The New York Knicks 111-94 beat the Indiana Pacers This Thursday in the Madison Square Garden In the fifth game of the final of the East of the NBA conference, with Jalen Brunson As it appears with 32 points, and extended the series to a sixth duel in Indianapolis.
The New York team marked the way to victory from a great defensive effort, which resulted in 45 points in the first part for Indiana.
The Pacers came from a fourth game in which 43 points scored only in the first quarter.
“We managed to stop them early and then turn our opportunities,” said Jalen Brunson. “We simply play better, we play at our level.”
“We are going to concentrate on going step by step, a room at the same time and so we will have opportunities.”
Brunson, 28 years old and winner of the most clutch player award this season, finished the game with 32 points connecting 12 of his 18 attempts from the court, including four triples.
A sense of urgency transferred to defensive pressure put the Knicks in a comfortable position in a high -voltage match, in which they could not lower their guard or put the season at risk.
The Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns, who suffered again missing problems, completed a double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds.
“In the series I have succeeded playing in the painted area,” Towns said. “As the game progresses I think about some triple but I have the ability to dominate the painted area and that is what I like to do.”
“As a group we have thought that we can move forward, we will go to match and then we care about game seven when it arrives.”
Atypical night for Indiana attack
The last two minutes of the match served as an inspiration for fans who shouted “Knicks in seven”, with the firm hope of seeing their team go back the series next Monday in a hypothetical game seven.
Indiana puts a run end to a streak that saw them score a minimum of 100 points during each of their matches in the postseason, a living reflection of the effort of the Tom Thibodeau team this Thursday.
“I think we played together, we made them work for everything,” said Thibodeau. “We didn’t change many things, we simply had better opportunities.”
“The first quarter marked the way, we have to stay aggressive and disciplined, if we achieve that, it will be key.”
It was an atypical night for Indiana’s attack, which barely had three players above 10 points, being Bennedict Mathurin the top scorer of visitors with 23 points.
Tyrese Haliburton had a surprising performance with eight points in seven attempts for 32 minutes in the stall.
The sixth game of the series will be played this Saturday at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Pacers will have the opportunity to close the series at home.
An Indiana’s stumbling block would take the east conference final to be defined at Madison Square Garden next week.
