KAT was dominant for the Knicks in Game 5, finishing with 24 pts, 13 rebounds, and a +26. Photo courtesy NY Knicks.
The Knicks struck back — jumping out to a big lead and dominating the Pacers from start to finish to win Game 5 and pull within 3-2 in games in the Eastern Conference Finals. On a Thursday night at an electric Madison Square Garden.
NY unleashed DEFENSE while Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns unleashed OFFENSE from the get go. Brunson had 32 pts on 12-18 shooting (4-7 from 3), while KAT had 24 pts on 10-20 shooting (1-3 from 3) with 13 rebounds.
Mikal Bridges added 18 pts and played phenomenal wing defense, as did OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson was dominant in the middle and on the offensive glass — with 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal in 20 minutes. Josh Hart played a strong game off the bench with 12 pts and 10 rebounds. At the end of the game, the Garden was chanting Landry Shamet — he gave the Knicks tremendous energy and defense in 14 minutes. Miles McBride and Delon Wright also played great — a total team win.
The Knicks pushed out to a 10-pt lead in the 1st quarter, led by 11 at the half, and then took it to Indiana to start the 3rd quarter, establishing a 20-pt lead. The closest Indiana could get in the 4th quarter was 12 points, but the Knicks quickly pushed them back to a near 20-pt lead.
Everyone did their job to limit the Pacers individually. All Knick starters had big +/- numbers, led by KAT with a +26 and Brunson with a +18.
Tyrese Haliburton was limited to 8 pts on 2-7 shooting. Pascal Siakam was the only Indiana starter to get double digits in points with 15. NY absolutely laid down the D.
### 1\. Brunson Comes Out On Fire
Jalen Brunson came out ON FIRE — making his first 3 buckets of the game to give NY a 6-0 lead, then feeding Mitchell Robinson for an alley oop slam for an 8-3 lead.
Brunson hit back-to-back 3’s later in the quarter, and made another bucket for 14 points in the period.
The Knicks led 25-15, but Indiana pushed back on some 3’s — by TJ McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin late in the period to pull within 27-23 after 1.
### 2\. Wright Neutralizes McConnell
Thibs brought in Delon Wright and Landry Shamet to start the 2nd quarter — and they amped the Knick intensity.
Wright in particular absolutely neutralized TJ McConnell — who had been a thorn in the Knicks side in last year’s Knicks-Pacers series, and in this one before Wright was sicked on him.
### 3\. KAT with Shamet & 2nd Team Push Knicks’ Lead
While Wright was taking care of McConnell — Landry Shamet energized the Knicks as well with his defensive intensity. And KAT started to take it to the Rim. With Brunson out, KAT was the primary Knick scorer — and this would continue throughout the game — the two tag-teaming on leading the Knicks offensively.
#### KAT Takes It to the Rim
KAT made a floater, and then a drive-and-1 next time down to put NY up 31-25.
A KAT bucket inside next time down put NY up 34-29.
Miles McBride hit a 3, Josh Hart hit a drive-and-1, and Landry Shamet hit a 3 off a Delon Wright assist and NY had a 43-34 lead.
KAT hit a drive-and-1 and NY was up 12. OG tipped in an offensive rebound and NY was up by 14 at 48-34.
### 4. Brunson Leads Knick Charge to Start 3rd Quarter
NY held an 11-pt lead at the half — 56-45 — and that was nice but not enough for comfort to Knick fans whose team had backs against the wall down 3-1 in the series.
Jalen Brunson took his turn in the KAT-Brunson tag team to start the 3rd — again coming out with aggression and ON FIRE.
Brunson hit a drive, then a drive-and-1, then a 3 on consecutive possessions to up the Knick lead to 64-48.
It became a game of free throws midway through the quarter as the refs started calling it tight.
A Brunson 3-and-1 (foul on Obi Toppin) gave NY an 81-64 lead with 3 minutes left in the quarter.
### 5\. Knicks Command the 4th
The Knicks entered the 4th up by 17 points, and it was time for the 2nd team’s defensive energy again.
Landry Shamet hit a long 2 to start the quarter and put NY up 19. OG Anunoby followed with a 3 and NY was up 20 — 95-75.
Indiana made a couple of tries at runs — with Siakam and Benedict Mathurin doing most of their scoring; a Jarace Walker 3 pulled them to within 12 with 8:15 left.
#### Gotta Have Hart
But Josh Hart made 2 big buckets in a row to put NY back up 16 with 6 minutes left, and a Mikal Bridges J put NY up 18 with 5 minutes left.
#### KAT Powers to Rim to Put It to Bed
Indiana pulled to within 14 with 3 minutes left — but KAT again powered to the basket for a drive off a Josh Hart pass, and then a dunk next time down off a Bridges feed and NY had a 108-90 lead with 2:18 left and ballgame.
### The Boxscore
[https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/\_/gameId/401772993](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401772993)