NBA Roundup: Knicks Rebound to Crush Pacers, Nuggets Continue to Roll

Jalen Brunson returned to top form on Tuesday as the New York Knicks dominated the Indiana Pacers 121-91, taking a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final Game 5. A win on Friday night in Indianapolis will propel the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 24 years.

After suffering a 32-point loss in Game 4, the Knicks responded emphatically. Brunson delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 44 points with seven assists and four rebounds.

“He’s willing to share everything with his teammates, and to me, that is the best part of him,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “His play is spectacular, but who he is as a teammate, as a leader, it makes us that. Big shot after big shot.”

The Knicks dominated Indiana on the boards, with Isaiah Hartenstein leading the way with 17 rebounds (12 offensive), and Josh Hart contributing 11 rebounds (nine defensive).

Brunson, who had been limited in the previous two games due to a heavy workload and a foot injury, showed no signs of fatigue, reaching the 40-point mark for the fifth time this postseason. After scoring only 18 points in Sunday’s loss, Brunson shot 18 for 35 and put up 28 points in the first half, setting a playoff record for the Knicks.

Brunson scored seven straight points, including a three-pointer that extended the lead to 106-86, securing the victory.

“I just love that there is never any excuse-making from him. He’s never talking about injuries,” Thibodeau said. “A lot of times when you hear people talking about their injuries, a lot of it is excuse-making and you never get that from him.”

The Pacers started strong, leading 25-20 before the Knicks put together an 11-0 run to end the first quarter up 38-32. By halftime, it was 69-54, and New York maintained their lead throughout the game.

Thibodeau expected his team’s strong response to their previous blowout defeat. “They’ve shown that all year, that’s who they are. We still need one more win, so we can’t be too excited about it,” he said.

Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 22 points.

‘Still Desperate’

In the West, the Denver Nuggets secured their third consecutive win in their semi-final series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Nikola Jokic leading the defending champions with 40 points. Trailing 2-0 in the series, Denver is now just one win away from returning to the Western Conference finals.

Jokic, who was presented with his third Most Valuable Player of the Year award before the game, quickly showcased his value. Denver led 50-44 at halftime, with Jokic scoring 19 of those points. After the Timberwolves went on an 11-3 run early in the third quarter, Jokic added another 16 points, extending the Nuggets’ lead to 88-74.

Denver successfully contained Anthony Edwards, limiting the Timberwolves star to 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Edwards had scored 44 points in Sunday’s Game 4 loss.

Despite losing the first two games of the series, Jokic remains cautious about the upcoming challenge in Minnesota. “Our back is still against the wall and we don’t want to quit. We are still desperate, and we still want to win, and we are going to Minnesota to get one,” he said.

Denver head coach Michael Malone was pleased with his team’s defense against Edwards. “We knew we had to do something different with Anthony Edwards, he is just a one-man wrecking crew,” Malone said. “We trapped him, we double-teamed him, flew around behind it, and that takes a lot of effort and our guys committed to it and that was a big part of the win.”