40-point games in the playoffs, had plenty of help. Alec Burks, who had been out of the rotation entirely until re-emerging after a rash of injuries, added 18 points off the bench and Isaiah Hartenstein had seven points and 17 rebounds, helping the hosts overwhelm Indiana 53-29 on the glass.
Pascal Siakam scored 22 points for the sixth-seeded Pacers, who will try to stay unbeaten at home in the post-season to force the decisive game. Myles Turner added 16 but All-Star Tyrese Haliburton had only 13 after averaging 29.7 over the last three games.
