The New York Knicks kept their season alive with a commanding 111–94 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, forcing a Game 6 in Indianapolis. Facing elimination, the Knicks delivered a dominant performance at Madison Square Garden, never trailing and showcasing the toughness and urgency that had defined their season.
Jalen Brunson led the charge with 32 points, bouncing back after a subdued performance in Game 4. Brunson was relentless from the start, scoring 14 points in the first quarter alone and finishing an efficient 12-of-18 from the field while adding four assists. His 32-point effort extended his record as the Knicks’ franchise leader in playoff games with 30 or more points.
Karl-Anthony Towns also made a significant impact despite battling a bruised left knee that left his availability in doubt until tipoff. Towns contributed 24 points and 13 rebounds, powering the Knicks inside and helping them build and maintain a comfortable lead throughout the night. “It was do or die,” Towns said. “Nothing was going to stop me from playing this game.”
The Knicks flipped the script after a tough week that included two home losses, a collapse, and a daunting 3-1 series deficit. They came out with a defense-first mentality, setting the tone early by holding the Pacers to just 23 points in the first quarter down from the 43 they allowed in the first quarter of Game 4. Indiana was held to 45 points at halftime, far below their usual output.
Indiana’s star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who had dazzled with a 30-point triple-double in Game 3, was stifled all night. He managed only eight points on 2-of-7 shooting, while contributing six assists. The rest of the Pacers struggled to find their rhythm as well. Bennedict Mathurin led Indiana off the bench with 23 points, but the team shot a mediocre 40.5% from the field and committed 19 turnovers, stalling their offensive flow.
The Pacers’ head coach expressed disappointment, noting his team lacked the necessary force and attitude from the start. Indiana came into the game riding a six-game road winning streak, but they appeared rattled early on, allowing the Knicks to seize control.
New York opened strong with a 23–13 run in the first quarter. When Indiana briefly cut the lead to four, the Knicks responded with a decisive 14–2 second-quarter run to extend the margin to 48–34. Towns was instrumental in this stretch, scoring 12 points in the quarter. The Knicks carried a 56–45 lead into halftime.
The third quarter belonged to New York. Brunson scored the first eight points of the period, quickly expanding the lead to 20 points. Though Indiana clawed back to within 10, the Knicks responded with a 12–0 run, highlighted by a Brunson four-point play and a jumper from Miles McBride. By the start of the fourth quarter, the Knicks held a commanding 90–73 lead.
With the crowd roaring and the momentum fully in their favor, the Knicks cruised to the finish. Fans chanted “Knicks in seven!” as the team stretched the lead to as many as 20 points and denied Indiana any serious late-game comeback attempts.
Additional contributors for New York included Josh Hart, who posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges added 11 and 12 points respectively. However, it was the team’s collective urgency and defensive cohesion that ultimately defined the win.
Brunson summarized the mindset after the victory: “We played to our standards. That’s what it’s going to take.”
With this crucial win, the Knicks extended their first conference finals appearance since 2000 and moved a step closer to a historic comeback. Overturning a 3-1 series deficit is rare in the NBA playoffs, and no team has ever done it in a conference final after losing the first two games at home.
Game 6 awaits at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday night, where the Pacers will look to clinch their first NBA finals berth since 2000. But if the Knicks can replicate their Game 5 performance, they will return to Madison Square Garden for a decisive Game 7—a scenario that seemed unlikely just days ago.
