Revenge

Game 5 was the fifth time this postseason Brunson has scored 40+ points and dished out more than five assists. That's more such games than every NBA player in the 2024 playoffs combined.

Final Score: Knicks 121 - Pacers 91
Series: 3-2

Based on some of the conversation heading into Game 5, the Knicks had no chance. Coach Tom Thibodeau had played them too many minutes and run his guys into the ground. Rick Carlisle and Aaron Nesmith had figured out how to shut down Jalen Brunson. New York even getting this far was a fluke. Might as well pack it up and head home. 

But the thing is, those ignorant comments were made by clowns who haven't paid attention to this team. Fans and unbiased folks who have watched this Knicks team from Day 1 know better than to count them out, regardless of the circumstances, injuries or odds they face. 

Time after time, this group of gritty young men has bounced back from hellacious haymakers that would have forced lesser teams to quit. 

Not this group. Not Tuesday night at MSG. 

In the most important game for the franchise this century, the Knicks came out determined to impose their will. They were aggressive and scrappy while also effective and efficient.

Like most victories this season, Game 5 was a collective effort from New York. Isaiah Hartenstein was incredible. Thibs made a shrewd adjustment, slotting Miles McBride into the starting lineup, which paid massive dividends. Alec Burks was brilliant off the bench. However, we have to start with the captain.

Right from the opening tip, you could tell Brunson was moving better than he did in Indiana. He was blowing by defenders on straight-line drives and sprinting back on defense. His jumpers had plenty of arc and weren't falling short. It was the best he's looked since before he injured his foot in the first quarter of Game 2.   

Broadway Brunson poured in 28 points in the first half, a Knicks playoff record, and finished the contest with 44 points (shooting 18-of-35 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line), four rebounds, seven assists, and two 3-pointers in 43 minutes.

The Knicks outscored the Pacers by 31 points in the 43 minutes he was on the floor in Game 5. He's just the second Knicks to post a plus/minus north of 30.  

After struggling mightily on a bum wheel during the Knicks' two losses in Indiana, some pundits were ready to write Brunson off. He responds with yet another 40 Burger.

"It is big shot after big shot," Thibodeau said of his point guard. "There's never any excuse-making from him. He's never talking about injuries. When you hear people talk about injuries, a lot of that is excuse-making. And he doesn't do any of that. With him, it's, 'How can I be better?'

"He's like a machine," Thibs added. "He's locked in. He's going to be ready for the next game, ready for the next game."

Incredibly, Tuesday night was the fifth time this postseason Brunson has scored 40+ points and dished out more than five assists. That's more such games than every NBA player in the 2024 playoffs combined. 

JB is also just the fourth player in NBA history to record five or more 40-and-5 games in one postseason. The other three are Michael Jordan, Jerry West and LeBron James.