Jalen Brunson wrote another chapter for his storybook 2024 season and the Knicks took a 3-2 series lead in the Best of 7, Second Round series vs. the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers came into Madison Square Garden riding the momentum of a 121-89 victory in Game 4 in Indiana, which tied the series at 2-2. The teams leave MSG with the Knicks up 3-2 after a decisive 121-91 Knicks win. Game 6 is in Indiana on Friday night and each game of this series has been won by the home team so far through Game 5.
Jalen Brunson led the way for the Knicks, with 44 points and 7 assists. Alec Burks and Josh Hart contributed 18 each and Deuce McBride chipped in with 17. On the boards, Isaiah Hartenstein had 17 boards (12 offensive) with Josh Hart chipping in 11. The Pacers were paced by Pascal Siakam with 22 points and 8 boards. Tyrese Haliburton had 13 points and was not a major factor in the game.
Ironically, during the TNT telecast, it was conveyed that Pacers coach Rick Carlisle referred to the Knicks as “a bunch of Navy Seals.” That statement perfectly sums up the hard work, the camaraderie, and the discipline of the New York Knickerbockers.
MVP
The Knicks MVP this season, both regular season and playoffs, has been Jalen Brunson. That also held true in Game 5. After a disappointing Game 4 in Indy with 18 points and 5 assists on 6 for 17 shooting (0 for 5 on 3 pointers), Brunson showed that Game 4 to be either an aberration or an effect of his foot injury that he was able to overcome for Game 5. Playing a game-high 43 minutes, Brunson delivered 44 points on 18 for 35 shooting with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. His net rating of +31 was game-high as well.
The impact Brunson has on the game, through his Basketball IQ, his toughness, and his elite footwork, cannot be understated.
His 44-point performance was the fifth such game of 40+ points this postseason. He also seemed to singlehandedly stop each Pacers run to try to get back in the game.
Tread Left on the Tires?
It’s no secret that the Knicks have been using a short rotation through the playoffs. While the blowouts in Game 4 and Game 5 enabled some bench players to see the floor, Tom Thibodeau continued to mainly employ a 7-man rotation. It will be important to continue to watch this through the rest of the playoffs, to ensure the Knicks players don’t run out of gas. Even in Game 5, no Knicks starter played less than 30 minutes. That was Donte Divincenzo and he would’ve played more had it not been for foul trouble.
The sixth and seventh men on the Knicks roster for Game 5 were Precious Achiuwa (23 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, +15) and Alec Burks (23 minutes, 18 points, +9). The rest of the bench was emptied for the last 2-3 minutes.
It has seemed like continuing to roll the dice to play his starters this much, but Thibs obviously has the pulse of this roster. He is also known to have done this throughout his coaching career, so it likely won’t stop now.
The injuries to Julius Randle (regular season), Mitchell Robinson (both regular season and playoffs, season is over) and OG Anunoby (both regular season and playoffs) could be evidence of playing too many minutes, but based on the injuries, Anunoby’s hamstring injury is really the only one where that argument can hold water. It is a proof point of how this team has bought in to the approach and works hard for Thibs and each other (see Carlisle’s Navy Seals comment above).
Kings of Harts
For a team to be successful, each of the players must know their roles and execute them well. As Bill Belichick famously and simply said, “Do your job.” Two players that embody this so well are Isaiah Hartenstein and Josh Hart.
Hartenstein played a solid Game 5, scoring 7 points and grabbing 17 rebounds (12 of which were offensive boards) and 5 assists. His motor is undeniable and the effort is infectious. His 12 offensive rebounds were more than anyone on the Pacers had in total rebounds. The Knicks out-rebounded the Pacers 53-29 and Hartenstein was a big part in that. He also got in the face of Isaiah Jackson of the Pacers after a hard foul on Divincenzo which helped set the toughness tone for the Knicks.
Another driver of the rebounding edge for the Knicks was Hart. A big reason the Knicks traded for him last season was his rebounding prowess. In Game 5 he came through with 18 points and 11 rebounds. He has a motor that gets him up and down the floor in no time flat, creating an instant fast break from defensive rebounds at some points.
With their grit and determination, both iHart and Hart are perfect representations of Thib’s players.
Once a Knick
The Knicks alumni that have showed up to the Garden in this series have been some of the biggest fans of this team. To see hard-nosed players from the 90’s Knicks teams, like John Starks jumping around from his baseline seats has to be extremely motivating for these players. This series has begun to show some of the intensity, with a few technicals handed out in Game 5.
Another Knicks great who sat close by Starks is Stephon Marbury, who is also from New York and has played overseas. He has really gotten into these games and embraces being a member of the Knicks alumni network.
The return to MSG to cheer on the current roster is great for the Knicks alumni to feel connected to the team, and for the current team to have the greatness in the building and feed off the energy from players like Clyde Frazier, Bernard King and Patrick Ewing. It’s also great for the fans to cheer on their heroes of the past and present.
Game 6
A win in Game 6 on Friday night puts the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, when they lost to the Pacers. The Pacers are 5-0 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this postseason. A Pacers victory sends the series back to Madison Square Garden for a Sunday Game 7. The winner of this series plays the winner of the Boston Celtics – Cleveland Cavaliers series for the Eastern Conference championship.
Written by: Jason Krom
Stats by espn.com
Feature Photo Credit; Posting and Toasting
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