The New York Knicks avoided elimination with a dominant 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. New York never trailed and led by as many as 22 points to force a Game 6 on Saturday in Indiana.
The Knicks were once again led by Jalen Brunson, who put up 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting, while Karl-Anthony Towns supplied 24 points and 13 rebounds despite battling foul trouble. New York held Indiana to its lowest point total of the the playoffs through relentless defense and a disciplined game plan. Meanwhile Game 4 hero Tyrese Haliburton had a forgettable night, scoring just eight points on seven field goal attempts.
The series now stands at 3-2 as we head back to Indiana for Game 6, when the Pacers will seek their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals, 4-1, will host the East winner in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 5.
Here are some key takeaways from the Knicks' season-saving win:
Brunson has historic night
Jalen Brunson has put the Knicks on his back all season long. While there may have been some doubt about whether the Knicks would win Game 5, everyone expected Brunson to show up and at least give them a chance. He did that and more.
Brunson scored the first six points of the game to give the Knicks an early lead, and they never looked back in what turned into a wire-to-wire win. By the end of the first quarter, Brunson was already up to 14 points, and his huge third quarter helped push the Knicks' lead up to 22 points, which was their largest advantage of the entire series.
Brunson finished with 32 points, five rebounds and five assists, and now has 10 games during this postseason with at least 30 points and five assists. The only other players to accomplish that feat during a single playoff run are Michael Jordan (1989, 1990, 1992), LeBron James (2015, 2017, 2018) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2025).
Towns fights through the pain
Late in the Knicks' Game 4 loss on Tuesday, Aaron Nesmith drove to the basket and knocked knees with Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks' big man collapsed to the ground and immediately clutched at his knee, which appeared to be causing him serious pain.
While Towns finished out Game 4, he was listed as a game-time decision for Game 5. Shortly before tip-off, the team announced that he would play, but it was unclear exactly what he'd be able to give the Knicks.
As it turned out, a lot.
Towns took over during the second quarter, putting up 12 points and seven rebounds in that frame alone to help the Knicks build a double-digit lead heading into the break. Late in the fourth quarter, his driving and-one along the baseline sealed the victory and ensured there would be no late comeback from the Pacers this time.
All told, Towns finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and three assists on 10 of 20 from the field. This was Towns' third consecutive 20/10 game, and his ninth of the playoffs.
Haliburton, Pacers finally get slowed down
The Pacers have been electric on the offensive end this postseason. Their speed, shooting and ability to take care of the ball has overwhelmed teams more times than not, as the Knicks themselves have found out firsthand.
In Game 5, though, the Knicks were finally able to slow Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers down. Here's where the Pacers' key offensive marks from Thursday night ranked among their postseason outings:
- Points: 94 (Last)
- Field goal percentage: 40.5 (Last)
- Turnovers: 20 (Last)
This wasn't just a bad offensive game for the Pacers, it was their worst one of the entire playoffs.
Haliburton, in particular, was essentially a non-factor. After putting up 32 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists with zero turnovers in the Pacers' Game 4 win -- one of the best individual efforts ever by a point guard in the playoffs -- Haliburton managed just eight points and six assists on 2-of-7 shooting from the field in Game 5.
